Top 10 Agencies for 8a this 2021

If you’re a business owner eligible for 8(a) certification, any challenge to participating in the program, such as its lengthy application process, will be overshadowed by the opportunities it can offer.

Getting your 8a certificate can reduce competition for government contracts, give you access to sole-source contracts, and offer entry into the All Small Mentor-Protégé program.

However, a reality that many business owners seeking the certification fail to consider is that there is also competition among 8a firms and it’s vicious. How do you surpass that?

There are so many contracting officers in the federal industry looking for small businesses to spend their money on. There are different types of customers within each agency and different marketing strategies needed to win but don’t worry, we are here to help you.

Allow us to narrow down your target market. With that in mind, here are the Top 10 Agencies for 8a that you should keep your eye on this 2021.

1. Department of the Army (DA)

The United States Department of the Army is the Military Department within the United States Department of Defense. They are the agency that is capable of defeating enemy ground forces and indefinitely seizing and controlling those things.

The Army awards billions of contracting dollars annually. They have five buying commands and each has specific major buying command purchases, from combat systems to medical research and health services to construction projects. The Army has a very large secondary market: subcontracting, which is why they also encourage small businesses to pursue subcontracting opportunities.

2. Department of the Air Force (USAF)

The Department of the Air Force defends the country through the control and exploitation of air and space. 

The Air Force has small business specialists around the country who can help your company identify and respond to every type of procurement opportunity they offer. Business opportunities, relating to expiring contracts, facility engineering, and space force procurement, is found on their website.

3. Department of the Navy (USN)

The U.S. Department of the Navy aims to protect the country from wars at sea. The contracting functions of this agency are decentralized which means your market research should extend beyond the geographical bounds of your city, state, and region. 

The first presentation of your company’s capabilities should be directly given to the Small Business Professionals at the Navy and Marine Corps activities that buy your products or services so that you get additional points of contact for marketing the customer.

The Department of the Navy wants quality solutions for its requirements in a timely and cost-effective manner thus outstanding “past performance” is considered one of the most valuable assets.

4. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provide high-quality care at lower costs to more than 100 million people through Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Health Insurance Marketplace.

To support its own programs, CMS needs to procure a wide range of supplies and services including (but not limited to) the following: Research Studies and Demonstrations, Consultant Services, Utilization of Health Services, Provider Fraud and Abuse, Health Quality and Standards, Professional Advisory Services, Computer Programming, Data Processing, Office Supplies, Computer Hardware, and Software

5. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is America’s civil space program and the global leader in space exploration.  They develop and fund space technologies that will enable future exploration and benefit life on Earth.

If you are interested in working with NASA, as a small business owner, you can go to their website and identify which NASA Center is your target market. Each center has listed out the NAICS codes of the product or service that they intend to acquire.

6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is one of the major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services. They protect America from health, safety, and security threats, both foreign and in the U.S. 

This agency conducts critical science and provides health information that protects our nation against expensive and dangerous health threats, and responds when these arise. For small businesses engaged in scientific research and development (R&D), research funding is available.

7. Public Buildings Service (PBS)

Public Buildings Service acquires space on behalf of the federal government through new construction and leasing and acts as a caretaker for federal properties across the country. They are primarily funded through the Federal Buildings Fund, which is supported by the rent from federal customer agencies.

To get information on planned federal contracting opportunities, they have provided the GSA Forecast of Contracting Opportunities Tool, which assists vendors to learn about potential prime contracting opportunities early on in the process

8. United States Coast Guard (USCG)

The U.S. Coast Guard is the principal Federal agency responsible for maritime safety, security, and environmental stewardship in U.S. ports and inland waterways, throughout the 4.5 million square miles of U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and on the high seas.

The Coast Guard Acquisition Directorate manages a multibillion-dollar recapitalization investment portfolio of acquisition programs across three major product lines: surface; aviation; and command, control, communications, computers, cyber, and intelligence (C5I) systems.

9. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

The FAA issues and enforces regulations involving manufacturing, operating, and maintaining aircraft. They rely on equipment, systems, supplies, services, and construction provided by commercial, educational, and non-profit businesses to function as an agency.

The FAA’s contracting activities are managed by a headquarters office, two centers, and three service areas with eight regional offices. Among the many contracting methods, the FAA, like other agencies, has certain planned contracts reserved for small businesses that are 8a certified.

10. Department of State (DOS)

The Department of State works to fight terrorism, protect U.S. interests abroad, and implement foreign policy initiatives while building a more free, prosperous, and secure world

Available projections for contracting opportunities that small and small disadvantaged firms may participate in can be found on the agency’s website under its procurement forecast

RESOURCES

The list found in this article and their respective ranking was taken from usaspending.gov, wherein federal agencies were ranked from highest to lowest, according to their cumulative government spending in 2021 for 8a certified businesses.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Looking For Social Media Monitoring Webservice

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) requires a social and digital monitoring platform to inform its market intelligence and social media practice. This social media monitoring web service will allow NCHHSTP to conduct a complete analysis of specific digital conversations of interest in the present and in the past. The service must provide the ability to monitor and identify key influencers such as publishers and journalists along with key stories within the news media. The social media monitoring webservice must be able to independently notify users of key trends of interest and will allow access to databases from multiple social media platforms.

The required web service must provide the capability to analyze sentiment using a combination of machine learning via Artificial Intelligence (AI) and humans who are trained in thematic analysis to regularly update and tune the sentiment model.

Interested firms are requested to submit a capability statement, which shall include documentation of the ability to perform the requirements and information on previous successfully completed contracts for the same supplies.

The respondent must also provide their DUNS number, organization name, address, points of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HubZone, etc., pursuant to the applicable NAICS code), and any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements.

Please limit your responses to ten (10) pages.

All responses to this notice must be submitted electronically. Facsimile responses will not be accepted. Please submit responses to Denedra Threatt, Contract Specialist, at DThreatt2@cdc.gov.

Responses are due by: Aug 15, 2020 03:00 pm EDT

 

Full details HERE.

Personal Protective Equipment PPE is becoming a race to the low bid bottom

PPE or Personal Protective Equipment is now synonymous with gloves, sanitizer, mask, cleaning supplies. Everything we need in the new COVID19 economy to make our lives safer.

Over the last 6 weeks my 77 year old mom started using zoom for church, seeing her doctors via telemedicine and watching the grandkids go to virtual school. It has been a whirlwind of events since the Coronavirus traveled from Wuhan China to the America’s and beyond.

One of the most interesting phenomena’s has been the uptick in new suppliers, resellers, manufacturers who jumped into the production/distribution of Personal Protective Equipment products to help combat the spread of the Coronavirus. From 3M increasing their production of N95 respirators to General Motors making ventilators.

I have seen promotional companies, landscapers, contractors, lawyers all jump into the PPE craze. Some have made millions of dollars others thousands and others

Today nearly 2 months later people are still trying to jump into the PPE craze.

If you are considering jumping on the bandwagon take a look at the price points people are now offering to the government. I have seen 3-ply masks as low as $.29 and KN95 for $1.40, and boot covers for $.10. This is not a sustainable business model for the anyone, nor is it very profitable.

PPE has turned into a commodity item and a race to the bottom. This is not a sustainable way to build a business long term.

Factors to consider before jumping in.

1.  Do I have a relationship with a client?
2.  What is my significant product advantage?
3.  Is my inventory competitive price, in stock available?
4.  Can I compete with these prices?

Unless you have the products in stock and ready to go you can fall victim to the hype craze and countless hours of wasted time. In this new era there will be plenty of time for building, creating and manufacturing new products. I just don’t believe that PPE should be people’s sole focus.

If you have not already listened to the reason why I hate state and local contracts. Listen now. 

Take a look at these prices and see where you stand.

ppe table
KN95 prices