Do I Need a Small Business Subcontracting Plan for My GSA Offer, and What Happens If I Get It Wrong?
A small business subcontracting plan for a GSA offer is generally required when an other-than-small business pursues a contract expected to exceed the applicable FAR threshold and subcontracting possibilities exist. For large-business and enterprise offerors, this is one of the most misunderstood parts of the Multiple Award Schedule process because it looks like a compliance […]
Why Are GSA Prices So Different for the Same Product in 2026—and What Does That Mean for My Pricing Strategy?
Commercial Sales Practices were removed in Refresh 31. Here’s how universal TDR changes GSA pricing strategy and audit risk.
How to Set Up a GSA-Aligned Pricing Strategy for the Next 5 Years
Margins on a GSA contract do not erode suddenly. They compress gradually through unplanned modifications, refresh updates, Commercial Sales Practices drift, and discount misalignment. By the time contractors recognize the pressure, the contract is locked into pricing structures negotiated years earlier under different cost assumptions. That is where five-year pricing exposure begins. A GSA contract […]
How to Build a GSA Sales Pipeline From Scratch
Most GSA Schedule holders do not fail because they lack demand. They fail because their sales activity never aligns with how federal buyers are allowed to buy. Outreach happens before compliance. Pricing conversations start before SIN fit is validated. Offers are sent without a procurement path. That sequence creates stalled leads, audit exposure, and months […]
What Happens if GSA Finds Pricing Irregularities? (Your First 72 Hours)
Pricing irregularities are not discovered gently.They surface during audits, contractor assessments, or modification reviews when GSA has already identified a variance worth documenting. By the time a contractor is notified, the concern is not hypothetical. It is logged. It is reviewable. And it already has downstream implications. The first 72 hours following notice often determine […]
GSA Economic Price Adjustments: When You Can Raise Prices (2026 Guide)
Price increases under a GSA contract fail more often than they are approved. Not because the math is wrong. Because the trigger is wrong, the timing is wrong, or the contractor misunderstands what GSA is actually permitting. In 2026, GSA continues to reject Economic Price Adjustment requests that rely on commercial logic instead of contract […]
Modeling Your Pricing Floor & Ceiling: The Math Behind What GSA Will Accept
The Math Behind What GSA Will Accept 1. Immediate Stakes Opening Pricing is the most common silent failure point in a GSA contract. Not at submission. Not even at award. The exposure appears later, during negotiations, modifications, or audits, when Contracting Officers test whether your pricing model actually reflects how you sell commercially. Contractors often […]
How to Structure Commercial Discounts Without Triggering GSA Price Reductions
For many federal contractors, the Price Reductions Clause (PRC) is the pressure point they don’t fully understand—until a GSA contracting officer starts asking for backup invoices, discount explanations, or a retroactive modification. When companies come to Capitol 50 with this problem, the root cause is almost always the same: A commercial discount was offered outside the structure […]
How to Start Selling to Federal Agencies That Don’t Know You Yet
Federal agencies don’t wake up one morning and decide to try a new vendor. They buy from patterns—incumbents, known SINs, familiar pricing structures, and vendors who already “fit” their procurement memory. Breaking in requires intent, patience, and a repeatable internal BD system. Not heroics. Not cold emails sprayed across .gov inboxes. A system. Below is […]
How GSA Builds Your Price Reasonableness Determination (and How to Prepare)
A practical breakdown of PRC + CSP logic for today’s federal marketplace. Federal contractors often hear three letters whispered with a curious mix of respect and anxiety: PRC. Right behind it comes CSP. Together, they form the backbone of how the GSA decides whether your pricing meets the government’s definition of “reasonable.” And if you’ve ever asked […]