You can absolutely apply on your own, and some businesses do it successfully. The question is whether it is the best use of your time and money. Here is a fair comparison.
Doing it yourself
Advantages
- No consulting fee
- You learn the program deeply
- GSA publishes free guides and training
Drawbacks
- Dozens of hours of your own time
- eOffer offers little guidance for your specifics
- Pricing negotiation is easy to get wrong
- Errors can add months
Using a specialist
Advantages
- Faster, with fewer surprises
- Stronger pricing narrative and negotiation
- Less disruption to your business
- Help after award
Drawbacks
- A fee to pay
- You must still supply documents and references
- Quality varies widely by provider
When DIY makes sense
If you have experience writing federal proposals, a simple product-based offering, strong and well-documented commercial sales, and time to spare, doing it yourself is realistic. Start with GSA's free training and read the solicitation carefully.
When a specialist pays for itself
- You sell services with multiple labor categories
- Your pricing is complex or you have non-standard discounts
- You resell products and need letters of supply
- Your financials or company age raise questions
- Time to first federal sale matters to you
The mistake to avoid
Hiring the wrong kind of help. A general CPA or attorney who has never filed a MAS offer will be learning on your dime. Choose someone who works in GSA contracting every day. See how to choose a consultant, and the red flags to watch for.