CARE & MAINTENANCE OF YOUR GSA MULTIPLE AWARD SCHEDULE (MAS) CONTRACT

1. CARE & MAINTENANCE OF YOUR GSA MULTIPLE AWARD SCHEDULE (MAS) CONTRACT

2. Two key factors in your success • Maximizing Rewards - marketing yourself and getting task/delivery orders • Minimizing Risks - following the rules - often very different than the commercial marketplace

3. Contractor Assistance Visit (CAV) • Industrial Operations Analyst (IOA) • Liaison between Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO) / Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) and contractors • Conducts Contractor Assistance Visits (CAV) • Objectives of CAV • Explain the Terms and Conditions of your contract • Assist with your questions or concerns • Identify and correct potential problems • Gather contractor data

4. Who’s Who • Procurement Contracting Officer (PCO) • negotiates and awards your contract • Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO) • responsible for the 72A sales reporting and Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) payment

5. Administrative Report Card • A “snapshot” in time • To assess if you are following the terms and conditions of your contract • Used to determine whether or not to exercise option periods • Example Report Card at Vendor Support Center under Contract Administration – http://vsc.gsa.gov/reportcard/

6. Administrative Report Card Frequency • Mid-term • Sometime in 3rd year of each 5 year contract period • primarily for your own edification • leaves time to address any problems before renewal and potential audit. • Expiring • between 6-12 months prior to 5 year contract period end • one of many things the PCO will consider in evaluating the option

7. Administrative Report Card • Question Categories • Category 1 - Critical • Category 2 - Mandatory • Category 3 - Above and Beyond • Ratings • Exceptional • Very Good • Satisfactory • Marginal • Serious Concerns Exist

8. Key Report Card topic – Price lists • An authorized contract price list shows ordering agencies what you have to offer. • Potential customers rely on your price list when doing market research. • Always use your current approved price list • Update and distribute with each applicable modification • Keep copies of all versions throughout your contract term for at least 3 years after contract expiration

9. GSA e-Library • Online source for contract SIN and Schedules information • Keep your information current • Address: Update Central Contractor Registration (CCR) www.ccr.gov • Phone Number: Update GSA Advantage! file • Web address and email Address: Update GSA Advantage! File • Market research tool • Ordering activities can find you • You can research your competition and find potential teaming partners or subcontractors

11. GSA Advantage! • Online shopping and ordering system • Provides online access to thousands of customers • You are required to upload your price list to GSA Advantage! no later than 6 months after award • Pique the customer’s interest • Utilize images (photos, logos, etc.) • Write detailed product descriptions • Use generic terms that customers can understand • Provide a link to your company website

12. GSA Advantage! • Keep your GSA Advantage! information up-to-date • Government can use GSA Advantage! to: • Search for items/services/suppliers • Perform market research • Compare features, prices, and delivery • Place orders • Contractors can use GSA Advantage! to: • Research competition • Sell to the federal marketplace

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17. Key Report Card topic – Environmental icons • Critical Report Card question - Is the contractor accurately identifying products that have Environmental attributes? • applies to icons loaded in GSA Advantage! by the contractor • Possess competent and reliable evidence to substantiate. • EPEAT and Energy Star icons are loaded directly into GSA Advantage! ® from EPA and Federal Electronics databases and don’t require contractor self-certification

18. eBuy • An electronic Request For Quote (RFQ) / Quote system • Notifies you of new government requirements • Increases sales potential • Not FedBizOpps

19. eBuy continued • Provides valuable information on the Federal marketplace • Saves you time since business opportunities may be sent directly to you via e-mail and quotes can be sent electronically • For more information about eBuy: “GSA eBuy for Vendors”, Session 6 Wednesday at 2:30pm or Session 9 on Thursday at 2:30pm.

20. Key Report Card topic - Scope • What is “Scope”? • On an order referencing your GSA contract number • Services or products have been approved by the PCO and authorized under your GSA contract • Why is it important? • You must only sell those products and services awarded under your contract • To maintain the integrity of the schedules program • To protect you from any unintended consequences

21. Scope • Only sell products and services that have been approved by your PCO • If products and services are being sold, and they are not on your Schedules contract, do not represent them as such • Identify those as Open Market or Non-Schedule

22. Key Report Card topic - Trade Agreements Act (TAA) • The TAA implements various international trade agreements and other trade initiatives • TAA is applicable to all Schedules contracts (including services) • Trade Agreements clause (FAR 52.225-5) included in contracts via the standard commercial items clause (FAR 52.212-5(b)) • TA Certificate (FAR 52.212-3(g)(4)) • Contractors must only provide U.S.-made or designated country end products • Refer to FAR 25.003, Definitions, for a complete list of designated countries

23. TAA – Your Responsibilities • Remain compliant! • Review your price list and GSA Advantage! file for accuracy and any possible noncompliant items • Notify your PCO to delete those items from your contract if noncompliance is uncovered • Ensure that you have a control system and/or process in place to track the country of origin of all products—it’s not required, but it’s a good idea!

24. TAA – Your Responsibilities • The IOA will • evaluate your process • review country of origin information during the CAV • Why is TAA compliance so important? • Federal customers must follow the regulations • They depend on GSA to help them be in compliance.

