Users of assistive technologies such as screen readers should use the following link to activate Accessibility Mode before continuing: Learn more and Activate accessibility mode.
You can reach the FedBizOpps Help Desk by clicking on the help desk link on the bottom left of every page or by visiting the Federal Service Desk (https://www.fsd.gov).
Users may call the help desk by dialing 1-866-606-8220 (national) or 1-334-206-7828 (international). The help desk is open between 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
When you are trying to open attachments, assuming you are authorized to view them, if you receive an "open" error or are asked to convert the attachment files it may mean the document type is one that you do not have the software to view. You may need to install a document viewer, such as, Acrobat (.pdf files) or WinZip (.zip files) on your system.
Links to Document Viewers:
If the file type is not on this list, please contact the solicitation Primary Point of Contact for assistance.
The posting may have been deleted, however it is more likely that it was archived. To find an archived posting:
The system allows the buyer to specify the following for each solicitation they enter:
In this system, procurements are classified by Federal Supply Codes/Product Services Codes. The following is a listing of the classification codes:
Note: The contracting official has final authority on which procurement classification code the solicitation will use, therefore you may want to search on several classification codes related to your area of interest.
The Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for the repair and continuity of operations of the Iraqi oil infrastructure. The Army is the Executive Agent for this mission and the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is responsible for awarding and managing contracts required to carry out this mission. The DoD Contractor Hot Line for expressing interest in procurements involving the repair and continuity of operations of Iraqi oil infrastructure is 1-866-461-5171. There will be a competitive procurement. The solicitation will be posted at the FBO website, http://www.fedbizopps.gov/. Information can also be obtained from the USACE website, http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/cepa/iraq/iraq.htm
DoD has available an online publication, "Doing Business with the DoD, " offering a step-by-step guide to marketing your business within the DoD arena. The site is located at: http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/doing_business/index.htm.
A DoD small business guide that may be helpful is at http://www.acq.osd.mil/osbp/doing_business/index.htm.The reconstruction effort may encompass everything from power grids, ports, roads, bridges, and telecommunications, to schools and health care facilities. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is involved, and has a number of procurement actions planned and in process. Details can be found at http://www.usaid.gov/iraq/.
The US Department of Commerce provides prime contractor POC information for those seeking subcontracting opportunities at http://www.export.gov/iraq. Commerce also has a hotline (1-866-352-IRAQ).
Contract opportunities in Iraq will be posted at the Government point of entry (GPE), Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) at http://www.fedbizopps.gov// unless a statutory exception to synopsis requirements as described in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) applies. Specific exceptions to the posting of proposed contract actions at FBO include, but are not limited to, requirements where...
For comprehensive coverage of statutory exceptions to posting proposed contract actions, please refer to FAR 5.202 and FAR 5.205. For exceptions to posting contract award information, refer to FAR 5.301. You may access the FAR online at Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Index
For contractors interested in Iraq reconstruction contracts, the following information may also be of interest: The Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for the repair and continuity of operations of the Iraqi oil infrastructure. The Army is the Executive Agent for this mission and the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is responsible for awarding and managing contracts required to carry out this mission. The DoD Contractor Hot Line for expressing interest in procurements involving the repair and continuity of operations of Iraqi oil infrastructure is 1-866-461-5171. The Corps will be conducting a competitive procurement. The solicitation will be posted at the FBO website http://www.fedbizopps.gov/. Information can also be obtained from the Corps' website, http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/cepa/iraq/iraq.htm.
DoD has available an online publication, "Selling to the Military," that identifies the research, development, and procurement responsibilities of each DoD organizational activity. The publication provides helpful advice for marketing ideas and other relevant information. The site is located at http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps57820/www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/publications/selling/.
A DoD small business guide that may be helpful is at http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/publications/sbs/sbs.html
The reconstruction effort may encompass everything from power grids, ports, roads, bridges, and telecommunications, to schools and health care facilities.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is involved, and has a number of procurement actions planned and in process. Details can be found at http://www.usaid.gov/iraq/.
The Sources Sought notice is a synopsis posted by a government agency that states they are seeking possible sources for a project. It is not a solicitation for work, nor is it a request for proposal. Reference the FAR, Subpart 7.3 and OMB Circular A-76. You can use the following search technique to find Sources Sought notices. Advanced Search:
The Special Notice is used for the announcement of procurement matters such as business fairs, long-range procurement estimates, pre-bid/pre-proposal conferences, meetings, and the availability of draft solicitations or draft specifications for review. You can use the following search technique to find Special Notices. Advanced Search:
You can obtain your username and/or password by performing the following:
User manuals are available on the home page (www.fbo.gov)
Since the events of September 11, 2001, the government has become more sensitive to documents that might provide information on maps, floor plans, buildings, places, systems etc., that we choose to protect - to the greatest extent possible. Although the procurement is on FedBizOpps because we seek to obtain full and open competition among suppliers, we realize the best we can achieve is to track who has access to particular files. It is for this reason alone that registration of our suppliers in CCR is required. In the event something happens to any portion of the facilities, people in those facilities, information, or information inside the technology, the government has a list of potential companies or individuals at those companies, who were provided the full RFP. No document contained in FedBizOpps is classified. In addition, FedBizOpps users are not implying a new security classification category. Nor is the application creating a new security classified code outside of existing security protocols. Use of secure side within FedBizOpps simply represents the fact a member of the source selection team believes a document's contents are sensitive. Therefore it is posted on the secure side to allow the government to provide minimal details of who was given the procurement documents in the event of an investigation. The government maintains the right to control the access to unclassified information. No document is limited in access in an attempt to limit transparency. As long as a company is registered in CCR, they have access to any files on the secure side of FedBizOpps.
Your role is defined by how you use FBO. There are two primary types of FBO users who register for role-based FBO accounts. The first are government contracting officers at Federal agencies who are looking to buy goods and services on behalf of their agency. They are known as Buyers. The second are commercial vendors looking to sell goods and services to the government. They are known as Vendors.
