IT Schedule 70 Startup Springboard: Making it Easier for Startups to Work with Government

April 21, 2016 | Mary Davie, Assistant Commissioner, FAS-ITS 
Post filed in: FAS at the Forefront | Federal Acquisition Service | Technology |

We’re addressing our customers’ emerging technology needs by getting companies — and their innovative solutions — onto IT Schedule 70 and into the hands of customer agencies faster, increasing acquisition and operational efficiencies and saving taxpayers money.

Introducing The IT Schedule 70 Startup Springboard

Earlier this month, GSA Administrator Denise Turner Roth launched a series of new initiatives Making It Easier (MIE) for our customer agencies and industry partners to accomplish their missions. These new programs go hand in hand with Administrator Roth’s key vision for GSA: to be a more proactive federal partner and a catalyst for economic development in communities across the country. Enter the new IT Schedule 70 Springboard, which offers new and smaller businesses an easier and faster way to get a Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract, supporting our vision of being an economic catalyst and proactive federal partner.

Improving Access to Innovative Solutions

The Startup Springboard addresses the rapid pace and growth of the government’s technology needs. We’ve made it possible for emerging startups to get onto Schedule 70, the government’s largest IT contract vehicle, sooner and their products and get their services into the hands of federal agencies faster than ever before. How can GSA do this? By reconsidering how we review the potential of highly qualified, innovative small technology vendors new to the federal market.

For years we heard from industry that unique government practices — including the two-year corporate experience requirement for becoming a schedule contractor — caused problems for small businesses, and were particularly challenging for startups.

GSA’s goal is to get innovative technologies on Schedule 70 and make them available to federal agencies faster, so we came up with an alternative to the two-year corporate experience requirement. It’s a win-win-win: good for GSA, good for our customers, and good for industry.

How the Startup Springboard Works

Prospective industry partners lacking two years of corporate experience can now complete their proposals for an IT Schedule 70 MAS contract by:

• Using the professional experience of their executives and key personnel as a substitute for having two years of corporate experience
• Using the project experience of key personnel as a substitute for having relevant corporate past performance
• Providing financial documentation that demonstrates the company’s financial responsibility in lieu of submitting two years of financial statements

Those are the only requirements that will change: these industry partners will still be certified responsible according to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requirements. They’ll also need to be able to deliver the technical needs and work required by federal, state, local, and tribal governments.

Spring into Success

No matter how long your company has been in business, or how many years of experience your staff has, take the first step with the IT Schedule 70 Startup Springboard process to market your new and emerging technology services to federal, state, local and tribal buyers.

For more information about participating in IT Schedule 70 Startup Springboard, please contact S70Springboard@gsa.gov.

Want to know more about IT Schedule 70? Join our Interact community.