Tag: DSBS

How to win government contracts as a small business?

Posted on by Eric Coffie

You might already be asking yourself on how to win government contracts. Well, there are a handful of routes that you can take in order to start working with the federal government and that’s going to be the focus of today’s blog. 

PREPARE YOUR BUSINESS.

Primarily, you need to make sure that your business is prepared to work with the government by meeting the necessary requirements.

These include having all the required business information such as the DUNS number and NAICS code in registering on the System for Award Management (SAM) database. 

Also, part of your SAM registration is uploading your capability statement and identifying that you have met the size standards to be considered as a small business and be able to take advantage of small business programs.

This is of utmost importance because before awarding the contract, each agency does a research first to see if you have the necessary resources in place. If you think, you are not qualified in doing so, then this should be the stage to see what you can do to make you more qualified. 

UNDERSTAND THE BIDDING PROCESS.

Before you land into a contract, you will most likely need to undergo a bidding process so it is key to understand how the bidding process works and what the types of government solicitations are there. 

To give you an idea, the four types of government solicitations include the request for a quote, request for proposal, an invitation for bid, and request for information. 

Regardless of the type of solicitation the government agency asks, you need to provide a responsive bid or proposal that complies to the procurement requirements and procedures.

Most importantly, you need to make sure that whatever the requirements are, you have looked upon it and resolved any issues that might compromise the project before agreeing on doing the contract. 

BUILD YOUR NETWORK.

Attend small business training workshops either online or offline to improve your understanding of how government procurement works and to assess the products and services each agency needs as well as communicate with other government contractors and learn from their experiences in the field.

Also, look for a mentor who can help you navigate the contracting process and to guide you on your decisions.

In doing so, the SBA is offering free workshops that you can join regardless of what state you are located and there are a handful of government contractors and consultants who are willing to assist you. 

FIND A CONTRACT.

There are a handful of platforms that you can use to find contracts and one of these is the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) which is mainly used by government agencies. You can also use this to search for subcontractors to do half or a little portion of your overall contract. 

Then, there are also other federal business opportunities listed in the FedBizOpps.gov which is now under the SAM database that government agencies ought to use to advertise all contracts over $25,000

Lastly, you can also secure a contract with the  U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). However, you first need to pay for a Past Performance Evaluation report and also provide six to 20 email addresses of your past customers. 

SEARCH FOR SUBCONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES. 

If you are a small business and you don’t have the experience in becoming a prime contractor, there are a handful of subcontracting opportunities that you can look at on SubNet. 

The SBA, GSA, and the Department of Defense also maintains a directory of prime contractors with subcontracting plans.

Lastly, you can also search for contracts over $25,000 on the Federal Procurement Data System, USASpending.gov or on any small business offices such as the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) or the Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP). 

RESOURCES

If you want to learn more about winning in this federal contracting arena, then be sure to click the links below.

https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/how-win-contracts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_-uiGSnkSQ

https://govcongiants1.wpengine.com/can-you-successfully-win-government-contracts/

Fundamentals and Basic Building Blocks of Winning Federal Contracts!

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Want to become a prime and start doing government contracts? Then, read this blog to learn the fundamentals and basic building blocks of doing federal contracts!

LET’S START WITH THE BASICS! 

Looking at my previous content, I made a bunch of content talking about specific things that the only people who were familiar with are already doing business with the federal government, so I decided to make this content where I actually start connecting the dots.

“I’ve got great videos, but if you’re not familiar with how to put the pieces of the puzzle together, then they’re just, basically, puzzle pieces scattered out.”

Note, that this blog is only for those people who want to become prime contractors. These contractors are basically companies that have direct contracts from a specific government agency. 

However, if you want to do business with the government, but don’t want to go that route, we have videos on my Youtube channel about being a subcontractor and a consultant. 

FOUR FUNDAMENTALS

1. NAICS code

A North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is a six-digit long code that  distinguishes the products and/or services that your business would like to provide to that specific agency.