It was retired as an independent system. The Federal Technical Data Solution (FedTeDS) system was used over the past several years to post on-line technical data packages and other items associated with solicitations that required some level of access control. It interfaced directly with the Governmentwide Point of Entry (GPE), i.e. the FedBizOpps (FBO) system.
In April 2008, a new version of FBO launched incorporating FedTeDS' capabilities. This allowed FedTeDS to be retired. Its access control capabilities for controlling sensitive but unclassified document packages are resident now in FBO and available to agency buyers when building procurement notices.
The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council issued a final rule on Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Case 2008-038 effective September 10, 2009. This ruling amends FAR Sections 5.102, 5.207 and 7.105 to (1) remove all references to FedTeDS and refer to the enhanced controls in the GPE, i.e. FBO, and(2) address technical data availability via GPE in lieu of FedTeDS, and (3) substitute GPE in lieu of FedTeDS in references to acquisition plans.
The new notice type called "Intent to Bundle Requirements (DoD-Funded)" (ITB) supports the Section 820 of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requirements for contracting officers to post a notice of intent to use contract bundling procedures 30 days prior to releasing a solicitation or placing an order (if a solicitation is not required). This requirement applies to all federal agencies awarding actions funded solely with DoD funds. The requirement is captured in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) at subpart 205.205-70. If the agency has determined that measurably substantial benefits are expected to be derived as a result of bundling, the notice shall include a brief description of those benefits. An ITB notice can be created as a standalone notice, or associated with an existing base notice. You can search for and retrieve posted ITB notices by any of the associated data elements by using the existing keyword search or specific notice "type" search filters.
"Numbered Notes" were once used as standardized, procurement shorthand in Federal solicitations when they were advertised in paper form by the Commerce Business Daily. Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-24, published in the Federal Register on February 28, 2008 finalized FAR Case 2006-016 and removed all references to FedBizOpps "Numbered Notes" from the Federal Acquisition Regulation based on the premise there is no need to save paper, i.e. space is not a premium in cyberspace. FBO did so and no longer supports Numbered Notes. All contracting officers should work with the full text of statements as required by FAR 5.207 to ensure the information is clearly communicated.
Service Codes
Product Codes
Solicitation number can only contain alphanumeric characters. Spaces are not allowed. As you create a solicitation, the system will prompt you to correct an incorrectly structured solicitation number.
The "Save Draft" button saves the data entered on a form as a draft version. Note, for save as draft, the user is not required to complete all required fields on the form. Required fields are indicated by a red asterisk. Materials saved in draft format will remain on a buyers list of available items, but will not be viewable on the vendor interface until saved and posted/released to vendor review (or deleted).
When you have posted a solicitation with the wrong solicitation number, we caution users from deleting the incorrect synopsis as vendors potentially have already added the solicitation to their watchlist or received communication about the solication through a search agent. To resolve, create a posting with the correct solicitation number. Then post an amendment modification to the errant notice. In the amendment, detail the error and direct the reader to the proper solicitation number. This will allow people who have received email notifications of your opportunity to find the proper synopsis.
Once a user is logged onto the system, the system will check to make sure the user is actively using the site. If a user is inactive for 60 minutes, the user will be automatically logged off the system. Activity in this sense is defined as data that has been submitted by the user. Some examples are the request for a navigational (e.g., selection of a quicklink) or if a user submits a form (e.g., selection of "save draft" during notice creation). To ensure the user is aware of this pending circumstance, after 55 minutes of inactivity, a warning message appears that indicates the pending action. When the warning message appears, to remain logged onto the system, select "click keep me logged in." If the user does not make this selection, the session will be closed and any unsaved data will be lost. The system returns the user to the system logon screen (fbo.gov).
Formatting problems can be caused when word processor (including notepad) formatted text is put into a browser format. The formats are not always compatible. Because the form is WYSIWIG, you should review your inserted text to ensure the material correctly reflects your intention.
Please note that FedBizOpps will not allow a buyer to delete a modification without deleting the associated notice. If an error is made on a modification, you can either post another modification or delete the entire notice. We caution users from deleting a notice as vendor potentially have already added the solicitation to their watchlist or received communication about the solicitation through a search agent.
We caution users from deleting the incorrect synopsis as vendor potentially have already added the solicitation to their watchlist, or received communication about the solicitation through a search agent. .If the solicitation is then deleted, the vendors will be frustrated as they use these features. Instead, we recommend that amendments be posted to the solicitation, explaining the error that was made, and where to find the correct solicitations, if any. This can be done by anyone who has access to those solicitations.
As each notice is created, archival information is established for the notice. Buyers are allowed to specify that the notice archive on a specified date, X days after a response deadline or via "manual archive". Manual archive means the notice remains as posted until a user manually archives the notice. Using modify or amend users can archive any solicitation, regardless of the notices specified archived settings, with the following procedure:
You can unarchive a solicitation with the following procedure:
The system periodically sweeps through the database of notices and releases new notices for vendors to see in batches. Therefore you may notice a brief lag between hitting "post" on the buyer side and seeing it on the opportunities list.
A company must be certified by the Joint Certification Program (JCP) administered by the Defense Logistic Information Service (DLIS) to be eligible to download documents marked Export Controlled. This certification establishes that a company is a U.S. or Canadian contractor eligible to receive unclassified technical data that is under the control of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) or the Canadian Department of National Defense (DND).
Vendors outside the U.S. or Canada must be granted authorization by your agency to access the documents. Upon authorization, you must either distribute the documents directly to the vendor or utilize the Explicit Access feature within the FBO system and manually vet each request.
On April 13, 2009, FBO.gov established a new notice type called "Justification & Approval (J&A)" within the Opportunities section. Buyers are now able to post standalone J&A Notices, as well as associate a J&A Notice to existing notices, such as an Award, if applicable. (Electronic users should reference the new J&A interface template located under General Info.) Note: Buyers are not able to delete/modify a posted J&A Notice type. Please contact your Agency Administrator for assistance.
