Tag: Federal Procurement Data System

Where Do the Contracts Go?

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Learn the reason why over half of the contracts are not on beta.sam and where you can find them!

WHAT MOST PEOPLE USUALLY DO ON BETA.SAM?

Most people recognized beta.sam as the only platform to browse for opportunities.

What they do is they look for certain contracts within the last few months, their NAICS code, their location, and their certification, among others. 

Then, in most cases, they use all of these keywords to look for certain opportunities. And what happens is there’s only a few results. And now they’re left wondering where the contracts go. 

And if this is their question, it must be for you too. 

WHAT REALLY HAPPENS WITH THE BID OPPORTUNITIES?

When you visit the Department of Defense website for Defense Pricing and Contracting, the latest full report was in 2015. Although there are reports in 2018, it still lacks for the fourth quarter, so we’ll use this instead. 

Going back to the 2015 Department of Defense Competition Report, the negotiated competition trends, over the previous 10 years going back, hovered around 56% to 60% and back to 56% again.  

“So, what does that mean? That means that the government is not competing half of the projects, which also means that they’re not showing you half (of) the projects.”

However, when the negotiated competition was only 56%, the effective competition was 87%. 

“And that’s how these large organizations and agencies are saying they’re meeting their goals.”

Then, we also have the non-competitive bids wherein this report says that the majority 76% of non-competitive dollars were obligated under the FAR 6.302-1.  

WE HAVE TO START QUESTIONING THINGS

So, what all of those data above mean? It means that when people tell you that government contracting is competitive, you gotta question their position, intent, knowledge, and experience, because this report says otherwise. 

But what can you do with this information? Well, use this as a way for you and for us, small and minority businesses, to win.

“This is designed not for you to go back and pout and cry and complain and say that this is unfair. This is for you to understand, to gain wisdom, to seek clarity, to know how to operate within the confines of the rules that someone else has set out for us.”

IF NOT IN BETA.SAM, THEN WHERE? 

Now that you understand that most contract opportunities are not really on beta.sam, then you can use the same strategies that we use here in GovCon Giants. 

With this, we use the Federal Procurement Data System and USA Spending to do our own market research in order to find out and do a predictive analysis of what the government’s going to be doing next.

“So, we get ahead of the opportunities. We get ahead of the actual bids before they come out. We respond and we let the government know that we are ready, active, and able to go after these opportunities.

Just take into account that you should not rely on any type of software and on a single marketing strategy or source of information, and you need to interpret this information or else it will just be nothing.

“So, simply having the information alone is not good enough. And again, we all like to use, at least in the govcon world, we all like to use fishing analogies. Simply having a fishing rod and the fishing reel doesn’t teach you how to fish.”

RESOURCES

If you want to learn more on where to look for these contracts or learn the step-by-step process of GovCon Giant’s strategy, then you can visit and join us at GovCon Edu where we teach you how to start a government contracting business and win contracts. 

Also, you can check these resources below or follow us on our website and social platforms.

THESE CONTRACTS ARE NOT POSTED! Where to find them?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7U0-A_o3wU

2015 Department of Defense Competition Report

https://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/cpic/cp/docs/DoD_FY_2015_Competition_Report.pdf

Finding all the search results on beta.sam.gov with Mo and Eric Coffie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcxGZ87hw70&t=95s

Before the RFP/RFQ comes the presolicitation learn how to use it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7xtSfNgUpY

How to get AWARD Data from USA Spending?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr_U9z1xK2g

How to respond to a Sources Sought?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eEGLkukCOo&t=19s

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/

A Guide to Becoming a Federal Government Contractor

Posted on by Eric Coffie

The United States government is urging small businesses to take on contracting opportunities to fulfill the needs of each government agency. But what does it take to become a federal government contractor and what are the things to prepare? Well, here is a guide to become a federal government contractor.

1. Research about the market. 

You need to know who your market is, what their demands are, and what can you provide. 

Consider it this way, regardless if you have a high-quality product, when there’s still no demand for that product, you will never make a profit out of it.

This is also the same way with pricing, if you offer too high or too low, there’s a huge chance that agencies will choose other contractors apart from yours.

In doing so, you can research about past contracts and learn about pricing your products and services through the Federal Procurement Data System, USA Spending, and the SAM database.

2. Understand the contracting rules.

Because the government is using the taxpayer’s money to fulfill the demand of the government agencies, they have certain rules and regulations all throughout the contracting process that you must follow. 

Although most of these regulations only take place when you start your contract, you still need to research about these matters to prevent you from facing potential legal problems that will most likely terminate your contract in the future. 

3. Create a business plan.

You need to create a business plan as this helps you structure and run your business.

This doesn’t mean that you need to create a complex business plan but to just highlight and include an effective marketing plan, business details, and resources calculations.

This way, you can easily describe and present your business towards the government and investors.

4. Determine your business category.

The federal government provides an opportunity for small businesses to be certified as women-owned small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and HUBZone program participants. 

Each certification has their own purpose and process in helping small businesses but regardless of what category you are in, the Small Business Administration will help you get acquainted with the procurement process and win contracts. 

Apart from that, the organization will also provide assistance in terms of finances, management, training, and other opportunities for small businesses to compete with huge government contractors. 

5. Provide a matched NAICS code.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is a six-digit code classifying the types of products that you sell.

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, [email protected].

6. Register for a DUNS number. 

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

If your business is in various locations, then you need to get a different DUNS number for each business location.

To obtain a DUNS number, you can either request via this toll-free telephone number, 1-(866) 705-5711, or through the D&B website. 

7. Register in SAM. 

With lots of businesses across the United States, the government uses this platform to store information about any businesses as well as look for a specific business before awarding any contract. 

So, in order for your business to start working with the federal government, you must register in the System for Award Management (SAM) database first. 

Also, if there are certain changes in your business, you must keep your SAM profile updated. 

8. Find contract opportunities. 

There are a handful of certified online government platforms that you can use to search for contract opportunities. These include the SAM database and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). 

You can also look for subcontracting opportunities through SubNet, the SBA Subcontracting Assistance Directory, USA Spending, and on the Department of Defense Prime Contractor Directory. 

Lastly, you can also communicate with any small business offices in your area such as the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization or the Office of Small Business Programs.

9. Bid or submit an offer. 

Government agencies either award a contract through sealed bidding or negotiation.

The difference between these two is that with sealed bidding, the offers are spoken in public and the one with the lowest responsive bid is awarded with the contract; however, with negotiation, contractors and the agency will have a chance to negotiate about the proposal. 

Regardless of what type of contract award you want to bid or submit an offer, just make sure that you have read all of the clauses and you have filled the necessary information. 

10. Comply with the contracting rules. 

The contracting officer and the government are very particular with their purchases and any factors not being followed will most likely cause termination. 

These rules include the size standards, the sourcing of the materials, legal requirements, subcontracting limits, and documentation.

The government also imposed various unique business practices and ethical responsibilities that you should follow under the Federal Acquisition Regulation. 

However, if you think that you have met all of the rules and standards above but your contract was still terminated, you have the right to appeal by following the Contract Dispute Act.

Resources

If you want to learn more about the specific processes written in this article regarding how to become a federal government contractor, then be sure to click the links below.

https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/governing-rules-responsibilities

https://www.sba.gov/starting-business/write-your-business-plan

https://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100635

https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/basic-requirements

https://www.usa.gov/become-government-contractor

https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/grow-your-business/become-federal-contractor