The Federal Government yesterday passed the largest economic stimulus package in US History. The following is the rough breakdown of the money.

$2 Trillion Breakdown

$250B – Direct payments to US Citizens 
$350B – Small Business Loans
$250B – Unemployment Benefits
$500B – Loans to Distressed Companies
$130B – For Hard Hit Hospitals
$150B – State and Local Governments for Responses
$370B – FEMA Response, Military Mobilization, Health Measures, Other

Register with FEMA

If you are looking to help, below is the link to the form to sign your company up with FEMA:
http://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1393604920419-85ebb69f3d7c50b0b10b3350c96d7f77/vendor_profile_form_.pdf

Obtain a GSA Schedule

Going one step past registering with FEMA is obtaining a GSA Schedule Contract and Agreeing to be a Disaster Relief Participant. If you review how FEMA makes its post disaster purchases, a great deal/majority of its’ buying comes from the disaster relief arm of the GSA Schedules. This is because the pricing is already vetted and the schedules are a GWAC, meaning they are Government Wide so they cover all 50 states and US territories. FEMA is a large agency but does not have the capabilities to recreate the GSA Schedule Contracting System and therefore piggybacks off the GSA Schedule System providing them with a great deal of utility as their mission is dealing with the unexpected.

Here is a list of all the products and services found on GSA Schedule that could come into play during these challenging times:

Products

Cleanup and Rebuilding – includes disinfectants, water treatments, brooms/mops, hand tools, plastic sheeting and exterior materials.

Electronic/Power Equipment – includes power generators, pumps, batteries, heating and ventilation, 2-way radios and extension cords.

Emergency and Rescue – includes firefighting equipment, life vests, fire/rescue trucks, rescue watercraft, emergency lighting and ladders.

Food and Cooking Supplies – includes preserved foods, ice chests, beverages, kitchenware, MREs and bottled water.

Medical Supplies – includes first aid kits, resuscitation products, wound care products, body bags and lifts/stretchers.

Personal Care and Hygiene – includes soap, hand cleaners/sanitizers, skin care, towels and decontamination showers.

Personal Safety and Protection – includes safety apparel/footwear; respiratory, vision, hearing and head protection, detectors and horns.

Security and Control – includes security and crowd control equipment, and traffic control.

Temporary Housing and Shelter – includes prefabricated shelters, tents, sleeping bags, cots, bedclothes and tarps.

Vehicles and Heavy Equipment – includes ATVs, backhoes, front end loaders, earth moving machinery and light trucks.
 

Services

Building and Construction Services – includes portable restrooms, air/water purification and storage tanks.

Communication Solutions – includes public relations, translation and interpretation.

Emergency Food Services – includes mobile kitchen services, food logistics and planning.

Emergency Preparedness – includes preparedness and first responder equipment, and training.

Energy and Power Services – includes oversight, metering, auditing and planning.

Environmental Services – includes chemical analysis, waste management and recycling.

Furniture – includes rental, relocation and household/quarters.

Information Technology – includes cyber security, health information technology services, IT professional services and cloud computing.

Law Enforcement and Security Solutions – includes guard services.

Logistics – includes air charter services, package delivery, deployment, and distribution and transportation logistics.

Medical and Laboratory Services – includes healthcare staffing and laboratory testing.

Vehicle Leasing and Rental – includes vans and light trucks.

Travel and Transportation Solutions – includes relocation, move management and travel agents.

Temporary Staffing – includes technical, professional and general support.

If your product or service isn’t specifically listed, it very well could be a part of the aforementioned categories.

A GSA Schedule is a great first step when hoping to enter the federal marketplace. If you would like to analyze how a GSA Schedule could provide your business with a brighter future, or how combining that with an 8(a) Certification can save time and money, exponentially increase your future business development capabilities, I always recommend contacting an industry expert like Advance GSA or ez8a. Neither charge for an initial consultation.