In addition, Vendors are able to search for and retrieve posted J&A Notices according to specific criteria, such as J&A Statutory Authority, Posted Date Range, and Contract Award Date (via Advanced Search).
Coming soon, Buyers will be able to download a recorded webinar that will walk through the features and functionality of the new Bid Module. In addition, the User Guides are updated and available on the home page (www.fbo.gov).
Agency and Office Location Administrators manage user access to the Bid Module. If you do not have access, it is because this feature is not enabled for your Location. Contact your FBO Administrator for more information.
Login to the Administrator interface and go to "Agencies" found in the left-hand navigation menu which will display all of the organizations in your hierarchy. Click on the "Edit" icon next to the desired organization. At the bottom of the "Core" tab for the Agency Information page, there are two fields used to set the permission level for the Bid Module: Allow CLIN Template and Allow Doc Package. Set both of these fields to "Not Allow." Note: If set to "Ignore," lower level administrators can enable/disable this feature independently. If set to "Allow," lower level administrators will still need to enable the Bid Module for their users to be able to access it.
Login to the Administrator interface and go to "Manage Location" found in the left-hand navigation menu. Click on the "Edit" button. At the bottom of the "Edit Location" tab, there are two fields used to set the permission level of the Bid Module for your users: Allow CLIN Template and Allow Doc Package. To enable either option, set the field(s) to "Allow." To disable either option, set the field(s) to "Not Allow" or "Ignore." Note, if the Agency Administrator disabled this feature for the entire agency, you will not be able to enable it for your Location. Contact your Agency Administrator for more information.
You can designate Federal agency opportunities seeking goods or services related to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) relief and reconstruction efforts in Haiti by simply including the keyword "Haiti" in the notice title. This will allow interested vendors to easily search for the opportunity using the keyword search.
If the Solicitation notice requires a level of access control, the Buyer may choose to upload it as a secure document package.
FBO supports the acquisition lifecycle by enabling Buyers to modify their Presolicitation notices into Solicitation notices when attaching the solicitation package. Those using the web interface, i.e. logged onto FBO.gov directly, can quickly do this by following the instructions in the FBO Buyer User Guide and as summarized below:
In addition, the attachSecureDocumentPackagesToNotice web service method now includes an optional uploadtype tag.
FBO now supports a new data element on the Award Notice form to capture the DUNS number. The field label is "Contractor Awarded DUNS" and is inserted in the following locations: Award Notice form in the web interface; FTP/email interface template; and Web Services submitAward method. This field is not required but any data provided must be numeric only and 9 digits in length (with an optional plus 4). This field is a step towards increased traceability through different systems. Many contracting officers already include the DUNS number in parentheses at the end of the "Contractor Awardee" field as a work-around. Refer to your internal Agency policy if you have questions about this optional data element.
Buyers using FBO Web Services can now simultaneously post a notice and a document package. Previously, only the web service method to submit a Justification & Approval (J&A) notice type (submitJA) allowed users to submit a document package inline with the notice submission. For non J&A notice types, users had to first submit the base notice and then attach desired files/links using the Document Upload method.
Each web service method now includes optional file and link elements. The label for the package is "Attachment." The J&A notice method explicitly labels the package as "Justification & Approval." However, submitting document packages inline with notice submissions for other notice types would: 1) Add a document package with the label "Attachment" and 2) ensure the type is "other." Note: If interfacing users want to upload the solicitation package explicitly, they will still have to use the DocumentUpload template.
The "Intent to Bundle Requirements (DoD-Funded)" notice type addresses requirements in Section 820 of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) instructing contracting officers post a notice of intent to use contract bundling procedures 30 days prior to releasing a solicitation or placing an order (if a solicitation is not required). This requirement applies to all federal agencies awarding actions funded solely with DoD funds. The requirement is captured in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) at subpart 205.205-70. The contracting officer must also provide a description of the benefits anticipated from bundling the requirements in the notice.
On FedBizOpps' General Info tab, you will find a Web Services link. This page provides an overview of FBO-supported XML web services and the most recent version of the web services technical documentation.
No. "Numbered Notes" were once used as standardized, procurement shorthand in Federal solicitations when they were advertised in paper form by the Commerce Business Daily. Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-24, published in the Federal Register on February 28, 2008 finalized FAR Case 2006-016 and removed all references to FedBizOpps "Numbered Notes" from the Federal Acquisition Regulation based on the premise there is no need to save paper, i.e. space is not a premium in cyberspace. FBO no longer supports Numbered Notes. All contracting officers should work with the full text of statements as required by FAR 5.207 to ensure the information is clearly communicated.
FBO allows you to automatically reset your password:
If you cannot remember your account username, you will need to contact the Federal Service Desk (www.fsd.gov) for support. You may also contact your FBO Agency Administrator for assistance.
FBO supports the acquisition lifecycle by enabling Buyers to modify their Presolicitation notices into Solicitation notices when attaching the solicitation package. Those using the web interface, i.e. logged onto FBO.gov directly, can quickly do this by following the instructions in the FBO Buyer User Guide as summarized below:
On FedBizOpps' General Info tab, you will find an Electronic Interface link. This page provides an overview of the templates used by interfacing systems, as well as a list of the supported templates. Each template shows the tag, description and format of the data element.
When creating a new office in FBO, you have the ability to merge the new office location and a previous office location.
We recommend you test the process in the FBO test environment before modifying your live hierarchy. Create two dummy offices in the test environment and merge them following the steps above. Your FBO Agency Administrator can provide you an account on the test server.
The Interagency Task Force on Small Business Contracting recommended that agencies post all new outreach and training events on FedBizOpps in order to make it easier and less burdensome for small businesses to learn about and transact business with the federal government. The new Small Business Central Event Listing Outreach and Training provides a dynamic "calendar" for allowing small business users to search for business development, matchmaking, and training opportunities by various criteria, including agency, date, location, and small business category.
To create an event listing, log in a government user (buyer) at www.fbo.gov and select 'create notice.' When creating an event listing, use 'special notice' as the notice type and ensure the "title" field begins with "Small Business Event" to facilitate easier searching by small businesses.
