How The Tender Process Works
There are 3 common contracting procedures which are explained in this section.
Open procedure
- anyone can submit a tender
- you are not permitted to negotiate with bidders
There are no restrictions on when this procedure can be used, but there is a requirement to evaluate all tenders received. It is often used for straightforward procurements.
Restricted procedure
This procedure means that:
- interested parties can submit an expression of interest.
- a minimum of five suppliers must be invited to tender and these are sufficient to ensure genuine competition
- no negotiation with bidders is permitted, just clarification of bids and finalisation of terms
There are no restrictions on when this procedure can be used. This procedure is often more suited to less stable markets with lots of competition.
Competitive dialogue
This procedure means that:
- the relevant department may then open negotiations with the tenderers to seek improved offers
This procedure may be used to procure contracts for works, supplies or services where one of the following may apply:
Where Can You View Federal Business Opportunities
Still cant find the perfect government contracts to bid on to? Well, we got you covered!
Different government agencies publish federal contracting opportunities on their respective websites, so scout for the best government agencies that request your expertise. Additionally, an online Contracting Opportunities Forecast Tool is also available where upcoming contracts are posted in advance so that you can plan your winning business strategy ahead of time.
If you want to broaden your scope in your search for government contracts, there are also numerous online platforms that government agencies use to find contractors for their projects. Here are some of the most useful websites you should keep tabs on:
Top Tips To Help Small Organisations Win Government Contracts
A series of videos to help SMEs and voluntary organisations pitch for and win government contracts have been released.
- From:
- 17 May 2013
This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government
We want suppliers of all sizes to be able to compete for and win government business and we have reduced many of the barriers and bureaucracy in public sector procurement.
But we know that bidding for government contracts can seem overwhelming government is after all, a highly desirable client, one that pays on time and requires a large number of services, so we understandably expect highly competitive bids and the highest standards in those we receive.
To find out about public sector contracts worth over £10,000, visit Contracts Finder.
Practical advice and guidance is a useful resource, so we have put together some videos to help suppliers, particularly SMEs, prepare winning bids for government contracts.
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Simple Tips To Win And Keep Government Contracts
The truth behind many contracting issues happening today is the lurking topic of who is or is not winning government contracts. Industry success or failure is directly dependent upon management and its ability to understand and meet contract scope – the needs and requirements.
How critical are tips and tools within a company to help win and keep government contacts? They’re more important than ever in an era of increased competition with fewer opportunities. Consulting firms can provide support, but here are the 5 simple tips to help you win and keep your government contracts:
Kristen And Michael Nevils Mr Crafts
For Kristen and Michael Nevils, entrepreneurial inspiration came on the coattails of Hurricane Wilma, which ripped across southern Florida in 2005. “, they tell you to fill a bathtub with water,” said Kristen. “But it’s too easy for a bug or pet to get into that open water container.”
Michael, an Army veteran-turned-inventor, dreamed up a portable container, one that could hold 65 gallons of potable water and be hand-pumped to siphon water for cooking, brushing teeth or flushing the toilet. He hammered out a workable design, and the two launched M.R. Crafts in Davie, Florida.
It took about a year of peddling before the container caught the attention of the American Red Cross, the state of Florida and eventually Grainger, the multibillion-dollar supplier of maintenance, repair and operating products.
M.R.’s turning point came when Grainger alerted the firm to a $10,000 opportunity to work with the U.S. Postal Service, which was looking for a manufacturer to make 10,000 tote bags to promote a national recycling campaign. “They gave us requirements for the size, logo, materials and all the specs,” said Nevils, whose company eventually won the contract after a month of going back and forth with the government.
The company also has a contract with the U.S. Army to supply chemicals for water treatment at the Aberdeen, Maryland, base, the Aberdeen Proving Ground. It is a small contract, but was made easier to win with its veterans’ certification.
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Apply For Your Federal Tax Id Number
Your Federal Tax ID number functions similarly to your Social Security Number. Without your Federal Tax ID, your company will be unable to apply for business licenses and permits, nor even legally open a bank account to which your payments as a federal government contractor will be wired. You can easily apply for your tax ID here.
How To Win State And Local Government Contracts
A strategic focus is required to win state and local government contracts. SLED government agencies spend more than a trillion dollars every year, spread out across 50 states and a huge number of cities, counties and other districts, so the opportunity is immense but so is the challenge.
To succeed, state and local government contractors must be able to identify target buyers that are a good fit for the solutions that their organization provides, either by sifting through huge numbers of potential contracting opportunities and managing rules and processes that are unique to each government entity, or leaning on tools designed to support businesses who dont already have the institutional knowledge and processes in place in place. Those businesses who focus on mastering the ins-and outs of doing business in SLED, and scaling their approach as they grow, will put themselves in a better position to submit winning proposals on the state and local government contracts that best fit their core competencies.
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Take Your Business To The Next Level
You can win government contracts and turn your small business into a revenue machine. With proper research and planning, you can tailor your bid to meet the needs of the specific agency you want to work with and grow your brand.
Weve got a ton of useful tools and tips to help you take your business to the next level. Check out our blog for other suggestions and contact us with all your questions and ideas.
