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The most valuable assets you can have in selling to the federal government are robust qualifications, quality products and services, and competitive prices. If your company has these characteristics, your only limitation is knowing how to identify opportunities and take advantage of them. Fortunately, there is no shortage of help. The following websites and programs will provide you the information and assistance you need from start to finish. For more in-depth training, seminars and face-to-face counseling, see the programs listed here Federal Business Opportunities (FBO)
FBO is the government-wide portal for procurement opportunities that exceed $25,000. It contains a searchable database of federal government contract and grant awards, solicitations, and requests for proposal. The archives are an invaluable resource to find out which agencies have purchased your types of products in the past, how much they paid, and what company received the contract. You can use this information not only to identify your best prospects, but also to ensure that you will be competitive. Small Business Administration (SBA)
SBA is the primary advocate of small business within the federal government. While SBA is best known for its financial assistance programs, it is very active in promoting the use of small businesses by government buyers. Procurement specialists at SBA district offices are experts in helping small businesses identify procurement opportunities both locally and at the national level. The SBA website also contains a convenient list of links to the procurement offices of most federal departments and agencies. You can also find contact information for the nearest SBA district office. Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC)
PTACs are funded by the federal government's Defense Logistics Agency in combination with local sources to assist small businesses through the procurement process. Click here for more information. Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)
The Small Business Development Center network is the nation's premier provider of small business counseling and education. Partially funded by SBA, there are over 1,000 SBDCs nationwide, including one or more lead centers in each state. While services offered by individual SBDCs vary by location, many can provide practical one-on-one counseling on federal and state procurement opportunities. To find the SBDC nearest you, visit the website of the Association of Small Business Development Centers, listed above. Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU)
OSDBUs are located in the procurement office of each agency with significant purchasing activity and are responsible for promoting the use of small, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses. They are an invaluable resource for small businesses seeking contracts and subcontracting opportunities with major agencies. For a list of links to OSDBU websites, visit http://www.osdbu.gov/ Central Contractor Registration (CCR)
CCR is where you go to register as a prospective government contractor. Click here for more information. AcqNet
AcqNet is a library of government acquisition information, and includes links to the Federal Acquisition Regulation, acquisition forecasts, and other useful contracting data. Certifications
If you plan to use your status as a small, small disadvantaged, women-owned, veteran-owned or HUBZone business, you will need to be able to certify to government procurement officials that you do, in fact, qualify. To see whether you qualify as a small business, visit the SBA Office of Size Standards website at http://www.sba.gov/size Based on the current size standards, small businesses are permitted to self-certify. You can now submit your certifications and representations online at https://orca.bpn.gov/ to avoid having to do it each time you bid on a contract. Women-owned businesses
Women-owned businesses may also self-certify when seeking federal contracts, but having a third-party certification can be a valuable marketing tool when seeking subcontracts in the private sector. The most widely accepted certification is the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification from your state department of transportation. The DBE certification is required for construction-related contracts and is widely accepted in the prime contractor community. Visit the U.S. Department of Transportation OSDBU website at http://osdbu.dot.gov/business/dbe/dbe_central_register.cfm for more information. Two leading private-sector certifiers are:
Additional resources and information about women-specific opportunities is available at http://www.womenbiz.gov/ For more resources for women-owned businesses, click here Small disadvantaged businesses (SDB)
SDBs are businesses owned by individuals who are "socially and economically disadvantaged" - typically members of certain racial or ethnic minority groups as defined by regulation. The SBA's Office of Business Development is responsible for certifying small disadvantaged businesses for procurement purposes, and for participation in the SBA 8(a) Business Development Program. Visit the SDB website at http://www.sba.gov/sdb/index.html for more information. For additional resources for minority contractors for both the government and private sector, click here Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone)
The HUBZone Program stimulates economic development and creates jobs in urban and rural communities by providing federal contracting preferences to small businesses. These preferences go to small businesses that obtain HUBZone certification in part by employing staff who live in a HUBZone. The company must also maintain a "principal office" in one of these specially designated areas. To determine whether your business qualifies for HUBZone consideration, visit https://eweb1.sba.gov/hubzone/internet/index.cfm Veterans and Service-Disabled Veterans
Currently veterans and service-disabled veterans may self-represent as to their business ownership and small business status at the time of contract solicitation or bid response. Veteran business owners can also register their business qualifications in a unique national database called VIP-Vendor Information Pages that was developed and is maintained by the VA Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE). VIP registration and owner representations protocol conforms expressly to the business ownership definition standards set by Public Law 106-50, the Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act (1999). The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) cited the VetBiz-VIP registry as a primary source of information on veteran-owned small businesses. For more information on programs and opportunities for veterans, visit http://www.vetbiz.gov or http://www.veteranscorp.org Federal contracting offices can set aside individual requirements for small disadvantaged and veteran-owned small businesses if there is a reasonable assurance that bids or proposals will be received from two or more such businesses and awards can be made at a reasonable price. In certain situations, contracting officers can make sole source awards to small disadvantaged or veteran-owned small businesses. |
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