Note: The system will key on 'special notice' as the notice type and the text string "Small Business Event" in the title when returning search results. If you do not use 'special notice' as the notice type or use the text string "Small Business Event," your event listing will not appear in the search results. For more information on creating and managing notices in FBO, consult the Buyer User Guide or watch the Managing FBO Notices training video on the 'Getting Started' tab.
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Case 2007-012 amends FAR subpart 5.301(a)(2) (effective May 16, 2011) to require that contracting officers post their justifications on FBO whenever they make a delivery/task order award under a multiple-award IDV (including Federal Supply Schedules, GWACs, and multiple award IDIQ contracts) and do not provide for fair opportunity. These notices can be posted as standalone notices or in association with existing notices. Web interface users select "Fair Opportunity / Limited Sources Justification" notice type when creating the notice. Electronic interface users should reference the new Fair Opportunity template located under General Info System Documentation. XML Web Services users should reference the Web Services Technical Documentation under General Info System Documentation. Note: Buyers are not able to delete/modify a posted Fair Opportunity notice type once posted. Please contact your Agency Administrator for assistance.
With FBO Version 4.7, FBO web services users can pull specific data elements from their posted notices using the getNoticeData method. Instructions are found in Section 9 of the FBO Web Services Technical Documentation.
With FBO Version 4.7, the ability to perform corrections for notices posted via web services has been provided for each notice type as well as for modifications/amendments and awards. The "correction" field added to each notice type can be set to "true" to allow for corrections to notices, modifications / amendments, and awards. Please see the FBO Web Services Technical Documentation for details.
With FBO Version 4.7, when a correction is submitted via web services to a J&A, AWARD, ITB or FAIROPP notice using the "correction" field with a value of "true," FBO displays the correction in the same manner as a Modification/Amendment. The correction becomes part of the visible notice history.
The 'correction' field applies to the notice types: J&A, AWARD, ITB or FAIROPP. Please reference the FBO Web Services Technical Documentation General Notice section for instructions.
With FBO Version 4.7, government users can now use the same notice number across multiple notice types. FBO will validate notice numbers by notice type (i.e. make sure there is not an existing notice of the same type with that notice number) whether the notice is submitted using FBO web services, the FBO web interface, or using the electronic interface templates.
No. FBO was designed around notice types not the notice number. Using the same notice number for multiple base notices does not create a link between those notices. While a search for the notice number will return all notice types using that number, they will not be related. A best practice is to create a search agent for any notice number of interest. Once the search agent is created and scheduled to run, the vendor would then be notified if any new notice of any type was posted or modified using that notice number.
When using the submitJA web service method, the SOLNBR data element is not a system-required field. However, if the statutory authority given for the STAUTH data element is FAR 6.302-1(c) - Brand name, the buyer must provide the SOLNBR. This is a Federal Acquisition Regulation-driven requirement. The submitting agency is responsible for ensuring the SOLNBR is provided for any J&A based on FAR 6.302-1(c).
It depends which web service method you are using. If you are using the submitJA web service method, the AWDNBR and AWDDATE fields are required for all statutory authority types except FAR 6.302-1(c). If you are using the submitNotice web service method, the fields are defaulted to optional to allow for flexibility among notice types. However, you should provide the AWDNBR and AWDDATE fields for all statutory authority types except FAR 6.302-1(c). Please reference the FBO Web Services Technical Documentation to details.
No. This is outside the scope of current FBO functionality. Users needing this information can access it by logging into the FBO system and viewing their Document Packages tab.
Yes. An award can be unarchived via FBO web services using the unarchiveNotice web service method. A Solicitation Number or an Award Number must be provided to unarchive the related notice. Please reference the FBO Web Services Technical Documentation Unarchive Notice section for instructions.
If there is more than one base notice with the same solicitation number, i.e. a sources sought notice and a presolicitation notice, FBO requires web service users to submit the modification with both the solicitation number and the notice type.
Cancelling a notice does not delete the notice. Cancelling merely informs the public the notice is no longer active. The notice remains visible in the system. You must use the deleteNotice web service method in order to be able to use the same solicitation number and notice type.
No. Current notices and modifications will not be impacted. The only change is a new notice using the same solicitation number with a different base notice type can now be posted.
If the system detects two notices with the same notice number, it will require the modification/amendment be submitted using the solicitation number and notice type.
FBO is designed around the base notice type. The IVL and watchlist are tied to the base notice. If a vendor adds themselves to an IVL for a sources sought notice with a specific solicitation number, they will receive updates about that base notice. If a second notice of a different base notice type, i.e. a presolicitation, is posted with the same solicitation number, the vendor is not automatically added to the new IVL. A best practice is to create a search agent for any notice number of interest. Once the search agent is created and scheduled to run, the vendor would then be notified if any new notice was posted or modified using that notice number.
No. FBO is not a repository for classified information. Do not upload any classified materials to FBO. Agency users are responsible for properly uploading controlled, unclassified materials to FBO using the access control procedures for document packages and attachments detailed in the FBO Buyers Guide.
The electronic interface will recognize if user submissions have "Recovery" as the first word in the title (<SUBJECT> tag within the template) for a notice. If so, the notice will automatically be flagged as a "Recovery and Reinvestment Act" action. Note: "Recovery" must be the first word and spelled exactly; letter case will not have an effect.
When creating a new notice, Buyers are required to identify whether or not it is a Recovery Act action. If so, you must select the "yes" radio button for the "Is this a Recovery and Reinvestment Act action" field on the "Notice Details" form (Step 2) located below the "NAICS Code" field. When selected, this system tag annotates the notice as a Recovery Act-funded procurement and enables users to easily identify it as such.
Note: For audit purposes, the Recovery Accountability Transparency Board requires that you also insert the word "RECOVERY" in the first position of the Title field. "Recovery" must be the first word and spelled exactly; letter case will not have an effect. Please refer to Department/Agency specific policy for any additional guidance on FedBizOpps posting requirements.
