American Language Services (ALS) is proud to announce its new selection to the Federal General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule.

ALS has been selected to work in the categories of document translation, verbal interpreting, on-site and telephonic, as well as audio/video transcription services. We have received an initial 5 year contract with three 5 year options. After a lengthy, involved approval process, ALS is now part of small select group of language companies to be a part of the GSA. The GSA approval process takes several months to verify that contractors are qualified to sell to the federal government. As you can imagine, the verification process is extremely thorough and intensive. Being a GSA approved company is just another testament to ALS’s already exemplary record involving operating procedures, customer service and overall quality of work.

According to their website, the GSA is an independent agency of the United States Government. The GSA was established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies services and communications for U.S. Government offices develops government-wide cost-minimizing policies, and other management tasks. Through these efforts, the GSA can be a very valuable tool in allowing businesses to work with the Federal US government. There are many methods available to businesses who want to sell to the federal government through contracts set-aside for specific categories of small businesses. GSA and the federal government also provide tools to research open business opportunities.

Now that ALS is on the GSA schedule, we have the opportunity to win multiple GSA contracts and work with an even wider array of federal agencies through GSA Schedules. GSA Schedules are open-ended, multiple award contracts that simplify the purchasing process for federal agencies and the businesses on schedule who serve them. ALS also has access to GSA direct training through online training or their mentor-protégé program. Special set-aside opportunities are also available for companies who meet their specific criteria. In our case, ALS qualifies for opportunities available to woman-owned businesses since ALS is WBE certified as well.

Winning a GSA contract requires a good deal of time and energy from the supplier. Before a supplier can submit an application, they must first register and be accepted in the Online Representations and Certifications Applications (ORCA) and Central Contractors Registration (CCR) programs. ALS is registered for both. We’re also required to submit to a past-performance evaluation, wherein our existing customers are contacted and asked to complete an extensive review of our performance. This report compiles the customer reviews into an overall-performance factor used to evaluate the stability and capabilities of our overall company.

The GSA monitors and consistently verifies our operating procedures to ensure high quality service every time. ALS is committed and determined to meet these challenges on a daily basis. We look forward to providing excellent language services and building a long lasting working relationship with the federal government for years to come.