Office of Procurement, Acquisition and Logistics (OPAL)

The VA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Program is the premier Government program in place to acquire state-of-the-art healthcare related products and services. Being a Schedule contractor is not a guarantee of sales and with nearly 2,000 contractors, and more being added every day, competition under the Program is fierce. That said, the VA FSS Service wants you to be a successful industry partner. To do this you must develop a robust marketing plan that includes clearly defined steps to promote and maintain a relationship with potential government customers while ensuring continued compliance with your firm’s awarded pricing, terms, and conditions. Good marketing efforts will help you identify government customers and get their attention so they are motivated to purchase from you. This page offers resources and strategies for maximizing business opportunities under the VA Schedules Program.

Marketing a Schedules Contract

Your Potential Customer Base

Sales Strategies

In addition to the myriad of resources available on the web, these are a few smart strategies that will help maximize your business opportunities.

• Educate your workforce. A well trained workforce can make or break a potential sale and ensure repeat business. All employees should at least:
  • Know your firm has a VA FSS contract and it’s number;
  • Be able to identify eligible government customers;
  • Provide accurate information about your firm’s contract; and
  • Assist the customer in completing all aspects of the sale.
  1. The Eligibility to use GSA sources of supply and services provides a comprehensive listing of all entities eligible to buy from VA FSS contracts.
  2. Explore USA.gov. This site offers online chat, blogs, news, features, and direct links to government agencies.

  Purchasing Programs

  Additional purchasing programs your company should know about:

  • Small Business Goals: If your company is a small, veteran-owned, service-disable veteran-owned, disadvantaged, women-owned, HUBZone, business, know that all federal agencies set Small Business Goals, which aim to put a percentage of procurement dollars toward these business categories. Learn more about how to participate through VA’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.
  • Contractor Team Arrangements (CTAs): If the scope of your contract cannot meet all of a customer’s requirements, you may work with another contractor. In a CTA, two or more Schedules contractors work together to meet the needs of a customer.
  • Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs): Setting up a BPA is a way to obtain regular business from a customer with repetitive needs for the product(s) or service(s) you offer. Because a BPA brings in continuous sales, it is appropriate to offer additional price discounts to your customer as part of the agreement.

  • SUB-Net
  • Connect to Agency Websites

  For additional information on how to successfully market your VA Schedules contract, download the Basics to Marketing Your VA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Contract guide.

  Disclaimer

  This page may include links to other websites outside our control and jurisdiction. VA is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of non- VA websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy or terms and conditions of those sites to fully understand what information is collected and how it is used.