GSA Schedule Contract for environmental services

As with all GSA Schedule contracts, the scope of work for the GSA Professional Services Schedule contract is broken out into different subject areas, called “Special Item Numbers” (SINs).  Some of these SINs used to belong to GSA’s Environmental Services Schedule, which was merged into the Professional Services Schedule.  These SINs include:
SIN 899-1, Environmental Consulting, by far the most heavily used of the environmental SINs, accounting for $344 million in sales in FY 2014.   Under this SIN, firms can perform an extraordinarily broad range of services.  A few of the examples listed in the RFP include:

• Environmental Assessment (EA) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) preparation under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
• Endangered species, wetland, watershed, and other natural resource management plans. Archeological and/or cultural resource management plans.
• Environmental program and project management.
• Environmental regulation development.
• Economic, technical and/or risk analysis.
• Other environmentally related studies and/or consultations.
• Economical, technical and/or risk analysis.
• Identification and mitigation of threats inclusive of protective measures to mitigate the threats.
• Vulnerability assessments.
• Compliance services, such as Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plans (SPCC Plans).
• Advisory services for ongoing advice and assistance with data and information in support of agency environmental programs involving areas, such as Material safety data sheets (MSDS); information hotlines.
• Waste management consulting services, for example to provide guidance in support of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act/Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (RCRA/CERCLA) site investigations.

SIN 899-8, Remediation and Reclamation Services, is the second most heavily used of the environmental SINs, accounting for $34 million in sales in FY 2014.  As its name implies, this SIN covers the remediation of hazardous waste sites.  These services can include the full life cycle, from site characterization through field investigations, and excavation, removal and disposal of hazardous waste.  The SIN specifically covers a wide range of remedial strategies (e.g., stabilization/solidification; bio-venting) and special requirements (e.g., removal of unexploded ordnance).

Reclamation services covered under the SIN relate to land (e.g., restoring areas to a more natural state, such as after desertification has made it unusable), and water and refrigerant reclamation.

There are certain restrictions.  In particular, services offered under this SIN cannot include the remediation, transportation or disposal of radioactive waste; or asbestos or paint removal.

SIN 899-3, Environmental Training.  The RFP defines the scope broadly; training can be off the shelf or customized; and can cover many different topics, including traditional environmental topics (e.g., environmental audits; HAZWOPER training), and occupational health and safety topics (e.g., confined space training).

SIN 899-5, Materials and Waste Recycling and Disposal Services, covers traditional fees for service (e.g., management and oversight of hazardous material disposal operations), and an approach under which the contractor can pay fair market value for recyclable materials that it retrieves from federal agencies.  For example, some GSA SIN 899-5 contractors offer to purchase used CRTs for prices specified in their GSA contracts.  In cases where a GSA contractor purchases recyclable materials, the contractor still has to remit the three-fourths of one percent Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) to GSA.  In these cases, the IFF is applied to the purchase price.

Firms that offer electronic recycling or e-waste disposal services are required to be certified by a third-party certifier such as R2 or e-Steward; and are required to submit proof of certification with their proposals.

All firms that are proposing to offer services under SIN 899-5 are required to submit various additional types of documentation with their proposals (e.g., summary of methods used for tracking material to final destination).

SIN 899-7, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Services, is designed to cover projects that require the application of geo-based analysis to an environmental project.  For example, this SIN can be used for performing geo-based analysis in support of the development of a habitat conservation plan, or image analysis in support of an emergency response.

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The Schedule is designed to accommodate specialty firms as well as those that offer a wide array of services.  For example, if a firm performs RI/FS studies but does not offer remediation services, the firm can offer RI/FS studies under SIN 899-1 (Environmental Consulting).  If a firm offers both the front-end studies and remediation services, the firm can offer both under SIN 899-8 (Remediation and Reclamation).

GSA Schedule contracts are not suitable for all firms; all Schedule contract have advantages and disadvantages that should be considered; click here for an article on this topic.  Among other considerations, companies that pursue GSA Schedule contracts have to be prepared for unique contract clauses and responsibilities—e.g., those associated with the Price Reductions Clause.

And there are many alternatives.  For example, firms should consider whether to pursue contracts that are periodically put out for competition by other agencies. In addition, there are an abundance of opportunities for firms to participate as subcontractors under existing contracts, under another firm’s contract (e.g., another firm’s GSA contract; another firm’s EPA contract). The choices certainly are not mutually exclusive.  Many firms have large portfolios of contract (and subcontract) vehicles, including contracts issued by other agencies plus GSA Environmental Schedule contracts.  In addition, there are other GSA Schedule contracts that include SINs of more interest to some firms (e.g., energy efficiency); click here for more details.

Obtaining a GSA Schedule contract under the Professional Services Schedule might make sense for your firm if: (a) you provide services in at least one of the SINs in the Schedule; and (b) your firm is interested in breaking into the federal market for the first time, diversifying within the market, or providing existing federal clients with a new contract vehicle.

Click here for tips on how to get a GSA Schedule contract.