\"Schedules Workshops\" Available Monthly

***Free*** of Charge -- 9 am to 3 pm

Getting on the GSA Schedule is not required to do work for the federal
government but it is the preferred method of procurement for most
federal agencies. It cuts their red tape, helping them make purchases
quicker. Two to three years in business and over \$25,000 in annual
sales are required to get on the GSA Schedule. Getting on the GSA
schedule is no guarantee of work but acts as another vehicle to do
business with the federal government.

Required Registrations:

CCR Central Contractor Registration:
[**www.ccr.gov**](http://www.ccr.gov/)

BPN Business Partner Network: **[www.bpn.gov](http://www.bpn.gov/) (ORCA
-- Online Representations &**

Link to ORCA can be found on CCR **Certifications Application)**

To locate your schedule go to
**[www.gsaelibrary.gsa.gov](http://www.gsaelibrary.gsa.gov/).** You can
use the Category Guide or type in a key word in the Search Engine to
look for your schedule. You can also click on the \"Federal Supply
Schedule Listing\" tab (one of the blue tabs near the top right hand
corner) this will display every schedule available. Clicking on the
number will take you directly to the schedule summary page.

Choose the schedule that best describes your business by reading through
the SINS\'s (Special Item Numbers) under each Schedule Summary. Contact
the Acquisition Center to verify that your chosen schedule is a *good
fit* for your business and then print out the solicitation.

Once you have determined which schedule you want to apply for, click on
***\"Register to Receive Notification\"*** to be notified of revisions
to the solicitation. This way you will be notified if a change is made
to your solicitation while you are working on your proposal. If there is
a change posted to the solicitation and you are not aware and submit the
outdated one, your proposal will be rejected.

To download the solicitation click on the box marked ***\"Vendors, Click
here to View the Current Solicitation on FedBizOpps\"***. You can also
click on the box marked \"GSA Contracts on Line, Federal Buyers\" to
view vendors who are already on that schedule and compare their pricing.

Print and put your solicitation in a 3 ring binder and read it 2 or 3
times to become familiar with it. Use this as a working copy while you
gather the information required. You can put dividers in this copy to
help locate sections as you refer back and forth during its completion.
You must be competitive to get on the Schedule so keep this in mind as
you complete your price list. Remember to add .75% Industrial Funding
Fee to your pricing. This fee is used to fund the schedules. As you are
preparing your final draft for your proposal, follow the instructions to
the letter as the acquisition center looks for the smallest details such
as font size, type of paper the solicitation is printed on, etc.

Once completed, send your proposal *\"Return Receipt Requested\"* to the
acquisition center. In about 3 to 4 weeks you should hear back from the
center. If you do not hear back within that time frame, be sure and
follow up. Once approved, you will receive a GSA number. You are
required to download your prices into GSA Advantage within 6 months of
your acceptance. This allows your Company and pricing to be accessed by
federal agencies through GSA's online catalog, E Buy. Once on schedule
you can also advertise in GSA\'s quarterly \"Marketing Tips\" magazine.

Once awarded a GSA contract number, your contract is good for 5 years
with three 5 year option periods, giving you a possible total of 20
years if you stay within the terms and conditions of your contract. At
the end of each 5 year period you will be asked to recertify that you
are still a small business. You must also maintain \$25,000 in sales
annually (with the exception of newly awarded schedules, where you have
24 months instead of 12) to get on and stay on schedule.

Go to [www.gsa.gov/sbuc](http://www.gsa.gov/sbuc) and click on the link
**"Obtain a GSA Schedules Contract Training Guide**" for **additional**
information on GSA Schedules and Marketing Strategies. You may also take
on line training by clicking on the link **"For Vendors Getting on
Schedule**" under the Acquisitions Solutions title, then click on
**"Center for Acquisition Excellence".**

**Tentative** 2008 Workshop Dates

January 29

February 26

March 25

April 15

May 13

June 10

July 22

August 26

September 23

October 21

These workshops are presented by the Region 8 GSA Small Business
Utilization Center. They are designed to get businesses to the point
where they are ready to "Fill in the Blanks" of their solicitation. A
power point presentation is given in the morning explaining GSA, the
schedules and how to go about getting one, along with valuable
information on doing business with the federal government. In the
afternoon, a sample solicitation is reviewed giving tips and pointers on
what to look for as you complete your proposal. Many useful handouts and
information will be given at the workshop. This is a very useful tool in
the process of getting on the GSA Schedule, is free of charge and can be
attended more than once.

For more information, go to:
[www.gsa.gov/r8smallbusiness](../www.gsa.gov/r8smallbusiness)