In order to provide the historic levels of transparency required by the Recovery Act, the government is posting all Recovery Act funded order notices on FedBizOpps. This includes award notices for task orders / delivery orders issued, which were previously unavailable. See FAR 5.704(a)(2) for additional information.
When building the notice, first select an Award Notice. Next, include the following statement in the Description field preceding the actual notice description:
"THIS NOTICE IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY.
THIS OPPORTUNITY IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO CONTRACTORS UNDER
[Contracting officer insert program name. For example: GSA Schedule 03FAC, COMMITS, Navy's SeaPort-e]."
Because these notices are "for information purposes only," FAR 5.203 does not apply and contracting officers should concurrently use their usual solicitation practice (e.g., e-Buy).
FBO allows the contract specialist maximum flexibility in the development of the synopsis number. There are 255 characters available and the field can include any combination of alphanumeric and/or four special characters, - _ ( ). Contract specialist need only use an identifier that is a unique number developed by the local contracting office to distinguish the action from other procurements in the office. The combination of contracting office, contract specialist, and the identifier will ensure the procurement is distinct from any other procurement in FedBizOpps.
It is suggested that if you want to issue a synopsis for a particular delivery order or task order under an existing indefinite delivery type contract, use the contract number of the basic contract and the delivery/task order number on the end.
For example: OM0007-D-09-TEST-0100.
If that is not unique enough, use the original solicitation number, with the contract number of the basic contract, and the delivery/task order number on the end.
For example: OM0007-R-06-TEST/OM0007-D-09-TEST-0100
The electronic interface will recognize if user submissions have "NOTRECOVERY" as the first word in the title (tag within the template) for a notice. If so, the notice will automatically be unflagged as a "Recovery and Reinvestment Act" action. Note: "NotRecovery" must be the first word in the title, must be one word and must be spelled exactly; letter case will not have an effect. Be assured, the notice title visible to the public will NOT have "NotRecovery" in the title. This is just a system cue.
The system conducts a validation check against the set-aside field for notices submitted electronically. This validation check will trigger a system-generated rejection if
Note: SETASIDE is not a required field. As such, you still do not have to put a value in this field. The system will only run a validation check only when there is a value to check. The system will now generate an error if there is a value entered and it is INVALID. The system will not generate a rejection notice for a blank set-aside field value as not every solicitation has an associated Set-Aside category.
To prevent these rejection notices, ensure your interfacing system recognizes the valid interface set-aside values of Competitive 8(a), Emerging Small Business, HUBZone, Partial HBCU / MI, Partial Small Business, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, Total HBCU / MI, Total Small Business, and Veteran-Owned Small Business.
These set-aside values are also defined in the FBO electronic interface templates.
In order to post documents to FBO using the email or FTP interface, a Federal buyer organization needs to follow these steps:
To locate a specific solicitation without the solicitation number, you will need to search for the solicitation based on unique attributes of the solicitation. So for instance, you might search based on Agency, office, posted date, procurement classification code, and/or archived versus active status. The advance search features of the system are well suited for this purpose.
For information about the GSA schedule, please contact the MAS Helpdesk at: Phone: (800) 488-3111, Email: mashelpdesk@gsa.gov, or go to http://www.gsa.gov/ and click on "GSA Schedules" to walk through the process.
First, you may want to validate your NAICS code selection at an Internet reference site, such as http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naics.html. Once you have selected the 6-digit NAICS code that best represents your business product or service, you can use the code as a search filter. Note the filter search for NAICS Code allows you to select codes at either the broader (3 number) or narrow (6 number) code specificity.
Refer any questions regarding the NAICS code and other synopsis content to the point of contact (POC) in the synopsis.
The systems advance search feature is well suited for this purpose.
A company must be certified by the Joint Certification Program (JCP) administered by the Defense Logistic Information Service (DLIS) to be eligible to download documents marked Export Controlled. This certification establishes that a company is a U.S. or Canadian contractor eligible to receive unclassified technical data that is under the control of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) or the Canadian Department of National Defense (DND).
If you are a vendor outside of the U.S. or Canada you must obtain authorization by the government agency; contact the Contracting Officer directly to obtain the documents.
If electronic response submissions are enabled by the Buyer for a particular notice, a note will be visible within the "Notice Details" sub-tab indicating that the opportunity allows for electronic responses. Note: A vendor must login to the system to be able to submit an electronic response for an opportunity.
If you do not see the option to submit an electronic response, the Buyer did not enable electronic submissions for that opportunity.
There are two types of electronic response submissions possible: Line Item Builder form and Document upload. The Buyer determines which options, if any, are enabled for a particular notice. What the vendor sees depends on which response type(s) the buyer enabled for that particular notice. So, you may see only the Line Item Builder form, only the Document Package upload, both the form and upload options, or neither option.
Once logged into the system, you can either click on the "Find Opportunities" Quicklink on the "My FBO" page, or go to "Opportunities" located in the top navigation. Click on the "Bids/Responses" tab to review a list of all electronic responses. Click on the "View" icon for the desired response. If the response deadline has passed for the opportunity, the system will advise you that you can no longer edit the response. (Note: You can always review a submitted response in read-only mode.) If the response deadline has not yet passed, the system will prompt you to click on a link to make changes. A user can also review a submitted electronic response from the "Notice Details" tab of an opportunity.
If the Buyer modifies the Line Item Builder form after you submitted an electronic response, the FBO system will send an email to the email address on file for you alerting you that a change has been made. Also, when you review the response submitted for that notice, the system will display a message advising you that changes were made to the form.
Effective February 17, 2009, the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Section 6.302 mandates that all Justification and Approval documents associated with any solicitation be posted to the public.
As of April 13, 2009, there is a new notice type called "Justification & Approval (J&A)" established within the Opportunities section. Buyers are now able to post a J&A Notice type and have it associated to the notice of award, if applicable. In addition, Vendors are able to search for and retrieve posted J&A Notices according to specific criteria, such as J&A Statutory Authority, Posted Date Range, and Contract Award Date (via Advanced Search).
