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beta.SAM.gov Becomes Official Website for U.S. Government Federal Contracts

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beta.SAM.gov will become the official U.S. government website for people who make, receive, and manage federal awards. The General Services Administration (GSA) manages federal acquisition and awards processes in 10 online websites, which are now being merged into one, beta.SAM.gov. When the consolidation is complete, users will be able to seamlessly leverage vast stores of data, discover a wide range of award opportunities, and make more informed and effective award decisions. Before the merge to beta.SAM.gov, the JetCo Federal sales team used two of the ten websites for research and capture activities daily: FBO.gov or FedBizOpps and FPDS.gov Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS).

FedBizOpps

FBO.gov or FedBizOpps was the single government point-of-entry (GPE) for federal government procurement opportunities over $25,000. Government buyers were able to publicize their business opportunities by posting information directly to FedBizOpps. Through one portal, FedBizOpps, commercial vendors seeking federal markets for their products and services could search, monitor and retrieve opportunities solicited by the entire Federal contracting community. It retired one year ago on November 8, 2019.

Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS)

Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) is an automated system used to collect and report on federal procurement spending. It is the single authoritative repository for federal procurement award data. On October 17, 2020, FPDS’ reporting functions migrated into beta.SAM.gov. This includes static, standard, administrative, and ad hoc reports. The rest of FPDS functionality will remain in place at FPDS.gov. After the transition, the reports module in FPDS will be retired and beta.SAM.gov will be the only place to run contract data reports.

The transition to beta.SAM.gov will be easier for our team to navigate using one platform rather than 10 different websites. The centralized location will simplify daily tasks and increase business knowledge by providing one powerful search tool, one robust reporting tool, and one workspace to manage work.

Benefits of the Transition

Once the transition is complete, beta.SAM.gov will have the same federal business opportunity capabilities that are found today in FBO.gov. There will also be improvements, such as:

  • The ability to search for opportunities by number, keyword, or location for more precise results (including easy-to-use search filters)
  • Easy to read headers that will allow you to reference key information quickly
  • The option to access previous versions of opportunity notices with one click
  • The ability to set up notices, with a simple click, that will notify you when frequently used contract opportunities are updated
  • The ability to manage alerts easily through a new user workspace (frequency, turn on/off)
  • A user-friendly design with logical navigation and industry best practices embedded
  • Shared login, search, workspace, data services, reports, and a design that will allow you to leverage other IAE system data easily

There are many benefits from the transition that will improve our teams efficiencies and effectiveness. The transition will allow our team to find better government opportunities, which then flows down to our suppliers and allows them to have more government work. Overall, beta.SAM.gov will provide a wide range of award opportunities for government contractors.

 

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3 Benefits of Working with a GSA Contract Holder

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Are you looking to sell to the government or expand your sales? The General Services Administration (GSA) allows companies to sell to the government on their version of an Amazon-type website. Becoming a GSA contract holder can be time-consuming and resource intensive, however, if you are a subcontractor working with a company who has a GSA schedule, you do not need to get a GSA Schedule yourself. So, what are the benefits of working with a company who has a GSA contract?

1. Prices are verified by the government.

This means you don’t have to determine the price of your products. The government’s price is established from day 1 and cannot be negotiated per contract. In the long run, this saves you time and resources as you don’t have to price items.

2. Contracts are more accessible.

By becoming a supplier with us, you’ll have access to opportunities that non-GSA holders don’t have access to. Additionally, you don’t have to look for these opportunities as finding them is already a part of JetCo Federal’s day-to-day operations. Currently, JetCo Federal has a GSA Schedule 81, which includes shipping, packaging, and packing supplies. As we expand our capabilities and products, we will also expand to additional GSA Schedules.

3. Suppliers can take advantage of small business set asides.

Currently, the government’s goal is to award 5% of all federal contracts to women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) and 23% of all federal contracts to small businesses. JetCo Federal is a women-owned small business with large capabilities. Even if you are a large supplier, you can utilize our WOSB and small business status to qualify for contracts that you wouldn’t normally qualify for.

If you’re interested in becoming a supplier for JetCo Federal, contact us. Even if you don’t currently fit under Schedule 81’s shipping, packaging, and packing supplies, still contact us as we are in the process of expanding our capabilities and products.