Identify The Most Strategic Opportunities To Pursue
Start by researching the full spectrum of large contracting opportunities to home in on the most lucrative deals and understand where you have the highest PWIN, or probability to win. This includes agency-wide programs, large contracts, contract vehicles, and indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contracts. Look for opportunities where you can differentiate yourself and add value either as a prime, partner, team member, or subcontractor determining the right contracts to pursue is imperative.
Scrolling through sam.gov searches can be tedious and doesnt guarantee youll catch every opportunity or update. Bloomberg Government expert analysts track the 20 largest upcoming opportunities and update the list on a weekly basis, so you can be sure to never miss a new development.
Register Your Small Business For Government Contracting Services
Before you start you win government contracts, you have to register your business first. Small companies are subjected to a series of paperwork. This process ensures the legality of the transaction between the private enterprise and the government. The administrations funding comes from the public, thus enforcing a strict registration process for small businesses for transparency.
But dont fret! We have prepared a comprehensive beginners guide on how to start winning federal contracts.
1. Legally register your business name
First things firstdecide on a business name that clearly reflects your brand identity and is not taken by any enterprise yet.
Then after you have decided on your legal business name, you should now register your business. This will protect your brand from legal implications and enjoy legal and tax benefits as well. In addition, there are four different ways to register your business, depending on your specific needs.
2. Apply for your federal and state tax ID numbers
After officially registering your business name, your next step is to apply for a federal tax ID or Employer Identification Number .
Your federal tax ID works similarly to your social security number. The former is used for business purposes, such as applying for business licenses and permits and paying taxes.
3. Request for your DUNS Number
The requirements needed to get your DUNS number are pretty simple. You only need to prepare the necessary information about your business, such as:
Top 10 Boeing Government Contracts In 2022
The Boeing Company is the worlds largest aerospace manufacturer developing airliners, integrated defense systems, and security and space systems. Recording a 7% growth to reach $62.3 billion in annual revenue as of 2021, the company ranks 60th in the Fortune 500 companies. Here are the top Boeing government contracts for the U.S. federal government in 2022.
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Look Into Opportunities For Subcontracting
Subcontractors are helpful for any huge and small business administration. Subcontractors provide resources if a business needs additional expertise.
Having a solid reputation, consistent work history, and contacts that can lead to new chances are advantages of working with contractors who have already established themselves in government employment.
Additionally, working with an established firm can teach you about government contracting and give you insider information that can help you secure your federal contracts in the future.
Hiring subcontractors for your specified short-term projects may also increase your companys productivity and efficiency.
Subcontract To Get Rolling
There are exactly two ways to make money in the Federal Government contracting industry.
First, you can either directly support the government on a prime contract. Second, and easiest government contract to win, you can have a subcontract under the prime contract holder.
Winning Prime Contracts to Gain Market Penetration
To win a prime contract, you write a proposal that fully commits your company to perform exactly in accordance with contract requirements. Therefore, your company is 100% responsible and accountable to your government customer to comply with all contract terms. This is a daunting task with some risk should you not have any experience in this industry.
Unless you already have experience in the Federal Government contracting industry, then focusing on immediately winning prime contracts is not your best strategy for market penetration, obtaining your first contract and therefore, not your easiest government contract to win.
Becoming a Sub Contractor to Avoid Market Penetration
When trying to obtain a subcontract there are two distinct phases:
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Boeing: Safety Quality And Integrity
Boeing government contracts are built and maintained according to the companys core values of safety, quality, and integrity. The company has worked with federal, national, and local governments for more than a century, giving the trust and confidence to deliver innovative software, programs, systems, and services.
Sba Government Contracting Classroom
Do you want to develop a more in-depth understanding of government contracting before diving into the federal marketplace? The SBA Government Contracting Classroom is a wonderful online course series that thoroughly explains what you need to know about government contracts for small business. These courses are a great resource to learn more about the specific forms and processes involved in registering for, finding, and winning government contracts for small businesses.
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Are You Qualified For A Small Business Set
The SBA considers different factors to determine whether your business can be regarded as a small business. These factors vary depending on your industry, but usually, your business size is the crucial factor.
To determine whether your business is qualified for a small business certification, you can use this Size Standards Tool by SBA. To use this tool, input your NAICS codes and state your number of employees working for you full-time and part-time.
Furthermore, the SBA also has different contracting assistance programs to help small businesses in certain socio-economic classes.
What are SBAs government contracting assistance programs?
