OSBP Vision and Mission

How To Do Business with NASA

Know the Federal Supply Class or Service (FSC/SVC) codes (http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office
/procurement/regs/
FSCCodes.doc) and the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes (http://www.census.gov/naics/) for your products or services.
Prepare a capability brief in both printed and electronic versions with an emphasis on Government work.

Obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number (http://www.dandb.com/fedgov/).
Register with the System for Award Management (SAM) (http://www.sam.gov).
Register with the NASA Vendor Data Base (NVDB) (https://vendors.nvdb.nasa.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=Vendor.challenge_screen).

Identify what each NASA Center (http://osbp.nasa.gov/about.html) procures by reviewing its top NAICS code and the NASA Acquisition Forecast (http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/nais/forecast.cgi).
Review the NASA Web site (http://www.nasa.gov), the OSBP Newsletter (http://osbp.nasa.gov/newsletter.html), and industry publications such as Space News, Aviation Weekly, and Physics Today.
Contact the Small Business Specialists (SBSs) (http://osbp.nasa.gov/contacts.html) located at each NASA Center for assistance on how to do business with that particular NASA Center.

Identify current procurement opportunities in your product or service area by checking the Federal Business Opportunities Web site (https://www.fbo.gov) or the NASA Procurement Web site (http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/nais/link_syp.cgi), which can assist you in identifying NASA requirements and send you e-mail notifications of released requirements.

Be familiar with the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) (http://farsite.hill.af.mil) and the NASA Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/nfstoc.htm).

Contact the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) (http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100611) for information on how to obtain a Federal Supply Schedule contract. Many NASA purchases are, in fact, orders on FSS contracts.

Request training and counseling on marketing, financial, and contracting issues at minimal or no cost from Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) (http://www.dla.mil/SmallBusiness/Pages/
ProcurementTechnicalAssistanceCenters.aspx). PTACs are located in most states and are partially funded by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to provide small business concerns with information on how to do business with DOD and other Government agencies.
Consult with the SBA’s Procurement Center Representatives (PCRs) (http://www.sba.gov/content/procurement-center-representatives) and the SBA Business Development Centers (http://www.sba.gov/content/small-business-development-centers-sbdcs ). The SBA provides each NASA Center with a liaison.
Get free and confidential mentoring by former CEOs through SCORE (http://www.score.org ).

Obtain information on subcontracting opportunities through the SBA’s SUB-Net (http://web.sba.gov/subnet/search/index.cfm) or Subcontracting Opportunities Directory (http://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/contracting/contracting-opportunities/sub-contracting/subcontracting-opportunities-directory). Solicitations or notices are posted by prime contractors. NASA’s list of prime vendors is located on the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s Web site (http://ec.msfc.nasa.gov/doing_business/).

Explore other small business programs, such as the NASA Mentor-Protégé Program (http://osbp.nasa.gov/mentor.html), the Small Business Innovation Research Program (http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/SBIR/SBIR.html), and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions Program. Information on these and other programs is available on the NASA Office of Small Business Programs Web site (http://osbp.nasa.gov).

After you have identified your customers, researched their requirements, and familiarized yourself with NASA procurement regulations and strategies, it is time to market your product or service. Present your capabilities directly to the NASA Centers that buy your products or services. Realize that, as with yours, their time is valuable. If the match is a good one, you can provide them with a cost-effective, quality solution to their requirements. Good luck!

Click here to download the How To Do Business With NASA PDF Brochure