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sellng to the feds

Everything you need to know about landing government video contracts.

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  1. Introduction
  2. Marketing to the Government
    1. Know the Rules!
    2. Selling to the Feds
      1. Calendar Concerns
      2. Procurement Vehicles
      3. Getting to Know You
    3. Congratulations! It's an e-Buy!
    4. Why Companies Need a Core Government Sales Group
  3. GSA Schedule Contracts
    1. Today GSA, Tomorrow the World
    2. Placing GSA Schedule Orders
    3. What GAO is Saying About Schedule Orders
    4. Incidentally Yours
    5. Leasing Nuts and Bolts
    6. Industrial Funding Fee Update
    7. Industrial Funding Fee in Legal Practice
    8. Mod Squad
    9. Back Door Schedules
  4. GSA Initiatives
    1. Evergreen, Everblue?
    2. Consolidated Contracting
    3. E-GSA
    4. GSA Is Getting It Right -- Are You?
  5. BPAs and Getting Paid
    1. BPAs 101
      1. An Introduction to Blanket Purchase Agreements
      2. GSA Schedule BPAs
      3. BPAs and the Law
    2. Ordering from BPAs
    3. Getting Paid
  6. Formal Competition
    1. GAO Bid Protest and Debriefing Procedures
    2. Filing a Timely Protest
    3. Bid Protests: What Happens After Filing
    4. Bid Protest Update
  7. Small Business Contracting
    1. Certifiably Small
    2. Small Business Contracting With the Government
    3. Small Business Subcontracting
    4. HUBba HUBba
  8. Special Requirements
    1. Are You a Sub?
    2. Federal Acquisition of Foreign Products
    3. Record Retention
    4. Procurement Integrity
    5. A Necessary Distance
    6. Suspension and Debarment
    7. The Freedom of Information Act
    8. Section 508: What You Need to Know
    9. Section 508: Now In Effect
    10. Federal Isn't the Only Avenue for Government Spending
  9. Federal Links

    BPAs, Part Two: GSA Schedule BPAs

    In the last episode we discussed the rescue of Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) from the federal procurement junkyard and transformation into a popular procurement vehicle. This month we strap on the GSA Federal Supply Schedule superchargers and follow BPAs to new heights as the single hottest procurement vehicle on wheels.

    To recap, BPAs are simplified contract vehicles allowing agencies to fill repetitive orders for commercial, off-the-shelf goods. A BPA establishes a charge account by which the agency can charge its purchases with qualified vendors. A BPA reduces the need for conducting numerous, individual procurements for the same type goods.

    BPAs come in two flavors: vanilla (discussed in the previous section) and GSA Schedule. As its name implies, a GSA Schedule BPA is a BPA that is placed under a vendor's GSA Schedule contract. Naturally enough, only GSA Schedule vendors can offer a GSA Schedule BPA. GSA approval isn't required for GSA Schedule BPAs. Of course, the agency is under no obligation to order goods or services from the GSA Schedule BPA contractor.

    While versatile, vanilla BPAs have some shortcomings. In particular, a delivery order placed against a BPA cannot exceed the small purchase amount of $100,000. In addition, contract terms and conditions must be negotiated for each BPA.

    Schedule BPA's don't suffer from these limitations. Because orders placed under a GSA Schedule BPA are first and foremost GSA Schedule orders, there's no limit on the dollar value of an individual task or delivery orders placed against a GSA Schedule BPA. Likewise, there's no requirement to publicize orders placed under a GSA Schedule BPA since there is no requirement that GSA Schedule orders be publicized. Put these two together and you get the picture: An agency can place a multi-million dollar order against a GSA Schedule BPA without publicizing the acquisition.

    There's more. Orders under GSA Schedule BPAs are exempt from the small purchase set-aside requirements of FAR Part 19 and from the procedures of FAR Part 13 governing simplified acquisition procedures. To make the procurement even easier, contractual terms already established under the vendor's GSA Schedule need not be repeated in the BPA. The BPA orders are simply subject to terms and conditions of the Schedule contract.

    Before awarding a GSA Schedule BPA, an agency should review the GSA Schedule pricelists of several vendors offering comparable goods and services. However, the agency isn't required to publicize its intent to award a GSA Schedule BPA. Also, an agency may decide to award several overlapping GSA Schedule BPAs to multiple vendors to provide the agency with alternative sourcing. In addition, multiple agencies may join in a cooperative Schedule BPA.

    According to GSA, once an agency has established a BPA, orders under the micropurchase threshold are simply placed against the BPA with no further documentation or justification required. For orders exceeding the micropurchase threshold where multiple BPAs have been awarded, the ordering activity is required to forward its requirements to an appropriate number of GSA Schedule BPA holders, evaluate responses, and place the order with the GSA Schedule BPA holder that represents the best value.

    For more information about Schedule BPAs, visit GSA FSS Web site at www.gsa.gov/bpa. In the meantime, for your reading pleasure, a model BPA included in GSA's Information Technology Schedule can be found on page 24.

    Part Three
    Back to Part One




Copyright Andrew Mohr 2000. All Rights Reserved Disclaimer:
This information in this site is for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and may not be relied upon. For legal advice about any of the topics discussed in this book, please seek the advice of legal counsel.