In some GSA Schedules, subcontracting is a way of life. There are large companies that get the lions share of the contracts, and they subcontract according to the terms of the contract. This means that the government goes out of their way to make sure that small businesses get their piece of the pie. It does make a big difference for a small business to have their own GSA Contract, rather than piggy-backing off a Prime Contractor’s GSA Contract.

But how does a small business with a new GSA Contract get connected with a Prime Contractor?

There are several online registries or databases you can include your company in. This is what I would call a passive technique. When a Prime is looking for a new subcontractor, they will go to this database, and choose them, as if from a catalog. Often times, however, the Prime already has a good internal list of subcontractors with GSA Contracts. So, it may be a good idea to go actively connect with a Prime Contractor.

A way to actively seek out Prime Contractors is to locate their internal subcontracting administrator, and offer them your information, and try to connect with them directly. It is important you communicate to them that you do have an GSA Contract, because the federal government prefers that even a subcontractor has acquired a GSA Contract of their own. This is simply to make sure that the subcontractor has been scrutinized and verified to follow good business practices, and follow the law as well.

Related: GSA Schedules