Subcontracting and Other Partnerships
There are multiple ways to partner with other contractors to maximize your chances of selling to GSA. OSDBU provides guidance on the process of forming a partnership but does not provide direct oversight.
Subcontracting
Subcontracting allows small businesses to sell to the government by partnering with a large business prime contractor. Use GSA’s Subcontracting Directory and the GSA eLibrary to find potential large business prime contractors. Small businesses must contact prime contractors directly.
If you need more information about opportunities listed in the directory, reach out to your local OSDBU small business advocate. For more information on subcontracting, visit the SBA website.
Other Partnerships
Joint Venture
A joint venture is formed for the sole purpose of pooling resources of separate businesses to support the mission of a government agency successfully and cost-effectively. It is considered a new legal entity that requires approval by the Small Business Administration (SBA), a separate federal identification number, and a new SAM user account. OSDBU does not oversee any part of the joint venture process. For further details on joint ventures, refer to the SBA website.
Contractor Team Arrangement (CTA)
Under a CTA, two or more GSA Schedule contractors work together to meet the needs of an ordering activity (e.g., those agencies and organizations that can order from GSA Schedules). A CTA is an arrangement between the two companies, not the formation of a new company. For further details on CTAs, refer to the CTA page.
U.S. General Services Administration