government contracting 101: what all businesses need to know february 18, 2014 wyoming entrepreneur...
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Government Contracting 101: What All Businesses Need to Know February 18, 2014 Wyoming Entrepreneur Procurement Technical Assistance Center Brett Housholder Andrea Lewis Alyssa Lozier. Topics. Part I – Basics to Consider Before You Jump Into Government Contracting - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Government Contracting 101: What All Businesses Need to Know
February 18, 2014
Wyoming Entrepreneur Procurement Technical Assistance CenterBrett Housholder
Andrea LewisAlyssa Lozier
Topics• Part I – Basics to
Consider Before You Jump Into Government Contracting• How is the Govt.
market different?• How much does the
Govt. buy of your good/service?
• What are basic requirements?
• How do you market to the Govt.?
Topics• Part II – What You
Need to Know After You Jump Into Government Contracting• Set Asides• Purchasing Thresholds• Types of Solicitations• Types of Contracts• How to Find
Opportunities
Topics• Part III – How to
Pursue Opportunities• Offer/Acceptance• How Contracts Are
Awarded• Responsive vs.
Responsible• Proposal Review• Payment
PART I: The Basics
Comparing Government Markets to Commercial Markets
How is it Different?
• Utilizes Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR)• Competition requirements• Strives for achievement of socioeconomic
objectives– Small business, woman-owned, HUBZone, 8a,
veteran-owned– http://www.sba.gov/content/small-business-goaling
• Specific federal requirements– Service Contract ACT/Davis Bacon ACT
The FAR System
What is the FAR?
• Federal Acquisition Regulations (and Agency Supplements)
• Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations• Divided into 53 Parts– Parts 1 – 51: Regulations– Part 52: Provisions and Clauses– Part 53: Forms
Where Do I Find the FAR?
• Federal Site:https://www.acquisition.gov/far/
• Air Force Sitehttp://farsite.hill.af.mil/
Who Can I Work With?
Who Can I Work With?
• Here’s where it gets tricky. These different agencies may have different requirements.
Federal
State
Local
How Can it Benefit Me?
• New Revenue Source• Builds Relationships• Reliable Customer• Competition
The Government Market
Am I Missing Opportunities?
• $460.4 Billion spent in FY2013• Because it seems too complicated, businesses
may be hesitant to become involved.
Source: http://usaspending.gov/
What About Wyoming?
• Next highest dollar recipient locations – ID, CO, VA, CA
Source: http://usaspending.gov/
82.69 % of the dollars to
out-of-state firms
$53,921,438 (17.31%) to
WY recipients
$311,435,346 awarded in FY13
in WY
4,641 Federal Contract Actions
Getting Started
What Should I Think About Before I Start?
• Assess your current situation– How long have you been in business?– What are your annual revenues?– How much “past performance” can you show?– Do you accept credit cards?– Can you work online?
• Determine if the government buys what you sell, and how much of it…
Where Do I Look?
• North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)– http://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/
• Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS)– https://www.fpds.gov – (note: https)
• USASpending– http://www.usaspending.gov– registration/login not required
Requirements
What Do I Have to Do?
Certain registrations are absolutely required– Must obtain a DUNS number– Must register in System for Award Management
(SAM)• Should also fill out an SBA Profile from within SAM, also
know as the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS)
D&B iUpdate
Dun & Bradstreet assigns you a DUNS number– http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform– This is free - do NOT pay for ANY service offered
by D&B or anyone else!– Call your PTAC for help or if you have any
questions about this process
System for Award Management (SAM)
Replaces/combines CCR, ORCA, EPL– https://www.sam.gov/ (make SURE this is the site
you use)– Absolutely must be registered here to receive any
government contracts– Designed to be a single resource for multiple
required registrations
Marketing to the Government
What Should I Do to Market My Business?
• To effectively market your company’s product or service:– Identify your customers– Research their requirements– Learn federal procurement regulations
• Present your capabilities directly to the federal agencies and large prime contractors that buy your products and services
• Attend procurement conferences, business expos and business matchmaking events
• Add details to your Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) profile (e.g., certifications, commercial customers, federal customers, special capabilities).
• Show contracting officers that your company is a good match for their needs and requirements
Where is the Best Place to Start?
• Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS)• Not an absolute requirement, but still vital to contracting
success– http://dsbs.sba.gov/dsbs/search/dsp_dsbs.cfm– This is your tool to market to contracting officers– Your opportunity to tell agencies what you’re good at, what
products & services you provide, and what past work you’ve done
– Able to be edited through SAM (SBA Profile)
What is a Capabilities Statement?
• Capabilities Statement– One page – As an intro at events– Brochure – As part of response to an RFP– Detailed presentation – for capabilities briefings
• Include relevant data like NAICS, DUNS, past performance, certifications, core competencies, differentiators, etc.
• Tailor it whenever possible