# Presentation: 802202

## How to Prepare a 

**Federal Supply Service**
**IT Acquisition Center’s**
**How to Prepare a **
**Quality Offer**
**for**
**Solicitation**
**FCIS-JB-980001B**

## Agenda

- FSS Overview
- IT Acquisition Center Background
- Preparing your Offer
- After Award
- Contact Information

## Acquisition Centers

**Office Supplies &**
**Administrative Services**

**   ****Furniture**

**IT Acquisition Center **
**Automotive Center**
**Office & Scientific**
**Services Acquisition**

**Hardware & Appliances**

**General Products**

**Management Services**

- (National Disaster Support)

**Notes:**
THESE ARE OUR ACQUISITIONS CENTERS ACROSS THE NATION.

STARTING WITH OUR MANGEMENT SERVICES CENTER IN
AUBURN, WA  WHICH COVERS OUR MOBIS SCHEDULE,
HARDWARE AND APPLIANCES IN KANSAS CITY - COVERS A NEW 
SCHEDULE INITIATIVE THE HARDWARE STORE - WHICH ALLOWS 
CUSTOMERS TO USE THEIR PURCHASE CARDS IN HARDWARE 
STORES AND RECEIVE DISCOUNTS AT THE POINT OF SALE
THE GENERAL PRODUCTS CENTER IN FT. WORTH TEXAS 
COVERS MANY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES SUCH AS ALARM SYSTEMS.
OUR NEW YORK OFFICE COVERS OFFICE SUPPLIES AND PRODUCTS 
AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE NEXT DAY DELIVERY SCHEDULE.  
OUR FURNITURE CENTER IS LOCATED IN PHILADEPHIA AND CRYSTAL
CITY.  ALSO IN CRYSTAL CITY WE HAVE THE IT ACQUISITION CENTER,
OUR OFFICE & SCIENTIFIC CENTER, THE AUTOMOTIVE DIVISION AND THE
SERVICES ACQUISITION CENTER WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY
SERVICE SCHEDULES SUCH AS FINANICIAL ASSETS.

## Customer Overview

- Federal agencies and DC government
- State and local governments (for Schedule 70 only pending amendment to Solicitation)
- $37.1 billion spent on IT products and services by the government in 2002
- Government IT spending is expected to grow between 6% and 10% each year

## We’ve Got the Solution to Meet Your IT Product and Service Needs

- Group 70 Information TechnologyAcquisition Center

## What is the IT Schedule Program?

**Eliminates need for agency to write own RFP**
**Ordering agency selects products/services based on best value to the end user**
**Contractor offers products/services that meet definition of commercial item per FAR Part 12**
**Optional use of Schedules program by     ordering agencies**
**Direct relationship between ordering agency and contractor**

## IT Schedule Sales Trend ($ in Billions)

**4.0**

**6.9**

**9.3**

**10.9**

**13.0**

- The IT Center is one of FSS’s major Acquisition Centers with 3,706 contracts

## 70%-75% of all GSA contracts (including IT) are held by small businesses
Over 30% of schedule sales are to small businesses
Agency orders count toward meeting small business/8a goals

- Over 30% of schedule sales are to small businesses
- Agency orders count toward meeting small business/8a goals

- IT Schedule & Small Business

## Initiatives of the IT Acquisition Center

-   Attend IT industry and Government trade shows
-   Publications including *How to Market to the Federal Government*, *MAS Owner’s Manual*, *MarkeTips*, and *Customer Assistance** Guide*
-   Daily assistance for vendors and customers from the Customer Service department within the IT Center via phone
-   Direct mail and advertising campaign

## When preparing  an offer, GSA Determines...

**Responsiveness**
- Read all documents in entirety
- Filled in completely
- No blanks filled in with “N/A”
**Responsibility**
- Viable product/service
- History of satisfactory performance
- Financial resources
**Fair and Reasonable Pricing**

## Solicitation Features

**Prepared in accordance with FAR Part 12, “Acquisition of Commercial Items”**
**Variable contract period effective 5 years from date of award with three optional 5 year periods to extend**
**Standing Solicitation (no closing date for receipt of offers)**
**Past Performance Evaluation by Dun & Bradstreet c/o Open Ratings**
**Mandatory Acceptance of Government Purchase Card**
**For payments equal to or less than the micro-purchase threshold, for oral or written delivery orders**

## Getting on Schedule

**Where to start**
**How to submit an offer**
**The make up of an offer **
**How to complete an offer**
**Preparation for award**

## Where to Start

_**Obtain Solicitation**_
**	****Download off Internet into word file document.**
**	****Go to www.fss.gsa.gov/it **
** ****Under “Related Links” Click on “FedBizOpps”, Link through to FedBizOpps, Click on “Find Business Opportunities” and enter Solicitation Number: “FCIS-JB-980001B” **
_**Identify products & services within the scope of the Solicitation**_

## How to Submit an Offer

**Read the entire solicitation        **
**Respond to all requirements**
**Have a corporate officer sign all required documents **
**Submit two copies of offer to IT Acquisition Center **

## The Make Up of an Offer

**Solicitation (2 MS Word files)**
**Attachment 1:  Pricelist with Terms and Conditions**
**Attachment 2:  Past Performance (Dun & Bradstreet report)**
**Attachment 3:  Subcontracting Plan (for Large Businesses only)**
********When submitting your offer, you must send back the full text of these documents whether or not they apply to your company.***

## Solicitation

- Standing Solicitation
- Create a cover letter to accompany your offer.
- Complete Standard Form 1449 with signature from corporate officer.

