Business Opportunities with the Federal Government
Business Opportunities with the Federal Government
Information gateway, prepared by the Congressional Research
Service for Members of Congress, provides guidance and online procurement
procedures for doing business with the federal government. [July 2005
]
Learning how to sell successfully to the U.S. government, the world's largest
buyer of goods and services, can be a daunting task. Most of the process is
conducted online: using a computer is essential. Here are suggested approaches:
Update your company's business plan, highlighting special
skills and expertise that would be of interest to government agencies.
Review your company's marketing strategy and goals.
Learn federal procurement processes and terms
Small
Business Administration (SBA)
Provides a step-by-step guide for selling to the government, with
tips on bidding, marketing, and competing for government contracts, and
links to free online courses.
General Services Administration(GSA)
As the government's chief acquisitions agency, GSA
spends billions of dollars annually on products and services offered to
all federal agencies.
Doing
Business with GSA
(scroll down, click to view or print out publication)
Covers government procedures, marketing strategies, and bidding procedures
for contracts. Also lists important contacts, such as the 11 GSA
regional centers and technical advisors for small businesses.
Office
of Small Business Utilization
Through outreach activities in regional offices, promotes increased access
to GSA�s
nationwide procurement opportunities for small, minority, veteran, HUBZone,
and women business owners.
Acquisition Solutions:
How to Sell to the Government
Describes how GSA
buys from small and large businesses, including an explanation of how GSA
advertises business opportunities locally and nationally, and lists a calendar
of local workshops for businesses wanting to sell to the government.
Speak with a procurement specialist
or contracting officer about federal government buying procedures.
Ask questions about application
procedures, technical requirements, and marketing suggestions.
Attend procurement programs, which
provide opportunities for business people to meet directly with government
officials and to learn from other companies involved in federal contracting.
Small
Business Development Centers
Located in every state, these centers advise and train businesses in financial
matters, including certification procedures for small and minority businesses.
They are an excellent first stop for any business, especially those with
little or no previous experience in dealing with federal procurement.
Procurement
Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC)
Although the main focus is providing technical assistance on selling to
the military, the centers cover marketing to all government agencies through
counseling, training, and procurement programs.
GSA
Regions Overview
The contracting officers are familiar with the procurement needs of the
federal facilities located in their region.
Register your business online with Central
Contractor Registration (CCR)
A company must have a CCR
number to get government contracts.
Also review the Criteria
for Small Business Classification.
If your business is classified as a small or disadvantaged business, this
certification may lead to more business opportunities.
Additional statistical information for business
registrations, required for many government forms:
North American Industrial Classification Code (NAICS)
The NAICS
numeric codes identify products or services for more than 1,000 industries.
and is used by the government for statistical purposes.
FedBizOpps
(Federal Business Opportunities)
Single point of entry for announcements of federal contract opportunities
over $25,000, both civilian and military.
Serves both federal agencies as buyers and businesses as vendors o
the government.
Since the FedBizOpps site is not an easy
site to navigate, do not hesitate to call the toll-free helpline number: (877)
472-3779.
For vendors:
Search here for agency announcements, awards
of contracts, and requests for proposals.
Review the Vendors
Guide for tips on searching by agency, classification codes, or
award categories.
Sign up for e-mail notification of announcements
of particular agencies or for activity concerning particular products or
services.
For continuing business, apply to be a
GSA
Schedule contractor.
Under the GSA
Schedules program, also referred to as Multiple Award Schedules (MAS)
and Federal Supply Schedules (FSS),
GSA
establishes long-term government-wide contracts with commercial firms. The
GSA
application and approval process "to get on the Schedule" may take considerable
time but may be worth it for future business with government agencies.
Getting
on Schedule
Part of the GSA
Schedules Program, the Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) gives many businesses,
small and large, further opportunities for multiple awards.
GSA
Training Programs
FSS
Center for Acquisitions Excellence offers online training and classroom
instruction on the GSA
Schedules Program. Check for GSA
course listings on how to sell to the government and get contract awards,
including the course How to be a Contractor.
Checking individual federal agency websites may be a valuable step for businesses who believe that they have a specialized service or product to offer to a specific agency. The government's official Web portal, FirstGov, provides links to the websites of federal agencies, through an A-Z Index.
A federal contract may be so large that a single company might have difficulty in providing the products or services required to meet the terms of the contract. A prime contractor may need to use subcontractors to complete contractual obligations.
SUB-Net
(SBA
Subcontracting Network)
Identify subcontract opportunities by reviewing the postings of prime contractors.
Specialized Information on Selling to the Military
Many of the DOD
contract announcements and registration requirements for businesses have been
incorporated into FedBizOpps (Federal Business Opportunities), with registration at
Central Contractor Registration
(CCR). However, there are often special requirements
for selling to the military. The vast majority of DOD
contracts are awarded by DOD
field organizations, or specific mission-oriented agencies within an organization.
Defense
Logistics Agency
Provides links to government websites with information for small businesses
wanting to sell to the military. Also there is a link to the listings of
local Procurement
Technical Assistance Centers, which provide information and counseling
to business wanting to sell to the government.
