Over 30 Years of GSA / VA Consulting Services
SIN Selection and Market Positioning
We identify which Special Item Numbers match your products and services, then analyze how competitors position themselves within those categories. This strategic groundwork prevents costly missteps before you submit your offer. You’ll enter the federal market with clarity about where you fit and how to differentiate your pricing and capabilities from day one.
eOffer Submission and Negotiation Support
Once your offer enters GSA’s system, we manage correspondence with your assigned contracting officer and respond to requests for clarification or additional documentation. Negotiation typically takes 6 to 12 months depending on your product complexity and GSA’s current workload.
Award and GSA Advantage Listing Optimization
After award, we ensure your products appear correctly in GSA Advantage with descriptions that federal buyers actually search for. Many contractors lose visibility simply because their listing language doesn’t match agency procurement terminology. Your schedule becomes a working sales tool immediately because buyers can find you when they search for solutions you provide.
GSA requires monthly or quarterly sales reporting through their online portal. Missing deadlines or submitting inaccurate data leads to contract termination faster than almost any other violation. We set up reporting systems that capture your sales data correctly from the start and provide backup support when your team has questions before submission deadlines.
Late or missing transactional data reports lead to contract suspension and eventual termination if not corrected quickly. GSA takes TDR compliance seriously because the data drives their program metrics and fee collection.
We submit corrected historical data, negotiate reinstatement terms, and implement reporting processes that prevent future lapses. Most contracts can be saved if you act before termination becomes final.
We frequently fix schedules that other consultants negotiated with unfavorable terms—overly broad basis of award categories, pricing tied to the wrong customer segments, or CSP disclosures that eliminated negotiating flexibility. These problems don’t appear until you try to compete for orders and discover you can’t offer competitive pricing without violating your contract.
A modification to restructure your pricing terms and basis of award restores your ability to compete profitably. The fix typically costs less than the margin you lose on a single large order under the broken terms.
Our consultants and experts have over 30 years of experience in GSA and are ready to assist you today.
GSA & VA Schedules are pre-negotiated contracts with the General Services Administration or Department of Veterans Affairs (GSA/VA). They are indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts that are available for use by federal agencies worldwide. GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contracts, are also referred to as:
The VA National Acquisition Center (NAC) Federal Supply Schedule Service is responsible for establishing, soliciting, awarding, and administering the VA’s Federal Supply Schedule Program, which currently consists of 8 active schedules. Annual sales against these contracts exceed $2 billion. These schedules encompass such products as pharmaceuticals; medical equipment and supplies; dental supplies; x-ray equipment and supplies (including medical and dental x-ray film); patient mobility devices (including wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, etc.); antiseptic skin cleansers, detergents and soaps; in vitro diagnostics, reagents, test kits and sets; and clinical analyzers, laboratory cost-per-test. There are a total of over 1,200 contracts in place for the various commodity groups. All Federal Supply Schedule contracts are multiple award, indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity type, and are national in scope. These contracts are available for use by all Government agencies including but not limited to: VA medical centers, Department of Defense, Bureau of Prisons, Indian Health Services, Public Health Services, some State Veterans Homes, etc. Delegated to VA by the General Services Administration over 30 years ago, VA’s current schedules are:
All federal agencies, certain charitable institutions, the District of Columbia, and in some cases state and local governments. In the last fiscal year, these entities bought billions of dollars off of GSA and VA Schedules. That is money your company could be getting. See Appendix A, B, and C for a full list of specific agencies, activities, and organizations for which eligibility determinations have been made.
A better question would be, what is the government not buying off of GSA & VA Schedules? The GSA & VA Schedules program covers virtually everything from shoes to services. Some of the bigger purchases by government buyers are in the IT systems and software areas, but management consultants and other professional services are in the billions of dollars of sales. It is highly unlikely that your company sells something that the federal government does not buy. For example, temporary services, furniture, security services, office equipment, management consulting, energy audit services, and much more. No matter what size your company is, or what you are selling, the federal market offers tremendous opportunities to grow your business.
Your company needs to be registered in the System for Acquisition Management (SAM). If you are providing services, many schedules require that your company be in business for at least two years. If you are not already in the federal market, you should have a plan for entry. We can help you with that through competitive analysis, strategic positioning, and marketing messages.
We see consultants tell companies that they have to give GSA their lowest prices. That is wrong. You don’t have to agree to give GSA your lowest price; you just have to disclose your most favored customer price. Because you will often be called upon to grant additional discounts when competing for MAS orders, it is not in your best interest to extend most favored customer pricing at the MAS contract level. Did your consultant tell you that you will probably have to give further discounts on competitive bids against other companies? Also, too many companies negotiate contracts that cause major compliance headaches and problems because they unwittingly tie their Schedule pricing to broad or undesirable “basis of award” or “tracking customer” categories. We like to say that almost anyone can eventually get a company on schedule, but the important question is whether the resulting contract is one that will be profitable and manageable for the next 20 years. Many consultants who ignore this harsh reality are only concerned with getting a contract awarded. Centre Law and Consulting’s attorneys and consultants anticipate the problems and negotiate a contract that you can use profitably and succeed with.
First and foremost, Centre Law and Consulting will be there if you have audit questions later on. Your independent consultant may not. Indeed we are frequently called upon to fix contracts that others have originally negotiated. Second, we have more than 20 years of legal and consulting experience. We know the rules. Our people testify before Congressional panels. We speak at the conferences. We develop and teach highly acclaimed courses. No one has more expertise in GSA and VA Schedules than the Centre Law and Consulting team. We have successfully negotiated many GSA and VA Schedules. We know the people, their organizations, and their priorities. They have a job to do on behalf of the taxpayer, and we treat them professionally and respectfully while at the same time ensuring that they do not take advantage of their position to establish undesirable contract terms and conditions. Let us give you the advice you can really rely upon every time.