The government recognizes that not all small business leaders have equal opportunities. And that is why government agencies give preferential consideration in evaluating bids of small disadvantaged businesses that qualify for SBAs small business programs.
So to ensure that your small business has access to every opportunity available, here are some of the government contracting assistance programs you should be aware of:
Women-owned small business
For industries where women-owned small businesses are discriminated, the government sets aside specific contracts. Furthermore, the federal administration tightened the restrictions on some contracts to give economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses better chances of winning federal contracts.
Small disadvantaged business
Highlights Of The Top 20 Federal Contracting Opportunities For Fy2023
- These 20 opportunities are estimated to be worth as much as $278.4 billion in total contract value over their lifetimes.
- The top 20 consist primarily of multiple award contracts, and several consolidate multiple incumbent vehicles.
- Most opportunities fall in the IT, professional services, and R& D markets. Solicitations for large weapons programs and construction are generally excluded.
- All listed opportunities in are in the pre-RFP stage.
- Programs in the earliest planning stages include: GSAs Alliant 3, GSAs OASIS+, NASAs SEWP VI.
- Currently in-play portions of multiple solicitations, staggered over a period of months and years, in the same program or program area described here include: GSAs OASIS+ and NOAAs Protech 2.0 Fisheries Domain.
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Who Are The Biggest Government Contracting Companies
The federal government of the United States of America is the worlds greatest and largest consumer of goods and services. This idea gave birth to the federal procurement data system which is usually scrambled out by different organizations. The federal government is not just one buyer, it is a collection of thousands of buyers that purchases everything from paperclips, bolts and nuts, and even aircraft carriers.
With so many needs, the government agencies order in bulk or at once. Most of the time, these consumers are aware that they need a certain product or service, but they are unsure of the quantity or how frequently they need it. This idea creates a unique feature in government contracts that is not present in private companies. In this read, we have listed the top 10 largest government contractors you need to know in the United States and the product or services they offer.
Swot Analysis Of A Government Contracting Business
Before you dive into the world of government contracting, you must understand your strengths and weaknesses. A SWOT analysis is a great way to do this. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This kind of analysis can help you identify what resources and skills you have access to that could give you an advantage when competing for contracts. It can also show areas where you may be vulnerable or exposed due to a lack of knowledge or experience.
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Build Relationships And Leverage Existing Prime Contractors
Many contractors with current awards through these opportunities are looking for subcontractors or partners to deliver top-notch products and services to the federal government and help them stay ahead of the competition. By using this list of top 20 opportunities to track where the federal government is spending money and its potential value, you can target the primes on a specific contract to start building relationships now so you can take advantage of these opportunities in the future.
Reference Shelf
Perform Regular Background Checks On Your Employees
Federal agencies, especially those involved in securing the countrys defenses at all fronts, are very particular to the government contractors they hire. Since every project is under public scrutiny, the government ensures that the companies and organizations they work with abide by the law and possess no criminal records.
To boost your companys federal contract winning rate, ensure that your firm is properly registered, has complete documentation, and has no past or pending criminal records.
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The Top 20 Federal Contracting Opportunities For Fy2023
| Rank | ||
|---|---|---|
| Operations and Science Support to the US Antarctic Program | NSF | $2.5 |
*Dollar amounts are BGOV estimates based on the value of incumbent contracts and prior analysis. GSA is seeking no maximum contract ceiling for the OASIS+ GWAC.**Protech 2.0 Fisheries Domain shares an $8 billion ceiling with three other Protech domains: Satellites Oceans and Weather.
Bloomberg Government analysts will continue to track all 20 programs throughout the year and update this list quarterly.
How To Become A Government Contractor
There are hundreds of contracting companies in the United States, most of them involve defense systems, research, and technology. In this article, we listed down the biggest and the most popular companies that work consistently with the federal government. The process of being a government contracting company may differ depending on what state the company is located in. Each country has different processes and procedures to become a registered government contractor.
To give you a synopsis, you need to:
- Establish a business
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Types Of Government Contracts For Small Business
Businesses of all sizes and types are eligible to bid for government contracts through United States federal agencies and through municipal and state governments. These contracts are made in the form of goods and services and for research and technical assistance. If you’re successful in acquiring a government contract, it can help supplement your business’ revenue, increase your reputation in the industry and you in the running for future contract opportunities.
Federal Government Contracting: Where Do I Start
Many small business owners look towards the new year with goals of working with the federal government. Many want to take advantage of certifications to make them, in their minds, more appealing to get a contract.
