GSA Advantage
, a menu-driven database system, features the GSA Advantage Catalog, which provides online access to contract ordering information, terms and conditions, current pricing, and the opportunity to submit an electronic delivery order.
Using GSA Advantage Catalog offers GSA buyers thousands of products (such as office supplies, tools, and furnishings). Fortunately for you, these products and services are available through a simple acquisition process that is easy and quick for buyers, which may include:
- MILSTRIP/DLMS;
- Phone or fax;
- GSA Global Supply; and
- GSA Advantage
The catalog is also available online in electronic flipbook format. Since March 1, a limited number of print publications have been made available to individuals without a dependable Internet connection.
GSA Global Supply’s product range has been significantly widened, with nearly 800,000 new items now offered. Instead of National Stock Numbers, these products are identifiable by part numbers.
As with all commodities offered through GSA Global Supply, the new products are simple requisitions that do not require comparative shopping for orders over the micro-purchase threshold.
Using GSA Advantage to the Fullest
As a GSA Schedule contractor, you need to ensure that your government customers easily find your products and services. While that makes sense, what might be a little harder to know is how to get the government to notice your wares.
Fortunately, this is where the General Services Administration comes in. This entity provides numerous procurement platforms to assist contractors in listing their solutions and bidding on contracting opportunities.
Nevertheless, GSA Advantage remains the most important site for government selling. Its reputation precedes it, but its strict systems keep it running smoothly and fairly.
For ease of comparison, GSA Advantage might get thought of as the government’s Amazon. Government agencies can use the site to look for and purchase millions of products at GSA pricing. Government buyers frequent GSA Advantage due to its ease and efficiency, making it a critical marketing tool for GSA contractors.
In the end, making it to the top of the GSA Advantage Catalog will significantly boost your chances of being the government’s contractor of choice, which, in turn, will help your business grow and maximize its potential.
How do I get to the GSA Advantage?
For a government buyer to purchase a product, they cannot simply go to one of the major online shops and find what they are looking for since several standards must get completed. Instead, they use government-sponsored online shopping and ordering services like GSA Advantage.
Operated by the General Services Administration, GSA Advantage is an online shopping and purchasing system that gives you access to thousands of contractors and millions of supplies and services.
Anyone can browse around GSA Advantage to explore and compare the wide range of products and services available; however, only federal government personnel get permitted to make purchases through GSA Advantage utilizing the following methods:
- A governmentwide commercial purchase card;
- A GSA Activity Address Code (AAC); or
- However, a Department of Defense Activity Address Code (DoDAAC) is limited to GSA Global Supply items purchases only.
GSA Advantage is a valuable resource for contractors on the GSA Schedule who want to learn more about government procurement. It is also a good idea to look at competitor prices in your industry to see whether or not you would be a competitive seller.
You can refine your search by selecting a category from the list of some of the categories shown below:
- Building & Industrial
- Electronics & Technology
- Facilities & Supplies
- Furniture & Furnishings
- Janitorial & Sanitation Supplies FSSI (BIC)
- Law Enforcement, Fire, Security
- Maintenance, Repair & Operations FSSI (BIC)
- Office Equipment
- Office Supplies
- Office Supplies & Equipment FSSI (BIC)
- Products
- Scientific & Medical
- Services
- Tools, Paint, & Recreational
- Vehicles & Equipment
Keep in mind your organization must have a GSA Schedule contract to sell on the platform. For a GSA Schedule contract, you must first identify your company’s eligibility, gather papers, register for programs, and obtain certifications — a daunting endeavor for anyone unfamiliar with the process, but GSA consultants can assist.
After receiving a GSA Schedule, you must register it with the Vendor Support Center. After registering for GSA Advantage, you must update all prices, contract modifications, additions or deletions, and line item descriptions.
Through the GSA Advantage, the transaction process is straightforward for products.
When the payment for the purchase is verified, an email instantly gets forwarded to the GSA contractor, who must accept the order to receive compensation. The GSA considers the order complete after the GSA contractor informs the purchaser via the GSA Advantage website that their order has been dispatched.
On the other hand, government buyers can search GSA Advantage for services and compare various options from GSA Schedule contractors.
Once they have identified a service they are interested in, the government agency may seek a price or offer directly to contractors, but they cannot purchase the service through the site. Government purchasers mostly use the GSA eLibrary or contact contractors now using the information accessible on GSA Advantage.
Conclusion
A GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract is often their first step toward establishing themselves as valuable government partners and expanding their public sector presence for companies wishing to enter the federal marketplace for companies wanting to enter the federal market.
Because contractors can sell almost anything through the GSA Schedules program, it appeals to a wide range of industry sectors. Contractors may sell everything that gets listed on the GSA Advantage Catalog, including everything from building supplies, furnishings, and medical items to cloud services, cybersecurity, and even cutting-edge information technology, among a plethora of others.
Essentially, GSA Advantage operates similarly to Amazon, but just for government entities. Photographs, descriptions, and the GSA-approved price for each item are available on the site, as is comprehensive product information.
For this reason, one of the best methods to get government contracts is to keep up with the GSA Advantage Catalog of the products and services that you provide.
By keeping your GSA Schedule up-to-date and fully compliant with various existing regulations, you are well on your way to growing and thriving in this bustling marketplace.
