When you urgently need some supplies, you either drive to the store or place an internet order on Amazon or eBay. When federal buyers require such supplies, they go to GSA Advantage. This e-commerce platform is run by the GSA and is basically the Amazon for federal agencies to procure products and services with minimum documents required and virtually zero bureaucracy. Want to learn how GSA Advantage can help your business grow? Keep reading.
What Is GSA Advantage
As we said above, GSA Advantage is a federal acquisition platform designed for quick purchasing of required supplies. Here is how GSA Advantage works.
A GSA Schedule contractor, such as yourself, registers on GSA Advantage and submits a catalog of available products or services that the contractor can sell within his GSA Schedule contract.
Then, whenever a federal buyer wants to purchase something like towels or conference hall furniture, or hire janitor services and so on, the buyer goes to GSA Advantage, conducts a search and sees offers by GSA contractors (with your offer among them). Then, the federal buyer selects the best offer and places an order. The GSA contractor receives an email notification about the order and has to then ship the order out.
For services, the mechanism is slightly different. A federal buyer places an RFQ – a request for quotation, or asks a particular contractor for an offer. Then, it goes nearly the same route.
What Is Sold on GSA Advantage
Virtually everything. With more than 4 million federal buyers visiting GSA Advantage every month, the amount of orders placed is enormous.
The GSA Advantage catalog lists products and services in the following categories:
- 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
To simplify finding a specific product, there is a built-in search mechanism.
How To Get on GSA Advantage
Only approved GSA Schedule contract holders can sell on GSA Advantage, so the question really is how to become a part of the GSA marketplace. In our blog and on our main GSA website we’ve covered this topic thoroughly. To make a long story short, you need to apply for a GSA Schedule, submit the necessary documents to the GSA, negotiate prices and conditions, and upon approval upload your product catalog on GSA Advantage.
How To Market Your Products Listed on GSA Advantage
Of course, just getting your products listed is not enough to get sales. Even though the federal market is less competitive than the commercial one, you will still need to get involved in marketing. Once again, we encourage you to visit the Price Reporter blog for more information on this topic. Also, please don’t hesitate to contact Price Reporter specialists directly. We will be ready to help you navigate through all the complexities of GSA contracting.