25. Key Report Card topic -Basis of Award • Decreases —The Price Reduction Clause 552.238-75: • Schedules contract prices are based upon a “Basis of Award” Category of Customer(s), • The negotiated discount ratio must be maintained throughout the contract term

26. Key Report Card topic -Basis of Award • Contractors should have a system or process in place to monitor the discount relationship. • The IOA will be verifying the contractor has a system or procedures in place to ensure the discount relationship is maintained.

27. What is a Schedules Sale? • When an order issued by an eligible user fits within the Schedules contract parameters, it is considered to be a Schedules sale unless the ordering activity indicates otherwise. Such as: • Contracts clearly awarded under FAR parts 12, 13, 14, or 15 • Establish with your customer at time of order placement whether a sale is being conducted under or outside the Schedules contract • List your Schedules contract number on invoices

28. How do I know if it will be a GSA sale? • Ask the customer! • Document the conversation • No misunderstanding - you know, they know • Everyone is on the same path

29. The GSA contract number is stated on the purchase or task order The ordering information and terms are the same as your GSA contract The customer made contact with you through GSA Advantage! or e-Buy The customer pays with the government purchase card for items on your contract The pricing is at or below the contract price The order is over $3000 and there is no indication of any other procurement vehicle being used Identifying Schedules Sales

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31. Key Report Card topic - Sales Tracking System • Identifies, tracks, and reports GSA sales accurately and completely • Reports all transactions within the proper period • Retrieves data easily • Separates Schedules sales from other federal sales and commercial sales

32. Key Report Card topic - Sales Tracking System • No “correct” sales tracking system • Need to isolate GSA Schedules sales • Automation is not required but may be necessary—complexity usually depends on the number of sales transactions

33. Sales Reporting • Report sales at the Vendor Support Center http://vsc.gsa.gov/ • All Schedules sales must be reported in U.S. dollars and rounded to the nearest whole dollar • Only GSA contract items and services should be reported • Open market (noncontract) items, travel, and Other Direct Costs should not be reported as GSA contract sales • Sales must be reported on a quarterly basis • January 1 to March 31 • April 1 to June 30 • July 1 to September 30 • October 1 to December 31

34. Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) • The IFF of .75% is included in your awarded pricing • The contract prices you’ve been awarded and bill a customer already include the IFF • The IFF is submitted by you on a quarterly basis

35. Remitting the IFF • Payment must be received within 30 calendar days after the quarter ends • GSA encourages you to pay the IFF via credit card or electronic check (ePay). • eliminates the expense and inconvenience of processing paper checks • No delays or uncertainty of mail deliveries • Electronically “Pay Online Now” to pay immediately after reporting sales, or return at a later date to “Pay Online Later”

36. Marketing e-Tools • e-Library • www.gsaelibrary.gsa.gov • GSA Advantage! • Go to www.gsaadvantage.gov, then select “Tutorial” • e-Buy • Go to https://www.ebuy.gsa.gov, then select “eBuy Training” • More information (tutorials, statistics, etc.) • GSA - Power Up e-Tools

37. Vendor Support Center http://vsc.gsa.gov

38. Under the Publications tab

39. Schedule Sales Query Report (SSQ) • Research your competitors • Visit http://ssq.gsa.gov • Or at the Vendor Support Center under the Business Opportunities tab • Click Create Report

40. http://ssq.gsa.gov

41. USA Spending.gov • See what customers are buying from your competition • Visit http://www.usaspending.gov • Go to the “Contracts” tab and click (Awards) • Enter the company you wish to research

42. USA Spending.gov

43. USA Spending.gov

44. Other Resources • Armed Forces Network • A list of military installations worldwide • www.armedforces.net • Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC) • Local resource available at no or nominal cost to help you market to the government • www.dla.mil/db/procurem.htm

45. Other Resources • USAgov (formally FirstGov) • Wide array of general information • www.usagov.gov • Federal Procurement Data Systems (FPDS-NG) • Detailed information on all federal contract actions over $25,000 • Identifies who bought what, from whom, for how much, when, and where • https://www.fpds.gov/

46. Other Resources • FedBizOpps (FBO) • Single source for federal government procurement opportunities • www.fedbizopps.gov • DoD Procurement Gateway • Allows detailed RFQ searches • https://progate.daps.dla.mil/home/

47. Small Business Resources • Office of Small Business Utilization (OSBU) • Forecast of contracting opportunities • Training • Publications • National calendar of events • And so much more… • Federal Acquisition Jumpstation • Your link to a host of federal acquisition opportunities

48. Advertising Opportunities • Military Times (www.militarycity.com) • Armed Forces Journal (www.armedforcesjournal.com) • Stars & Stripes (www.estripes.com) • Government Executive (www.govexec.com) • MWR Today (www.imcea.com) • Federal Computer Weekly (www.fcw.com )

49. GSA Marketing Partnership • GSA’s Office of Customer Accounts and Researchprovides news and information about shows, expos, and other marketing opportunities • Booth @ Expo – add’l. Steps to Success booklets available • Go to www.gsa.gov/quicklinks • MarkeTips magazine • Vendor Support Center • http://vsc.gsa.gov

50. GSA “Logo” Identifiers • You’re encouraged to place the GSA identifier (logo) on your web site for those supplies or services covered by your contract • Visit GSA Logo • Or http://vsc.gsa.gov • FAS Marketing Efforts • Brand/Logo Guidance