What does GSA stand for?
If you are interested in working with the U.S. Government, then no doubt you will have come across the acronym ‘GSA’. So what is GSA?
GSA stands for the General Services Administration. It was established on 1st July 1949 by President Harry Truman to operate behind the scenes of the U.S. Government. Initially, GSA worked to dispose of leftover wartime goods, organise government records, and ensure preparation in case of emergencies or war.
Times have changed since then, and today GSA’s tasks include:
- Constructing and managing government buildings
- Leasing and managing real estate
- Developing policies
- Procuring supplies, services and technology
Let’s look at the last point in more detail.
We can consider GSA as the middleman between government and commercial business: the government says what it needs, the contractors have the goods and services it requires, and GSA connects the two.
To fulfil this task in the best way possible, GSA developed the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program, which awards $45 billion of GSA Schedule contracts to businesses like yours who supply the government.
What are GSA Schedule contracts?
A stable supply chain is a necessity for keeping our country running. The business of government requires a streamlined procurement process and high quality, low cost supplies and services. To achieve this, the U.S. Government leverages its tremendous purchasing power through the GSA Schedule.
Businesses who want to enter the lucrative government marketplace can apply for a Schedule from GSA, meaning that they can sell a certain product or service for five years to all government agencies – from the Department of Energy to the Department of Defense – at pre-negotiated prices and T&Cs.
There is a niche Schedule for practically every company, whether you sell non-perishables, playground equipment or firefighting vehicles, or provide gardening expertise, Human Resources services or environmental consultancy.
Winning a contract from GSA means:
- 5+ years in business with the government
- Advantages over your competitors
- Red tape dealt with when you apply
- Your share of the multi-billion dollar contract
Getting a GSA contract
We’ve defined GSA and explained what it could mean for your business; the next step is seeing if you’d be a good fit for a Schedule. Contact Price Reporter today to learn more.