Note: For J&As posted prior to April 13, 2009, users can search for J&As attached to an existing notice (such as Award Notice or Synopsis) as an amendment/modification. These documents are titled with the J&A and type of exception to full and open competition in the title of the document. For example, a document title could be: J&A6.302-1, J&A6302-2, etc. This allows any interested party to query "J&A" in the quick search function and find what has been posted.
Since the events of September 11, 2001, the government has become more sensitive to documents that might provide information on maps, floor plans, buildings, places, systems etc., that we choose to protect - to the greatest extent possible. Although the procurement is on FedBizOpps because we seek to obtain full and open competition among suppliers, we realize the best we can achieve is to track who has access to particular files. It is for this reason alone that registration of our suppliers in CCR is required. In the event something happens to any portion of the facilities, people in those facilities, information, or information inside the technology, the government has a list of potential companies or individuals at those companies, who were provided the full RFP. No document contained in FedBizOpps is classified. In addition, FedBizOpps users are not implying a new security classification category. Nor is the application creating a new security classified code outside of existing security protocols. Use of secure side within FedBizOpps simply represents the fact a member of the source selection team believes a document's contents are sensitive. Therefore it is posted on the secure side to allow the government to provide minimal details of who was given the procurement documents in the event of an investigation. The government maintains the right to control the access to unclassified information. No document is limited in access in an attempt to limit transparency. As long as a company is registered in CCR, they have access to any files on the secure side of FedBizOpps.
Part 19 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) implements the acquisition-related sections of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631, et seq.), applicable sections of the Armed Services Procurement Act (10 U.S.C. 2302, et seq.), the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act (41 U.S.C. 252), section 7102 of the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-355), 10 U.S.C. 2323, and Executive Order 12138, May 18, 1979.
Under the Small Business Act, federal agencies conduct a variety of procurements that are reserved partially or totally for small business participation. See FAR Part 19 for more details.
FedBizOpps supports the following current set-aside codes based on FAR Part 19 and other governing acquisition regulations:
Set-Aside Categories |
Reference |
---|---|
Competitive 8(a) |
FAR 19.805 |
Emerging Small Business |
FAR 19.1007 (c) |
HUBZone |
FAR 19.1305 |
Partial Historically Black College or University (HBCU) / Minority Institution (MI) |
DFARS Subpart 226.3 |
Partial Small Business |
FAR 19.502-3 |
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business |
FAR 19.1405 |
Total HBCU / MI |
DFARS Subpart 226.3 |
Total Small Business |
FAR 19.502-2 |
Veteran-Owned Small Business |
38 U.S.C. 8127 (Public Law 109-461) |
Women-Owned Small Business |
13 CFR 127 |
Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business |
13 CFR 127 |
In addition, FedBizOpps allows advanced searches using the following obsolete set-aside code to ensure proper access to archival information:
Historical |
Reference |
---|---|
Very Small Business |
Deleted by FAR Case 2005-013 |
We made recent improvements to streamline the FedBizOpps user experience, increase search effectiveness, and simplify the process of locating relevant business opportunities. You will notice the home page layout now gives instant access to a more robust search ability. The reorganized advanced search page brings important search criteria to the top and standardizes search features. The set-aside codes are updated and a new link is given to provide more information on small business classifications. We hope these changes allow you to better find the information you need.
FBO supports a public file transfer protocol (FTP) site to promote sharing of notice information. The FTP site URL is ftp://ftp.fbo.gov/ and provides users with the ability to anonymously download notice information. This information is updated daily and follows the naming convention of "FBOFeedYYYYMMDD," i.e. ftp://ftp.fbo.gov/FBOFeed20091012. You simply need to modify the date portion of the URL.
Each daily file shows the changes during the reporting period (i.e. today's date is for yesterday's changes). Third party providers, known as Value-Added Networks (VAN), can use this feed to create the "big picture" on their system by building on the previous feed. The original notice and all modifications to archived notices are posted on one of the FTP feed files at some point in time.
To more easily conduct automated searches of the FBO database, and to have the system notify you when opportunities are posted that meet your criteria, we recommend establishing a "search agent" within your registered account. Search agents can be established for any combination of criteria, be set to run at your desired frequency and will notify you of relevant opportunities. See the Vendor's User Guide, Section 4.10, for more information on this time-saving feature.
In addition to the information available on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) website at www.usaid.gov, you can locate other Federal agency opportunities to sell or provide goods or services related to the USAID's relief and reconstruction efforts in Haiti here on FedBizOpps (www.fbo.gov). On the FBO.gov homepage, enter the keyword "Haiti" in the Keyword / Solicitation # text box and select the appropriate Posted Date choice from the dropdown menu. You may further refine your search by selecting the Advanced Search link where you can narrow the results by multiple categories and search criteria.
The United States Coast Guard Research and Development Center (USCG RDC) issued Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) HSCG32-10-R-R00019 for the purpose of organizing the collection of -- and enhancing the Deepwater Horizon Response Team assessment of -- technology assistance offers in five technology gap areas: Oil Sensing Improvements to Response and Detection, Oil Wellhead Control and Submerged Oil Response, Traditional Oil Spill Response Technologies, Alternative Oil Spill Response Technologies, Oil Spill Damage Assessment and Restoration. Follow the instructions outlined in the BAA for submitting White Papers (written description of the idea) to the USCG RDC.
The Buyer may have elected to publicize a Presolicitation to the greatest degree possible and not established any access control on it. However, if the Buyer determines the actual Solicitation requires a level of access control, the Buyer may choose to upload it as a secure document package. The Solicitation package will then take on those access control measures be they logging in and verifying your MPIN through CCR, being certified on the Joint Certification Program's Export Control List and/or being specifically granted explicit access to the Solicitation by the Buyer. If you have any questions on the rationale for using access control, contact the Federal agency Point of Contact listed on the notice.
