An Overview of GSA Contracts:

The GSA Schedule Contract is a vehicle that is used to sell to the U.S. government.  Businesses, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions can obtain a GSA Schedule Contract to sell products or services  to government customers. GSA Schedule Contracts contain pre-negotiated pricing, terms, and conditions which streamline the government sales process. While GSA Schedule Contracts are primarily used to sell to federal agencies, in certain cases they can also be used to sell to state and local government.

What is a GSA Contract?

The technical definition of a GSA Schedule Contract is a government-wide, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract.  What does that mean in non-technical terms?

  • Government-wide – Can be used across agencies. GSA Schedule Contracts can be used by any federal agency from DOD and DHS, to FEMA and the Department of Energy.
  • Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity – Open ended, No set amount. While the term of the contract is fixed, the deliverables are not. During the term of a GSA Schedule Contract, any federal customer can order an unlimited amount of products or services.
  • Multiple Award Schedule – More than one company can receive the contract. A company can apply to obtain a GSA Schedule Contract at any time and there is no cap on the number of companies that can be awarded a contract.

GSA Schedule Contract

Also Known As…

The GSA Schedule Contract is often referred to by different names.  Companies that are trying to understand what the GSA Schedule Contract is can be confused by its multiple aliases.  All of the terms listed below can be used to refer to the GSA Schedule Contract.

  • GSA Contract
  • GSA Schedule
  • GSA Schedule Contract
  • GSA Schedules Program
  • Federal Supply Schedule (FSS)
  • Federal Acquisition Service (FAS)
  • GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program
  • GSA Number
  • GSA List
  • GSA Approved

Should Your Company Obtain a GSA Schedule Contract?

Whether or not your company should obtain a GSA Schedule Contract is not a simple question. As with any major company decision, the answer is dependent upon market research.  If your company is looking to expand into the public sector, a GSA Schedule Contract can be a valuable tool.  Below are some of the benefits of having a GSA Schedule Contract.

GSA Schedule Contract Benefits

  • Over $40 Billion in Annual Sales
  • It Reduces the Pool of Available Competition
  • It Allows for a Shorter, Simplified Sales Process, 21 days on average.
  • It Provides a Competitive Advantage in the Federal Market
  • It Can Be Used by All Federal Agencies and in Some Cases, State & Local Government Buyers