## Sections of the Solicitation

**A--**  **NAICS descriptions**-  Select the codes used to determine 	business size (was SIC code).
**B--**  **Schedule Items**-  Identify the products/services you are offering.
**C--**  **Contract Terms and Conditions**-**  **Read all of the clauses in 	this section.  There are various places in this section that require 	the offeror (your company) to fill in information.
**D--**  **Contract Terms and Conditions IBR of Executive ****	****Orders etc.**-   Read all terms and conditions in this section.
**E--**  **Instructions to Offerors**-  Read all provisions in this section.
**F--**  **Evaluation Factors**-**  **Read the evaluation factors that will be 	used in evaluating your offer.
**G--  Offeror Supplied Information-  **This section will ask the 	offeror to supply a large amount of information.

## Attachment 1

*Guidelines for creating your FSS IT pricelist*.
- Use the guidelines to create a pricelist which will contain the prices, terms and conditions for products/services in your offer.
- Choose the terms and conditions that apply only to the SINs (Special Item Numbers) in your offer.

## Attachment 2

*Past Performance Evaluation Report*
- Follow the instructions listed to receive an Open Ratings Past Performance Evaluation Report.
- Offeror must pay for report at time of request (cannot be billed).

## Attachment 3

*Guidelines for Creating a Small Business Subcontracting Plan *
*(only needed for large businesses)*
- Use the guide provided to create a Subcontracting Plan.  Make sure to include this plan if you are classified as a large business.
- A subcontracting plan is needed for large businesses to demonstrate how they will subcontract portions of their work to other smaller companies.

## After Submittal of Offer

**Contracting Officer(CO)/Contracting Specialist(CS) assigned**
**Contacted by assigned CO/CS**
**Clarifications/deficient data defined**
**Timeframe for response established**

** ****  ****Once negotiations begin, submit         additional data as requested**
** ****Accurate, complete and current **
** ****Be timely with responses**

## Preparation for Award

**Final Proposal Revision**
**Basis for award clearly identified**
**Price reduction clause                             **
**Government discounts**
**Delivery time**
**Industrial funding fee**
**CO gives guide to write FPR**
**GSA Contract Number issued**

## Contract Administration

**Modifications**
**Add & delete products & services**
**Price reduction clause**
**Report Sales – Vendor Support Center online:  **_**fss.gsa.gov/vsc**_
**Industrial Funding Fee**
**Contractor distributes GSA Schedule Pricelist to Federal customers**
**Contractor submits GSA contract data electronically via *****GSA Advantage! *****within 6 months of award**
**GSA prints/distributes FSS Schedule**** to Federal customers**

## E-Tools

**GSA *****Advantage! *****(**_[www.](http://www.gsaadvantage.gov/)__[gsaadvantage](http://www.gsaadvantage.gov/)__[.](http://www.gsaadvantage.gov/)__[gov](http://www.gsaadvantage.gov/)_** )**
**Your tool to offer your products and services online in an easy to use e-commerce site.  **
**Contact your Contracting Officer to post your products and services to the site.**
**e-Buy (go to **_[www.gsaadvantage.gov](http://www.gsaadvantage.gov/)_** and click on “e-Buy”)**
**An electronic Request for Quote system that will allow customers to submit their requirements with an opportunity for your company to respond electronically.**

## New Schedule Programs(EIRO) E-connected Intelligent Remote Operations

**The total-solutions offering that enables you to:****  - Connect your remote staff wherever they****     may be ****  - Seamlessly establish network-connected****    operations when and where you need them****  - Bring the latest wireless remote mobile ****    communications and computing advances ****    to your program or office...**
** ****It’s Easy.  And it’s on the GSA Schedule at:****   http://www.eiro.gsa.gov**

## Section 508

- What is “Section 508” ?Section 508 is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which requires that electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by the Federal government be accessible to people with disabilities.
- For more information, please go to:** **www.section508.gov

## IT Solicitation Training Seminars 

**CHECK WEB PAGE FOR ANNOUNCEMENT:**_[www.fss.gsa.gov/it](http://www.fss.gsa.gov/it)__, _
**	****under “Events” click on ****“How To Prepare A Quality Offer”, scroll down to listing of **
**    “****IT Solicitation Training Seminar.” **
**POINT OF CONTACT:****STEPHANIE TURNER**** (703) 305-5777 OR                                             **
**	****CUSTOMER SERVICE ****(703) 305-3038**** **

## Need More Info?

**IT Acquisition Center Customer Service Line: 703.305.3038**
**Web-based training tool:  U-MAS online university **
**	****	****	****	****       **_**http://www.fss.gsa.gov/umas**_
**Web address:  **_[http://www.fss.gsa.gov/it](http://www.fss.gsa.gov/it)_
**E-mail:  **_[it.center@gsa.](mailto:it.center@gsa.gov)__[gov](mailto:it.center@gsa.gov)_
**Fax:  703-308-1445**
**Mailing Address:**
**IT Acquisition Center**
**1941 Jefferson Davis Highway**
**Suite 1017**
**Arlington, VA 22202**