Vendors are moving briskly in GSA's FASt Lane trial

Forty-four companies made it through the General Services Administration's trial of a simplified, fast-track admission process for its IT Schedule 70 contract, with a third of those getting contracts within 20 days, according to the agency.

GSA's FASt Lane process, part of the Making It Easier initiative unveiled on April 6, shortens what has been a sometimes lengthy contract award process. The previous Schedule 70 process had been an obstacle for small companies and a turn-off for some innovative high-tech companies that are new to the federal market.

In the months before the official announcement, GSA processed 44 companies via FASt Lane and reduced the processing time from an average of 110 days to 29 days, with 35 percent of the awards completed in less than 20 days.

Kryptowire, a small-business developer and provider of tools that allow agencies to analyze the security and privacy of mobile apps, was one of the first companies to complete the new process. It was helped by the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate.

Other companies that have used the accelerated process include Salmon Group, a small, disabled-veteran-owned company that provides multidisciplinary services to the public and private sectors, and SynchroCyber, a small business that provides network security, identity and management access solutions.