While that may be true, let me start by saying that a company will not get a contract because of a certification alone. There are several other reasons that a company will be selected, with one of them being relationships.
I recently had the opportunity to coach a client as to the best approach to get started.
In every scenario of doing business with the government, just like any business transaction, it starts with a relationship. And that relationship is more likely to flourish if the vendor does as much research as possible before making contact.
In order to make your company stand out from the other 95 percent of companies who are contacting everyone in the government to buy their product/service with no focused message or agency knowledge I encourage clients to research past agency buying, how the agency buys , who the agencys top customers are, and what is projected for the agency to purchase in the upcoming year.
So, next action is, to whom should I direct my questions within a targeted agency that I have researched? In every federal agency there are small business officers. This is a starting point. You could also reach out to contracting officers or other points of contact that your research reveals.
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Know Your Naics Codes
When contracting officers scout for potential government contractors, your NAICS Code helps them identify which industry your company belongs to.
To obtain your NAICS Code, you have to visit their website and select which among the listed codes best identifies your business. If your company offers a varied selection of products and services, you can have more than one NAICS code.
What Are The Easiest Government Contracts To Win
The best way to determine the likelihood of winning is to look at your companys past performance. If you dont have relevant past performance, teaming up with other companies can be effective.
Make sure your team is comprised of companies that have a strong track record of success in similar contracts, as well as companies that have won contracts in the location and agency youre targeting.
The GSA Schedule contract is the easiest government contract to win because its a long-standing contract with commercial industries providing the government access to millions of commercial services and products at affordable prices.
Aside from the GSA, there is no definite answer to what is the easiest government contract a small business can get. However, certain industries have more opportunities than others. Some of these include:
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Seek A Subcontracting Opportunity
While the SAM.gov database handles direct contracts with government agenciesâknown in government terms as prime contractsâthere is another form of government contracts for small businesses to explore: subcontracting.
As the name suggests, subcontracting opportunities involve negotiating contracts with current government contractors to complete a portion of the work designated by the prime contractors. In other words, subcontractors are the vendorâs vendor. Subcontracting on government contracts can be both a lucrative business opportunity and a chance to learn more about government contracting before attempting to bid on prime contracts directly with the U.S. government.
Similar to SAM.gov, the SBA maintains a searchable database called SUB-Net that highlights available subcontracting opportunities. If youâre just getting started with government contracting or would like a layer of experience between government agency clientele and your own business, searching SUB-Net for subcontracting opportunities is a great starting point.
Supply Support For 228 Mv
- Federal agency: U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force
- Contract type: Performance-based logistics contract
- Value: $1.64 billion
- Contract period: 4 years
The joint program of Boeing-Bell is responsible for the repair, replacement, required availability, configuration management, and inventory management of the Marine Corpss 228 MV-22B, Navys CMV-22, and Air Forces CV-22 Osprey. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support is the contracting activity for the contract.
The work for the contract is performed at Fort Worth, Texas up to 97% completion. The remaining 3% is conducted in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. The Boeing-Bell joint venture is awarded a $246.6 million initial delivery order and an additional $82.2 million for its work through December 2022.
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Is Government Contracting Worth It For Small Businesses
Yes!
With the support of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the official government organization for small enterprises, the government encourages small business entrepreneurs to work as contractors. They promote and protect the rights of every American small business by implementing policies and regulations, such as mandating that the federal agencies allocate around 20% of their total spending budget for government contracts to small business leaders.
Furthermore, the United States government is looking into further leveling the playing field so small businesses. In President Bidens recent statement, the federal government will implement various reforms to the existing policies, such as encouraging the federal agencies to increase their goals by 11% to create more opportunities for small business government contractors.
Give Yourself Plenty Of Lead Time To Develop Your Proposal
A lot of the most successful contractors are the ones who get as far left of the RFP as possiblemeaning building in as much lead time as they can before an RFP is due, sometimes even 1-4 years outso they can be strategic from the outset. Bloomberg Government provides estimated RFP and contract award dates for each of the top 20 opportunities in our Dashboard to support successful account planning for each fiscal year and quarter.
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Gsa Multiple Award Schedule Program
Aside from set-aside contracts, the Multiple Award Schedule Program of the U.S. General Services Administration is an excellent avenue for small business leaders to start selling to the federal government. This program, also known as the Schedule, is a long-term government-wide contract that connects government buyers to federal contractors.
The General Services Administration acts as a middleman where a contracting officer can access over 11 million discounted commercial goods and services offered by countless government contractors.
