Why 8(a) Firms Should Look Beyond Washington DC
First let’s go over the Washington DC figures, here can see the firm with average 8(a) GSA Schedule achieves $1.4 million per year in schedules derived strictly from their GSA Schedule activity. Usually, a firm’s total 8(a) sales are about 3x or this figure.
| Metropolitan Area (CBSA) | Fed. Employees (Est.) | Primary Agencies / Hubs | 8a | Vendors | Avg. GSA Sales |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD | 489,000 | Every major Agency HQ, Pentagon, CIA, NIH. | 119,130,000 | 81 | 1,470,740 |
Markets with Lack of Competition for 8(a) GSA Schedule Holders
In the following market there appears to be a lack of competition whereby 8(a) firms with GSA Schedules in these markets can outperform firms in the nation’s capital. As you can see the number of GSA Schedule holders in these markets is normally in single digits and as a result it appears there is a lack of vendors to fully support the missions of these agencies located in these areas.
| Rank | Metropolitan Area (CBSA) | Fed. Employees (Est.) | Primary Agencies / Hubs | 8a | Vendors | Avg. GSA Sales |
| 1 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 36,400 | IRS, EPA Regional HQ, FAA. | 43,320,000 | 4 | 10,830,000 |
| 2 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 19,200 | VA, Army Corps of Engineers, Agriculture. | 22,480,000 | 3 | 7,493,333 |
| 3 | Albuquerque, NM | 21,600 | Kirtland AFB, DOE (Sandia), Forest Service. | 21,370,000 | 3 | 7,123,333 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 18,500 | Regional HQ Hubs, HHS, EPA. | 5,340,000 | 1 | 5,340,000 |
| 5 | Oklahoma City, OK | 38,200 | FAA (Monroney Center), Tinker AFB. | 15,960,000 | 3 | 5,320,000 |
| 6 | San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 53,100 | Navy, DHS (Border Patrol), Marine Corps. | 26,110,000 | 8 | 3,263,750 |
| 7 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 39,600 | Federal Center, NOAA, USGS, Air Force. | 22,470,000 | 7 | 3,210,000 |
| 8 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 49,500 | Air Force (Lackland), Army (Ft. Sam Houston). | 79,530,000 | 31 | 2,565,484 |
| 9 | Kansas City, MO-KS | 25,800 | IRS (Major Processing), GSA, USDA. | 2,460,000 | 1 | 2,460,000 |
| 10 | Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 56,200 | Navy (World’s largest naval base), DoD. | 18,080,000 | 8 | 2,260,000 |
Why 8(a) GSA Schedule Is Your Growth Advantage
An 8(a) Certification combined with a GSA Schedule is a great way to increase your overall federal footprint and gain access to agencies sooner which creates a more productive use of a firm’s 8(a) eligibility. If you have any questions about how an 8(a) or a GSA Schedule might benefit your firm, please feel free to contact us.
