How do staffing firms get on government contracts?

Common routes are the GSA MAS SIN 561320 Temporary Staffing for federal buyers, statewide temp contracts, and cooperative contracts such as NASPO ValuePoint Temporary Employment Services.

What wage rules apply to temporary workers on federal contracts?

The Service Contract Act requires at least the Department of Labor wage determination rates on federal service contracts over $2,500, and contracts over $100,000 also require overtime pay for laborers and mechanics over 40 hours a week.

Do I need E-Verify to provide staff to the federal government?

If your contract includes the FAR E-Verify clause, you must enroll in E-Verify and verify employees assigned to the contract.

Can state and local agencies use OASIS+ for staffing?

Not right now; GSA says OASIS+ is not currently open to state and local governments, so they usually use statewide or cooperative contracts instead.

How long does it take to sell staffing services to government?

It depends on the size of the purchase and how it's bought. Small purchases under an agency's threshold, or buys through an existing cooperative contract, can move quickly. Purchases that need a formal bid or a new budget line usually take longer, often a full budget cycle.

Can KSG help us sell staffing services to government?

Yes. Kensington Sales Group provides outsourced SDRs who research target agencies, reach the right program owners and purchasing contacts, and book qualified meetings for your sales team. Book a 30-minute call to talk it through.

Selling Staffing Services to Government: A Vendor's Guide

Key takeaways

NASPO ValuePoint's Temporary Employment Services portfolio (lead state New Mexico) was awarded August 15, 2022 to nine suppliers, runs to August 14, 2027, and lists participating addenda for Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico and Vermont.
Common ways agencies buy staffing services: GSA MAS SIN 561320 Temporary Staffing, GSA OASIS+ Human Capital domain, NASPO ValuePoint Temporary Employment Services.
Rules to plan for: Service Contract Act, Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act, E-Verify (FAR Subpart 22.18).
A contract vehicle or vendor registration makes buying easier, but it doesn't create demand. The vendors that win reach program owners before budgets and bids are set.

Who buys staffing services in government

Purchases of staffing services happen across federal agencies, states, counties, cities, school districts and colleges, hospitals, tribal governments, special districts and public utilities. The people you'll deal with usually include:

State human resources and personnel departments
State central procurement offices that run statewide temp contracts
City and county HR directors
Public hospital and health system HR and nursing administration
School district and university HR offices
Federal contracting officers buying temporary staffing support
Agency IT departments buying staff augmentation

The purchasing office runs the process, but the program owner who has the problem usually decides what gets bought. Reach both. See government buyer roles for how they work together.

The government staffing services market

NASPO ValuePoint's Temporary Employment Services portfolio (lead state New Mexico) was awarded August 15, 2022 to nine suppliers, runs to August 14, 2027, and lists participating addenda for Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico and Vermont. (NASPO ValuePoint, Temporary Employment Services portfolio)

How agencies buy staffing services

Small purchases under an agency's threshold can often be made with a quote or a purchase card. Larger purchases need a formal bid or an existing contract. These are the contract vehicles agencies commonly use for staffing services:

Contract vehicle	What it is
GSA MAS SIN 561320 Temporary Staffing	Federal schedule SIN for temporary staffing services.
GSA OASIS+ Human Capital domain	OASIS+ combined the former Human Capital and Training Solutions (HCaTS) contracts with legacy OASIS and includes a Human Capital domain; federal use only for now.
NASPO ValuePoint Temporary Employment Services	Multi-state cooperative contracts covering administrative, commercial/industrial, healthcare, IT and non-IT professional temporary staffing; expires August 14, 2027.
OMNIA Partners (e.g., TEKsystems)	OMNIA Partners public sector suppliers offer IT temporary and professional staffing, including staff augmentation and direct placement.
TXShare temporary staffing (NCTCOG)	North Central Texas Council of Governments cooperative lists temporary staffing contracts for local governments.

Thresholds differ by state and agency; see our state procurement thresholds. For which cooperatives cover which categories, see cooperative contracts by category.

Rules and requirements for selling staffing services

Requirement	What it means for you
Service Contract Act	On federal service contracts over $2,500, you must pay service employees at least the locality wage and fringe benefit rates in the Department of Labor wage determination, or a predecessor contractor's union rates.
Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act	On federal prime contracts over $100,000, laborers and mechanics (including guards and watchmen) must get time-and-a-half for hours over 40 in a week.
E-Verify (FAR Subpart 22.18)	Federal contracts with the E-Verify clause require you to enroll in E-Verify, verify every worker you assign to the contract, and flow the rule down to service subcontractors.
Davis-Bacon Act (for construction labor)	If you place laborers or mechanics on federal construction work over $2,000, they must be paid Davis-Bacon prevailing wages and fringe benefits.

Requirements vary by agency and contract. Read each solicitation's terms, and check with the buyer when in doubt. This isn't legal advice.

Buying signals to watch

These events often mean an agency will buy staffing services soon:

A hiring freeze or position cap while workloads stay high
A seasonal surge, such as tax season, elections, open enrollment or disaster recovery
A new grant-funded program that must launch before permanent staff can be hired
A statewide temp contract nearing expiration or rebid
Public reports of high vacancy rates in nursing, IT or call center roles

For more, see our guide to government buying signals and the contract expirations guide.

A sales process for selling staffing services

Register. Get into SAM.gov for federal work and each state or local vendor portal you'll sell into. Use our vendor registration checklist.
Pick your path to purchase. Decide which contract vehicles above fit your target buyers, and whether a reseller or partner already holds one.
Build the target list. Identify the agencies with the need, the budget and the buying authority, and the people who own the problem.
Start conversations early. Reach program owners while budgets and requirements are still being written, not after an RFP is posted.
Follow through to purchase. Help the buyer pick the method, whether a cooperative purchase, quote or formal bid. When a bid comes, use our RFP response guide.

How KSG helps you sell staffing services

Kensington Sales Group runs outbound sales development for companies selling to the public sector. Our SDRs research your target agencies, find the program owners and purchasing contacts, and book meetings for your sales team across Federal, SLED, K-12 and higher ed, healthcare, tribal, special district and utility markets. We also run bilingual English and Spanish outreach across the Western Hemisphere.

See how our outsourced SDR service works.

Sources

Checked November 2, 2026.

Selling staffing services to government.