The General Services Administration (GSA) has committed to increasing the number of Historically Black Colleges and Universities with Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contracts in fiscal year (FY) 2022, which ends Sept. 30., according to a press release.
The program aims to increase HBCU exposure to Federal contracting and business opportunities, as well as increase HBCUs’ overall access to the Federal procurement marketplace. GSA also said it plans on providing training and education for the schools in order to help them take advantage program and increase potential revenue streams.
“It was an honor to be part of this incredible event that not only recognized the critical role of HBCUs but also focused on how we can bridge the gap between federal contracting and HBCUs,” GSA Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Associate Administrator Exodie Roe said at a roundtable this week.
“Increasing the number of HBCUs with a GSA MAS contract is an important goal for GSA,” Roe continued. “We want to create more revenue streams to expand and strengthen these institutions. These streams will ultimately provide more resources to build up the capacity of these institutions to serve even more students.”
As part of the push, GSA said it will promote HBCU industry events, as well as increase GSA MAS training opportunities and provide mentorship on the Federal procurement process.