08 Mar 2008 12:28:38 | Gloria Berthold
Doing business with federal government agencies can be very
lucrative for the people who lean how to maneuver through the
maze of registrations, certifications and regulations. But if
you are ready to start, these are the first steps you need to
take to open the door to federal business opportunities.
Step 1: Identify your product or service. It is necessary to
know the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
code and the Federal Supply Classification (FSC) code for your
product or service. Most federal government product/service
listings and procurements are identified by their NAICS code
and/or FSC code. You can find the codes relating to your
business at these web sites: NAICS codes:
http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naics.html and FSC codes:
http://fpdcapp.gsa.gov/pls/fpdsweb/PscWiz
Step 2. Check with the Small Business Administration (SBA) to
determine that your business falls within the established table
of small business size standards based on NAICS. www.sba.gov You
may be very surprised just how big a company can be and still be
considered “small” in the eyes of the federal government.
Step 3: Obtain a DUNS Number from Dunn & Bradstreet. This is a
business identification number that is used much like a person
uses a social security number. If you do not have a DUNS Number,
contact Dun and Bradstreet to obtain one. www.dnb.com There is
no charge for assigning a DUNS number and you must have one to
proceed.
Step 4: Register in the Centralized Contractor Registration
(CCR) System. You must be registered in CCR to be awarded a
contract from any federal civilian or military agencies. CCR is
a database designed to hold information relevant to procurement
and financial transactions. CCR also affords you the opportunity
for fast electronic payment of your invoices. www.ccr.gov And
you will want to get paid quickly!
Step 5: Determine if your firm qualifies for 8(a), SDB or
HUBZone certification. These certifications are detailed at
www.sba.gov. They are essentially for companies that are owned
by individuals who have experienced some sort of disadvantage in
the business environment. This may be based on economic factors,
race or geographic location. Firms with these certifications may
compete for set-aside contracts – those contracts specifically
designated for certified companies.
Step 6: Register in Online Representations and Certifications
Application (ORCA). ORCA is a brand-new e-Government initiative
that was designed to replace the paper based Representations and
Certifications process. This will be a central repository of all
of your company’s certifications and can be accessed by any
federal agency. http://orca.bpn.gov Step 7: Begin to search for
current federal government procurement opportunities. Identify
current procurement opportunities in your product or service
area by checking at the FedBizOpps web site, the federal
civilian and military government single point of entry for many
opportunities over $25,000. Once you start to search for current
open bids you will get a good feel for the market for your
products and services. www.fedbizopps.gov
Step 8: Familiarize yourself with both the federal Civilian and
Department of Defense (DoD) contracting legal procedures. The
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) can be found at
http://www.arnet.gov/far/. The Defense Federal Acquisition
Regulation Supplement (DFARS) are located at
http://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dfars/index.htm. These are the legal
regulations for federal acquisitions. While they are not “light
reading” if you are serious about federal procurements, you need
to know and understand the legal requirements and regulations
pertaining to federal contracts. This is a good time to look for
an attorney who is experienced in federal procurement policies.
Step 9: Investigate if “getting on the GSA Schedule” is right
for you. Federal agencies can use General Services
Administration’s (GSA) Federal Supply Service (FSS) Schedule
Contracts and Government Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) to
make purchases. These pre-approved contracts are used to buy
commonly used products, services, and solutions needed to
fulfill their missions and day-to-day operations. These
opportunities are rarely announced on the FedBizOpps site in
Step 7 above, but are normally competed amongst pre-qualified
vendors already under contract. www.gsa.gov
Step 10: Seek additional assistance, as needed, in the federal
civilian and/or DoD marketplaces. Procurement Technical
Assistance Centers (PTACs) are federally-funded organizations
that offer free help. PTACs can be found at
http://www.dla.mil/db/procurem.htm
Step 11: Familiarize yourself with the budget forecasts for your
targeted agencies. Each federal agency typically produces an
Annual Procurement Forecast, as required by the Small Business
Act, which is maintained by their Office of Small and
Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) or equivalent. You
may contact each agency OSDBU for specifics. www.firstqov.gov.
Use this budget to determine if they are good prospects for you.
Step 12: Explore subcontracting opportunities. Regardless of
your product or service, it is important that you do not neglect
a very large secondary market - subcontracting opportunities
through prime contractors. Although there is no single point of
entry for subcontracting opportunities in the federal civilian
procurement marketplace, SBA’s SUB-Net is a valuable source for
obtaining information on subcontracting opportunities. Prime
contractors, government, commercial, and educational entities,
may post solicitations or notices here. www.sba.gov/sub-net
For DoD -The SADBU Website lists all major DoD prime contractors
by state and provides a point of contact (Small Business Liaison
Officer) within each firm. Investigate potential opportunities
with these firms. Many of these firms also have websites that
may be useful. Partnering with a prime contractor as their
subcontractor can be an excellent entry platform to the federal
marketplace. http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/
Step 13: Investigate government programs. There are several SBA
programs that may be of interest to you, such as the 8(a)
Business Development Mentor-Protégé Program, the Small Business
Innovation Research Program and Small Business Technology
Transfer Research Program and the Technology Resources Network.
www.sba.gov
There are several DoD programs, some derived from the
aforementioned programs, that may also be of interest to you,
such as the Mentor-Protégé Program, the Small Business
Innovation Research Program, and the Historically Black Colleges
and Universities and Minority Institutions Program. Information
on these and other programs is available on the SADBU Website.
http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/
Step 14: Market your firm to the right contacts. Identify your
prospective government customers, research their requirements,
and familiarize yourself with procurement regulations and
strategies require determination, direction, discipline and
resources. There are many procuring organizations to consider,
and educating yourself about their roles and missions will be no
small task, but essential nonetheless.
When it is time to market your product or service, present your
capabilities directly to the people who buy it. Wherever
possible, arrange marketing visits to agency project and program
personnel. Provide catalogues and brochures to key personnel
within the agencies. Many Federal agencies hold small business
fairs that emphasize how to do business with the government and
provide information regarding their program activities. Realize
that, like your own, their time is valuable/limited. If the
match is a good one, you may be able to provide them with a
cost-effective, quality solution to their requirements.
Gloria Berthold is CEO of TargetGov.tv. She teaches federal
government marketing strategies through national audio
conferences and in-person speaking engagements. Check
www.targetgov.tv for more information.
About Author :
Gloria Berthold is President of TargetGov at Marketing Outsource
Associates, Inc. 
