Our Federal Government Contracts out an estimated *3 trillion dollars annually in goods and services. Government Contracting Procurement officers in federal, state and local governments offer big and small businesses the opportunity to sell billions of dollars worth of products and services. Federal Government agencies require that a percentage of the contracted procurements be set aside for Small Businesses.
Supplement by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus package there will be increased business opportunities for government contractors.
What do you have to do to actually sign that first contract with the government?
Government Contracting Entrepreneurs are the cornerstone of the federal acquisition process. Competition spurs innovation, results in better products and performance. Ongoing legislation continues to focus on increasing competition. The Government is wanting small business participation, the Government is going to great lengths and spends lots of money in outreach programs to find good, qualified small businesses.
The Government even provides information that will help you bid.
Just by asking ---- you can find out how much the government bought , who they bought from, and how much they paid.
A company that wants to get started competing for federal government contracts must start with some registration requirements:
Obtain a Data Universal Number (DUNS), which is a unique nine-digit identification number for each physical location of a business.
Register with the Government’s Central Contractor Registry (CCR) database. This is where you get a cage code.
Complete an Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA).
See "Register Your Business With the Government" for more information.
Although not a requirement, a certification from the Small Business Administration as a disadvantaged business may be to your advantage.
Another step in government contracting is to qualify as a small business under Small Business Size Standards.
Learning to win Government Contracts with the United States Federal Government is a worthwhile effort that will open the door to many opportunities for you and your business.
Frequently Asked Questions about Government Contracting.
Defense Contract Totals in 2010:
524,914 Contracts
For a total of: $366,981,307,588
Federal Government Solicitation Numbers
Defense Standardization Program
Source Approval Request Program