To further transparency and support the Open Government Initiative, FedBizOpps created a weekly XML file that contains all active Opportunities (Presolicitations, Combined Synopsis/Solicitations, Awards, etc) which is accessible from the Data.gov Raw Data Catalog located at http://www.data.gov/catalog/raw. This file was designed to streamline data presentation outside the system. Click here if you are interested in an incremental view of the active FedBizOpps notices.
FBO now supports a data element on the Award Notice form to capture the DUNS number. The field label is "Contractor Awarded DUNS." This field is a step towards increased traceability through different systems. Some contracting officers already include the DUNS number in parentheses at the end of the "Contractor Awardee" field as a work-around. You can search for specific DUNS by entering the nine numeric characters in the "Keyword" search box on the home page or in the Advanced Search. Notices will be returned showing those notices in which the contracting officer entered the DUNS. Note: If the contracting officer did not enter the DUNS, no results will be returned.
Submit a request to the Federal Service Desk (www.fsd.gov) identifying the current account holder (by name, account affiliated e-mail address or system username) that you want to modify, i.e. requesting to disable access or delete the account. Provide succinct justification for the account request and a means to contact you for verification.
FBO allows you to automatically reset your password:
If you cannot remember your account username, you will need to contact the Federal Service Desk (www.fsd.gov) for assistance.
If you created a Search Agent and are not getting results, please double check to make sure you scheduled the Search Agent to run automatically. For instructions about creating, scheduling and modifying Search Agents, reference the FBO.gov Vendor's User Guide, Section 4.10 which you can download for free from the FBO web portal.
If you have it scheduled to run and can see the time stamp of when it last ran, then check with your e-mail provider to see if the notifications are getting caught in a spam filter. The messages come from noreply@fbo.gov and are titled "Vendor Procurement Search Results." Please note, there is a difference between manually running the Search Agent and the automatic notifications:
If the Search Agent is scheduled to run, the spam filter is not blocking the automatic messages, and no results were e-mailed, then no new or modified opportunities matched the search criteria within that time period. For additional information on managing search agents, you may also watch the free demonstration video "Advanced Functionality: Search Agents, Watchlists and Export Controlled Documents" available on the FBO.gov portal and quicklinked from within your MyFBO home page.
Absolutely. To more easily conduct automated searches of the FBO database, and to have the system notify you when opportunities are posted that meet your criteria, we recommend establishing a "search agent" within your registered account. Search agents can be established for any combination of criteria, be set to run at your desired frequency and will notify you of relevant opportunities.
From the search results page, users are given the option to save the search criteria for use at a later date. Click "save this search as a search agent" to save the search. If you do so, you will need to provide a label that you would like to use for the search agent. You will need to "save" the label once entered. You will also need to schedule the search agent to run automatically.
Additional information can be found in the FBO.gov Vendor's User Guide, Section 4.10 which you can download for free from FBO.gov or in the free demonstration video "Advanced Functionality: Search Agents, Watchlists and Export Controlled Documents" also available on the FBO.gov portal and quicklinked from within your MyFBO home page.
You can add it to a list of notices you are watching, called the Watch List. This allows you to easily reference targeted opportunities. First find the opportunity you are interested in and click the title to review. Next, click the "Watch This Opportunity" button. You will receive automatic e-mails from the FBO system when a modification occurs to this notice. Unlike the Interested Vendor's List --which depending on settings established by the contracting officer may be visible to other interested vendors and/or the contracting officer -- only you can see the notices you are watching.
You can quickly access this list by clicking the quicklink "View Watched List" from your MyFBO home page. You can also review/manage existing "watch list" opportunities by going to the "Watch List" sub-tab on the main navigation "Opportunities" page. Each notice you have added to your watch list will be shown. You can select the "Remove from Watch List" to remove an opportunity from your list. If you remove a notice, you will no longer receive updates about modifications to this notice.
Additional information can be found in the FBO.gov Vendor's User Guide, Section 4.12 which you can download for free from FBO.gov or in the free demonstration video "Advanced Functionality: Search Agents, Watchlists and Export Controlled Documents" also available on the FBO.gov portal and quicklinked from within your MyFBO home page.
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Case 2007-012 amends FAR subpart 5.301(a)(2) (effective May 16, 2011) to require that contracting officers post their justifications on FBO whenever they make a delivery/task order award under a multiple-award IDV (including Federal Supply Schedules, GWACs, and multiple award IDIQ contracts) and do not provide for fair opportunity. Vendors can search for and retrieve posted Fair Opportunity notices using the public search engine looking for the notice type selection "Fair Opportunity / Limited Sources Justification."
Select the [Search Recovery Awards] button on the FBO home page to see the name, solicitation number, contract number, awarding agency office location, notice type, any applicable set-aside category and posting date. You can refine your search results by selecting the [Refine Results] button to narrow the results returned by a variety of further data elements.
On October 7, 2010, the U.S. Small Business Administration published a final rule effective February 4, 2011, aimed at expanding federal contracting opportunities for women-owned small businesses (WOSBs). The Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract program authorizes contracting officers to set aside federal contracts for certain eligible businesses (also see FAR subpart 6.207):
The two associated set-aside categories in FBO are Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged WOSB. These set-aside types can be selected in the search function to display solicitations that apply to either of these set-asides.
The Small Business Administration website has more information on the Women-Owned Small Business Program including a Fact Sheet, FAQs, and Compliance Guides.
No. FBO was designed around notice types not the notice number. When a Federal agency uses the same notice number for multiple base notices (i.e. a sources sought notice and a presolicitation), it does not create a link between those notices. The IVLs and notices on your watchlist are identified by each base notice. While a search for the notice number will return all notice types using that number, they will not be related. A best practice is to create a search agent for any notice number of interest. Once the search agent is created and scheduled to run, you would then be notified if any new notice of any type was posted or modified using that notice number.
There are two new set-aside codes in FBO for women-owned small business that are part of the Women-Owned Small Business Program administered by the Small Business Administration. The Small Business Act authorizes contracting officers to specifically limit, or set aside, certain requirements for competition solely among women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) or economically disadvantaged women owned small businesses (EDWOSBs). This is referred to as the WOSB Program, which was implemented on February 4, 2011.
Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small BusinessAn Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) is a small business concern that is at least 51 percent directly and unconditionally owned and controlled by one or more women who are citizens (born or naturalized) of the United States and who are economically disadvantaged. The EDWOSB automatically qualifies as a women-owned small business eligible for the WOSB Program.
A woman is presumed economically disadvantaged if she has a personal net worth of less than $750,000, her adjusted gross yearly income averaged over the three years preceding the certification does not exceed $350,000, and the fair market value of all her assets (including her primary residence and the value of the business concern) does not exceed $6 million.
Women-Owned Small BusinessA Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) is a small business concern that is at least 51 percent directly and unconditionally owned and controlled by one or more women who are citizens (born or naturalized) of the United States.
These procurement mechanisms are meant to increase federal contracting opportunities for WOSBs and to assist agencies in achieving their women-owned small business goals. These procedures are implemented in the SBA's regulations, which can be found at 13 C.F.R. Part 127. See Women-Owned Small Businesses at www.sba.gov for more information.
Using the Advanced Search function on the FBO Home Page, check the appropriate box under "Set-Aside Code" in the search form for "Women Owned Small Business" or "Economically Disadvantaged Women Owned Small Business." The next step is to click on the "Search" button (located at the top and bottom of the "Advanced Search" form) to display the results.
There is a new search filter that vendors can use to locate notices related to the Recovery and Reinvestment Act. From the FBO.gov homepage, go to "Opportunities" and click on either the "Search by Classification, NAICS code, Recovery actions and more..." link located below the "Keywords/SOL#" search field, or go directly to the "Advanced Search" tab. The new search field is located at the bottom of the form below the "NAICS Code" search field.
The system will display an icon labeled "RECOVERY" next to the notice title within the "Opportunities List" tab, as well as under the notice title found in the heading of a notice within the "Notice Details" tab.
The government is providing new levels of transparency with the implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act). Proposed orders do not generally require FedBizOpps notifications because only contractors who received awards under the initial solicitation for the task or delivery order contract are eligible for such orders. However, to provide unprecedented levels of transparency for the use of Recovery Act funds, the government is posting all Recovery Act funded order notices on FedBizOpps. If you are a contractor interested in learning about opportunities for getting your own task or delivery order contract from the government, go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/procurement and select "Multi-agency contract opportunities."
In order to increase transparency, FedBizOpps now provides a flat file report for all Recovery Act-funded opportunities and awards posted by Federal agencies. These weekly reports are publicly available and stored on an ftp site (Opportunities and Awards) for easy access. Users may save them as their own files. Please direct any questions about data in the report to the Federal agency who posted the notice.
FBO now contains the Small Business Central Event Listing. Federal agencies have been directed to post Small Business Events such as conferences and training on FedBizOpps using the Special Notice. To find events of interest, use the button on the FBO homepage or search for the notice type 'special notice' with the keyword phrase "Small Business Events." Like any search on FedBizOpps, you can refine the results of your "Small Business Events" search by fields such as Federal agency, location, date posted, etc. FBO only hosts the notices: please contact the posting agency for any details about the event itself.
The Interagency Task Force on Small Business Contracting recommended that agencies post all new outreach and training events on FedBizOpps in order to make it easier and less burdensome for small businesses to learn about and transact business with the federal government. The new Small Business Central Event Listing Outreach and Training provides a dynamic "calendar" for allowing small business users to search for business development, matchmaking, and training opportunities by various criteria, including agency, date, location, and small business category.
To create an event listing, log in a government user (buyer) at www.fbo.gov and select 'create notice.' When creating an event listing, use 'special notice' as the notice type and ensure the "title" field begins with "Small Business Event" to facilitate easier searching by small businesses.
Note: The system will key on 'special notice' as the notice type and the text string "Small Business Event" in the title when returning search results. If you do not use 'special notice' as the notice type or use the text string "Small Business Event," your event listing will not appear in the search results. For more information on creating and managing notices in FBO, consult the Buyer User Guide or watch the Managing FBO Notices training video on the 'Getting Started' tab.
Agencies seeking vendor input on ideas and vendors (including small businesses) interested in entering the Federal government marketplace or providing input to improve federal acquisitions, can now find information on vendor collaboration and engagement opportunities in one place: the Vendor Collaboration Central Event Listing, located at www.fbo.gov.
Improving management of Federal information technology through increased vendor collaboration and engagement is an Administration priority. Creating a new central location for collaboration opportunities using a single source - FedBizOpps - that is familiar to many businesses (including small businesses), will help in easily identifying engagement opportunities and promoting agency vendor engagement plans.
The Vendor Collaboration Central Event Listing on FedBizOpps (www.fbo.gov) is a dynamic tool that will allow businesses to quickly search for Federal agency collaboration or engagement opportunities such as pre-Request for Proposal (RFP) collaboration events. In support of their vendor engagement plans, Federal agencies can post opportunities to engage and collaborate with industry prior to the RFP phase for Information Technology (IT) investments.
To find opportunities of interest, use the button on the FBO homepage, or search for the notice type 'special notice' with the keyword phrase "Vendor Collaboration." Like any search on FedBizOpps, you can refine the results or your "Vendor Collaboration" search by fields such as Federal agency, location, date posted, etc. Each individual "Vendor Collaboration" special notice posted at FedBizOpps will provide an agency point of contact for further information about the posted event.
To create a vendor collaboration opportunity event listing, log in as a government user (buyer) at www.fbo.gov to create a 'special notice.' Use the notice type of 'special notice' and ensure the "title" field begins with "Vendor Collaboration" to facilitate easier searching by interested entities. If your effort is for IT collaboration, the construct would be "Vendor Collaboration - IT." If it is for services, "Vendor Collaboration - Services."
To maximize the utility of the dynamic event listing, information on the following elements should be provided in each posted notice, at a minimum:
Note: The system will key on 'special notice' as the notice type and the text string "Vendor Collaboration" in the title when returning search results and interested parties would then be able to further refine by searching for "IT" or "services."