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Business Opportunities with the Federal Government |
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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. [March
2007]
Information and Training
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Learning how to sell successfully to the U.S. government, the world's
largest buyer of goods and services, can be daunting. Most of the process is
conducted online: using a computer is essential. Here are suggested approaches:
- Update your company's
business plan, highlighting special products, skills and
expertise that might be of interest to government agencies.
- Review your company's
marketing strategy and goals.
- Learn federal
procurement processes and terms.
- Government
Contracting (SBA)
Resources to help you sell your products and services to the Federal
government.
- 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
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.
- 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.
- GSA Training Programs
Online and onsite courses, including How to Be a Contractor; Using
GSA Schedule.
- Contact offices in
your state or region
- Speak with procurement
specialists or contracting officers 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
(SBDC)
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
Regional offices
The contracting officers are familiar with the procurement needs of the
federal facilities located in their region.
Registration Requirements
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Registration is required to compete for federal government
procurement and contracts. The federal government's Business Partner Network (BPN) is the single source for
vendor data for the Federal Government.
Review Small
Disadvantaged Business Certification and Eligibility (SDB)
If your business is classified as small or disadvantaged, this certification
may lead to more federal procurement opportunities.
Additional statistical codes, required for many government
forms:
Federal Business Opportunities
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FedBizOpps (Federal Business
Opportunities)
Single point of entry for announcements of federal contract opportunities over
$25,000, both civilian and military agencies.
- Serves both federal
agencies as buyers and businesses as vendors.
- For help navigating the
website, call toll-free (877) 472-3779; or email
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
- Review the Vendors Guide to learn how to search for agency
announcements, requests for proposals, classification codes, award
categories.
- Vendor Notification Service: sign up for e-mail
notification of announcements of particular agencies or for particular
products or services.
For continuing business, apply to be a GSA Schedule
contractor.
Under the GSA Schedules Program, GSA establishes long-term
governmentwide contracts that allow customers to acquire a vast array of
supplies and services directly from commercial suppliers. Gives many
businesses, small and large, further opportunities for multiple awards.
- Also called Multiple Award
Schedules (MAS)
and Federal Supply Schedules (FSS).
- Getting on Schedule
Application and approval process "to get on the Schedule" can
take considerable time but may be worth it for future business with
government agencies.
- GSA Schedules Training
Online training and classroom instruction on the GSA Schedules Program,
and how to sell to the government and get contract awards.
Subcontracting Opportunities
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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.
- Subcontracting Opportunities Directory (SBA)
Identify prime contractors through a listing of contractors, with
addresses and phone numbers, by state.
- Subcontracting Directory (GSA)
GSA contractors with subcontracting plans and goals. Companies are listed
within each of the eleven GSA regions. For each, gives products and
services offered, and the small business contact within the company.
Selling to the Military and Department of Defense
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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.
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