If you also provide a wide variety of multiple products and services, then you can certainly have a multiple NAICS code. 

You can view the NAICS code list from the U.S. Census Bureau or by contacting the bureau through 1-888-756-2427 or on their email address, NAICS@census.gov.

If you want to know about this code and how to choose one, then check this video entitled “Primary vs Secondary NAICS Code.”

2. DUNS number

A Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) is a nine-digit identification number assigned to identify your business and to track your company’s credit record.

It is actually similar to your EIN number, the tax ID number that’s assigned to your business after you’ve set up your corporation.

Note that a DUNS number is free to obtain and if your business is in various locations, then you need to get a different DUNS number for each location.

To get your DUNS number, you can go into the Dun & Bradstreet website or you can either request via this toll-free telephone number, 1-(866) 705-5711.

If you want to know more about this code and how to apply for one, then check this video entitled “How to Apply for a DUNS Number.”

3. SAM.gov

The System for Award Management (SAM) is the website where all particular companies that are doing business with the government, even if you’re talking about Boeing and SpaceX, need to register. 

In registering, you primarily need to create an account first. You can either choose an individual user account or a system user account. However, it is preferred to create the latter.

After creating an account, you can already register but make sure that you appropriately fill all of the information.

Depending on the complexity of your business, your registration might take about an hour and it can also take an average of 7-10 business days to process in the database. 

Other than that, you should update your SAM profile on an annual basis or when a certain change in your business information is made. The updating or renewal process might take for approximately an hour before it becomes active on your SAM profile. 

If you want to learn more on how to register in SAM, then check this video entitled “Register System for Award Management “SAM.gov” to win Federal Contracts.”

4. DSBS

Before you finish your SAM profile, make sure to go down to your Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) page and answer the necessary information because you can use this to create a unique profile for your business. 

“This is what helps you stand out from the crowd. This is your opportunity to highlight your history, your past performance, and give a brief description about your company to fellow agencies.”

Besides, information in the DSBS is publicly available and is widely used by contracting officers to help them choose between two similar companies entities.

With this in mind, you can check this video entitled “SAM.gov part 3 of 3 (SBA Profile) Dynamic Small Business Search” to learn more about the process. 

BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS

1. Professional email address

This seems like a very novice concept, but we don’t need people out there with caseyandjojo@gmail.com, we need people with professional email addresses that represent their company. For instance, it can say yourname@llccorporation or suchandsuchpainting.com.

2. Website

As a prime, it doesn’t make sense if you don’t have a website because these are what most consumers or buyers tend to look at. Besides, websites are so inexpensive to create. 

3. Corporate Identity

When we’re talking about corporate identity, we’re talking about your marketing materials like your business cards, brochures, and things like that. Remember, corporate identity is your logo.

“(It should be) something that when someone sees it, it sticks out that that is your brand and who you are.”

4. Capability statement

Your capability statement is your company’s resume and it should be formatted in a certain format that has information that agencies look for when talking to you. 

This is especially important because when you’re going to go around and you start talking to small business agencies and small business specialists, they’re going to ask you for your capability statement. 

If you want to learn more about this, then check these videos on how to “Build a professional capability statement for pennies on the dollar!” and “Capability Statement Do’s Don’ts Resources and more.”

RESOURCES

Now, you have the fundamental pieces of the huge puzzle. Note that these are just the building blocks and fundamentals for interested businesses that want to become prime contractors. 

With this in mind, if you want to learn more about the tips and tricks in winning government contracts, then join us here at GovCon Giants.

Just visit our website and other social media platforms or check the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

You can also check these resources below to learn more about the topic above:

BASICS Building blocks to win federal contracts! (government)

https://youtu.be/jqfX2ZBg2Ck

https://govcongiants1.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/BASICS-Building-blocks-to-win-federal-contracts.pdf