Providing Expert GSA Schedule Consulting Since 1986
This week, Federal Schedules, Inc. (FEDSched) marks 35 years in business. We would not be celebrating this momentous milestone without the trust and support of our clients, as well as the hard work and dedication of our team. FEDSched extends a sincere thank you to all of our current and former clients, our partners, and the employees that have helped shape our company.
FEDSched has come a long way since our start as a woman-owned, small business 35 years ago. Roxanne, our founder, identified an industry need for GSA Schedule consulting support and quickly progressed from starting the company from her home, to securing FEDSched’s first official office space in downtown Herndon, Virginia.
Today, FEDSched is proud to be a 100% employee-owned small business. We are made up of an incredible team, led by Julie Crosby, our company president. We’ve remained in Herndon, a prime location within the Dulles Tech Corridor. However, in the early 2000’s, we relocated from our downtown location to a larger office space, which is now just blocks away from the future Silver Line metro station.
As FEDSched has grown over the years, we have watched the GSA Schedules Program evolve. In 1986, the GSA Schedule looked quite different than it does today. Below are just a few highlights of how the GSA Schedule has changed since FEDSched first opened its doors.
5 Differences Between the GSA Schedule Today Versus 1986
❶ Open Seasons – Instead of a continuously open contract, the GSA Schedule had a set open season in the 80’s. That meant companies had a short window to submit their proposals each year.
❷ Contract Period of Performance – Today, GSA Multiple Award Schedule Contracts have a 5-year period of performance with three extension options. That was not the case when FEDSched started in 1986. GSA Contracts had a one-year term when the program first started and increased to a three-year term before changing to the five-year term that exists today.
❸ The Ability to Offer Services – According to GSA’s Schedule Sales Query Plus, services account for approximately 70% of GSA MAS Contract sales. However, in 1986, companies could only sell products through the GSA Schedule.
❹ Paper Offers – While GSA made the digital transition years ago, FEDSched spent the first two decades of business hand delivering copies of all proposals and modifications.
❺ Industry Solutions Offered through the GSA Schedule – The GSA Schedule began as a mainly IT-based contract. As the program progressed, it multiplied into more than 100 different product and service-based GSA Schedules. GSA eventually began reigning in and consolidating the different Schedules, until they merged all GSA Schedules into a single Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) in 2019. From one to many, and back to one – while there is now just one consolidated GSA Schedule, it incorporates offerings across a broad range of industries and includes the latest technologies and solutions.
Looking Ahead – GSA Initiatives to Watch in 2021
FEDSched has helped navigate contractors through 35 years of changes at GSA, and we look forward to the continuous journey ahead. Take a few minutes to see some of the GSA initiatives our team is watching in the year ahead.
