How to Write a Proposal for a GSA Schedule: Section Technical

Congratulations! You've finished one section of your Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) proposal and can now move on to the technical section if you're reading this and have finished the administrative section. The technical section consists of creating documents that highlight your technical knowledge in the field you are proposing to GSA, whereas the administrative section mostly consisted of gathering documents you already have on file. We cover all you need to know about the technical elements of the GSA Schedule proposal in the second blog post in our three-part series on "How to Prepare Your GSA Schedule proposal."

In the GSA Schedule Proposal's Technical Section, Where Do You Begin?

The best place to start is with the MAS Solicitation, which is where all MAS criteria originate. Section II - Technical Proposal of "SCP-FSS-001 Instructions Applicable to All Offerors (May 2021)" should be carefully read. This section of the solicitation, which is the "meat and potatoes" of the technical aspect of your offer, will emphasize the majority of the documents you will need to complete and what goes into those documents.

Let's Discuss the GSA Schedule Proposal in More Detail

Let's dissect the prerequisites now that we've discussed where to find them. The following paperwork is needed for many MAS Offers for GSA Schedule proposal:

Narrative of a Corporate Experience

Simply put, the Company Experience Narrative is a narrative account of corporate experience that is relevant to the goods and/or services being provided to the GSA Schedule proposal. This form should be filled out in the eOffer system and will include details like the number of years your company has been delivering the goods or services mentioned in your offer, the number of employees you have, your industry expertise, and the resources you have to meet criteria, and more. The Solicitation in the aforementioned part contains a direct list of all the questions you must answer, so make sure you are familiar with those.

Having a draft prepared in advance will save you from having to look up the answers when using eOffer even if you will be answering the questions there. It's a good idea to prepare everything beforehand. You should aim to keep this essay at roughly two pages in length.

Previous Experience

Information about prior performance serves as a predictor of an offeror's capacity to carry out the contract successfully. A pattern of prior performance must be shown by prospective contractors in one of the following ways:

• Three (3) or more contractor performance assessment reports from three different orders/contracts within the last three years that were similar in scope to what you are proposing to GSA are available in the federal Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS). NOTICE: You must address any undocumented negative comments from the CPARS report in the contractor performance assessment reports.
• Don't worry if you don't have CPARS. Finished Past Performance Questionnaires and a list of pertinent customer references are also acceptable. Relevant client references must be linked to three separate orders, contracts, or orders, and the work being referred must have been finished three years before the date the offer was submitted.

Quality Assurance Story

The Corporate Experience Narrative and Quality Control Narrative both have a similar format. The Solicitation should be about two pages long and should include all the information that is required to be answered in the eOffer. The quality control section covers things like how your business will perform internal reviews and maintain high standards while managing numerous projects at once.

Experience with a Relevant Project

For many prospective contractors, past jobs might be a delicate subject. The objective is to emphasize past work that you have completed that is relevant to what you are suggesting to GSA. A prior project is typically required for every service SIN, while some SINs—like many IT SINs—require two.

The projects must be ongoing with a base year finished, or they must have been finished within the last two years. Try to "marry" the work performed as noted in the Statement of Work with the SIN-specific wording (SOW). Don't forget to include the SOW that has been properly performed with your projects!

Technical Requirements for SIN for GSA Schedule Proposal

Checking the large category attachment for the SINs and large categories you're providing to GSA is crucial. Even though not all SINs will have additional technical requirements that are unique to them, failing to meet one of these requirements can cause your MAS offer to be refused. Examples of SIN-specific criteria include the NIST requirements for several Cloud IT subsections, the High-Value Asset (HVA) Assessment Requirement for the Highly Adaptive Cybersecurity Services (HACS) SIN and unique requirements for Office Furniture. Please note that this is by no means a comprehensive list, so double-check all prerequisites for your goods!

What Takes Place Following the Technical Section of the GSA Schedule Proposal Is Complete?

Of the three primary areas in your MAS Proposal, the technical portion is, well, the most technical. It illustrates your understanding of GSA requirements and highlights your prior experience as it relates to the goods and services you are offering to GSA. It's important to understand what documents you need and what rules relate to your offer because some of the narratives can be a little complicated.