Before you gather the documentation to submit a GSA contract proposal, take time to do some basic research, and decide if you can be competitive in this market. Remember that being awarded a GSA schedule contract is no guarantee of sales. Many companies spend their time and resources to prepare and submit a proposal, but subsequently have low or zero sales. Two websites can help you decide:
GSA’s eLibrary is the place to begin. There are about 40 different GSA Schedules covering a broad range of products and services. Each Schedule is then further sub-divided into Special Item Numbers (SINS). Search the site by keywords to find the Schedule and SIN that best matches the products or services you plan to offer.
- How many contractors are offering products/services under your proposed Schedule and SIN?
- Are your prices competitive?
- What about delivery times – can you match them?
- Are your products Environmentally Friendly?
- Are they Trade Agreements Act compliant?
GSA’s Schedule Sales Query (SSQ) website reports sales data of Schedule contractors for specific quarters and fiscal years.
- How many contractors in your proposed Schedule/SIN have zero or low sales?
- What were the sales for the top 5 contractors in the last fiscal year?
- What were the average sales per contract?