The Contractor Start-up Kit provides guidance on how to upload your products and services to GSA Advantage using the FAS Catalog Platform (FCP), Schedule Input Program (SIP) or Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), as well as instructions on how to maintain your information.
In certain circumstances, GSA allows contractors to submit awarded BPA products on GSA Advantage. Here is a list of Contractors that GSA has authorized to submit their BPA information for posting on GSA Advantage.
For more information on the steps and procedures for submitting your BPA products using SIP, view the BPA Quick Start Guide.
Contractors are no longer permitted to submit embedded HTML within the product description or any other field not designated for this purpose. HTML embedded in the description can cause a number of problems related to page presentation, and conflict with and alter GSA Advantage search results and product detail.
In lieu of embedded HTML, GSA recommends submitting product URLs (see above).
You have the option to include product URLs in your electronic catalog if your company has additional product information on another website. Customers can visit your URL from the GSA Advantage product detail page.
GSA contracts under certain SINs are required to have photos for each product listed, with certain exceptions. When was the last time you bought a product online without a photo? Photos provide the best shopping experience for customers. Publishing accurate photos of offered products avoids buyer confusion and reduces returns. With so many products on GSA Advantage, making sure that your products have clear, high quality photos help your products stand out.
Products that are published to GSA Advantage must have product names and descriptions that make it easy for customers to search and identify the product.
Product names: Must contain a minimum of 3 words and cannot include the manufacturer or vendor part numbers. Since buyers search by keywords (e.g., laptop, desk, etc.), product names should be descriptive, clear, and meaningful to customers. Names have a 40-character limit.
Per clause I-FSS-600, you are required to submit Universal Product Codes (UPC) when available and Manufacturer Part Numbers (MPN) for each of your awarded contract items. Submitting this information not only keeps your contract compliant, but increases your visibility from government buyers.
If a UPC is not available for a product, you do not need to buy or register for a UPC. However, make every effort to obtain the UPC from the manufacturer and provide it as part of your catalog upload.
GSA Advantage is an online shopping and ordering system that provides access to thousands of contractors and millions of supplies (products) and services. Anyone may browse on GSA Advantage to view and compare the variety of products and services offered.
To assist in determining what data/information must be included in your electronic catalog for GSA Advantage, please use the Schedules SIN-MOL-Photo-UPC.
