Our federal government is very large. It employed 4,185,000 workers as of 2014, says the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Our national network has so many agencies and departments, the White House simply says, “There are hundreds…” and kindly directs interested visitors to the alphabetical listing at USA.gov.

Finding anything in the web of agencies and programs can be intimidating. Finding something useful to you can be frustrating. Searching for a GSA 70 contractor is, however, remarkably easy, if you know where to look.

GSA 70 Contractors

The Government Services Administration (GSA) manages federal property, including operating and maintaining buildings, supplies and transportation acquisition, and communications management. The GSA routinely issues contracts to vendors across the country to provide vital services to our government. GSA IT Schedule 70 is an "indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity" (of course the government has an acronym for that: IDIQ) "multiple award schedule, providing fast access to services and products from more than 5,000 certified industry partners."

If you go to GSA’s website and attempt to find a vendor for, say, IT training, you will quickly become flummoxed by a seemingly endless rabbit hole. Save yourself some time and trouble and go directly to GSA’s eLibrary, where you can search to your heart’s content by Schedule. You need to locate the search feature in the upper right of GSA’s window, scrolling down to 70, and there you will find listings of just about every imaginable offering:

• COMSATCOM Services
• Identity, Credential and Access Management (ICAM)
• Products
• Services
• Software

Training and education is a service, so under the Service section you will find Category 132 50, Training Courses. Clicking on the Category number yields 584 contractors, alphabetized from 3SL, Inc. out of Huntsville, Alabama to Zibiz, out of Ronkonkoma, New York.

This contractor listing is searchable, so, for example, typing in Infotec in the right hand search box gives you:

• Contract #GS-35F-0001R
• DUNS: 131783420 (Dun & Bradstreet’s Data Universal Numbering System business identification)
• NAICS: 611420 (North American Industry Classification System for Computer training)

Infotec’s contract expires September 30, 2019. You might wonder how Infotec earned the contract.

Contractor Qualifications

As you can imagine, signing a contract with the GSA is not a small step for any company, large or small. The GSA signs hundreds of contracts annually and is very good at negotiating the best quality for the lowest taxpayer dollar. Clicking on the tiny page icon at the right of Infotec’s listing provides details of the “TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLICABLE TO PURCHASE OF TRAINING COURSES FOR GENERAL PURPOSE COMMERCIAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE (SPECIAL ITEM NUMBER 132-50).”

The GSA is thoroughly familiar with less than scrupulous operators, and its requirements prevent them from preying on government workers intent on improving their information technology skills. The GSA requires, for example, that Infotec provide each student with unlimited telephone or online support for a full year after the course. Every federal government student taking a class through the GSA 70 contract can contact Infotec for refresher assistance and answers to related course curriculum questions.

Infotec provides every student with written materials that become the student’s property after the course, and guarantees enough IT equipment for one-to-one assignment (no sharing laptops or notebooks!). These are both requirements through the GSA.

The process of meeting GSA’s high standards is so rigorous, its website cautions companies of any size to take training classes in the process of earning the contract. A business has to present a business plan, get registered with Dun & Bradstreet, have a Past Performance Evaluation completed, and register also with the System for Award Management (SAM). The whole process can take months.

Infotec

As a GSA Schedule 70 Contractor, Infotec strives to maintain the highest quality of instruction, not just to fulfill its obligations with the federal government. We realize government employees can turn to any of the other 583 GSA 70 contractors for IT training. We are proud to provide IT training services for federal employees in:

• Homeland Security
• Intelligence Agencies
• Cybersecurity Agencies
• Health IT

Infotec is listed in the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA) directory as a provider of IT and Leadership training. We make the process of improving IT skills for government use very easy. By making the process so easy, Infotec can give you quick access to a wide range of training services, including instructor-led, remote training, virtual training, and e-learning courses. Contact Infotec today to learn how we can be your GSA Schedule 70 provider!

For more information about Infotec or any of our programs click here: http://www.infotectraining.com/