How To Get Your First Federal Contract
Before you can bid on federal contracts, you must complete your System for Award Management Registration. Only businesses that have completed their registration can submit bids and receive federal contracts.
Completed your SAM Registration? Then its time to start submitting bids for federal contracts. While landing your first government contract can seem like a daunting, and sometimes impossible, task, we can help. We present below the information you need to confirm youre ready to submit bids find information about procurement opportunities reach out to and talk with procurement officers and actually submit a bid.
If you have questions, please feel free to call us at 877-252-2700.
Before you bid, do your homework
There are federal contracts available for anything, from coffee cups and towels to disaster-relief efforts, airplane parts, and office space. And the federal government is set up to make it easy for small businesses to compete with large businesses . Minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses often have the advantage, because the federal government each year earmarks a percentage of their planned contract awards to these types of small businesses.
Before you can bid on government contracts, you need to know where to find information about available contracts and also how to confirm that youre qualified to bid on the contract. You can find information about available government contracts online. We update this list of available opportunities every day.
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The Small Business Guide To Government Contracting: Part One
The U.S. federal government is the worlds largest buyer. Every year, it spends billions of dollars on products and services covering thousands of categories ranging from fighter jets and garden supplies to IT services and logistics support.
With that much money being spent on just about every industry imaginable, it might seem like doing business with the government is the easy road to success. This assumption is not often the case, however. Contracting with the government is considerably different than doing business with the commercial sector. The federal marketplace is unique and complicated. In this article, we go back to the basicsbreaking down the complexity of the federal procurement process for those who might be new to government contracting . This is an introductory article to a six-part series. Future posts will highlight the six Cs to successfully break-in, and stay-in, the world of GovCon including:
- Compete to Win
Free Guide To Getting Started In Government Contracting
In this blog post, we took a general overview of how you can get the best possible start in government contracting.
However, if you want to take it a step further, and get a more detailed, step-by-step guide for getting started, we have a FREE guide for you.
Most government contracting guides will give you just the basics such as filling out the paperwork and submitting bids.
USFCR’s Practical Guide to Getting Started in Government Contracting covers the basics, but also gives you actionable strategies for building a new and reliable source of revenue.
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The Secret To Winning Government Contracts Isn’t What You Think
Government contracts may be lucrative for big companies, but for many small businesses, they’re not. That’s because few small firms win them at all. Only 22.5% of federal contracts go to small businesses and a dismal 4% are awarded to firms owned by women, according to statistics from the U.S. Small Business Administration from 2012.
That doesn’t mean these deals are not worth going after. They can be very lucrative–or you wouldn’t see so many big companies going after them. For women entrepreneurs, winning such contracts is a well-tested way to create a high-growth business, according to research by American Express OPEN, which found that 42% of women-owned small business contractors generate annual revenue greater than $1 million.
What separates the small firms that win government contracts from the ones who don’t? Recently I had a chance to speak with Julie Weeks, president and CEO of Womenable, a research advisor to American Express OPEN. Here are some tips for would-be contractors that may help you if you’re hoping to land a big government agency for a client.
Diversify your clients. Among small businesses that are active federal contractors, 19% of revenue comes from federal government contracts, on average, while 14% comes from state and local contracts. One reason to vary your clients is it insulates you against cutbacks in any one agency.
How The Bid Is Evaluated: Evaluation Gates
Gate 1: administrative compliance
- does the bidder meet eligibility criteria to bid?
- is response completed in full?
- does bidder satisfy any grounds for exclusion?
- are required declarations signed?
Gate 2: economic and financial standing
Does the supplier have sufficient financial capacity, for example cash flow and working capital, in relation to the contract value and payment mode?
Gate 3: technical and price evaluation
How has the suppliers response scored, both in terms of quality score and pricing score?
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Enroll In The Simplified Acquisition Program
US Federal Contractor Registration agency releases the Simplified Acquisition Program to provide services, technology, and training to assist businesses in entering the federal contracting market. SAP Program is made to allow vendors to compete for contracts valued between 2,500 dollars to 150,000 dollars. Procurement officers award Simplified Acquisition contracts, which are reserved for small enterprises and do not require bids.
The best advantage of Simplified Acquisition Contracts is that a new vendor lessens the confusion to the contracting process and can be a great way to get started in gaining valuable past performance. With that being said, Simplified Acquisition Program can be the best way to get your first contract.
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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Are You A Hubzone Business
The Small Business Administration’sHUBZone Program is designed to promoteeconomic development and employmentgrowth in distressed areas by providingaccess to more federal contractingopportunities. HUBZone is defined as a”Historically Underutilized BusinessZone”. Certified small business firmswill have the opportunity to negotiatecontracts and to participate inrestricted competition limited toHUBZone firms. To determine if yourbusiness is located in a HUBZone, or toapply online, clickhere.
Contract Bidding: A Quick Guide
Projects can be recognized, procured and initiated in a variety of ways. Some are birthed in-house and stem from an opportunity the organization identified for itself, an opportunity that might be exploited for profit or other gains.
Other projects originate outside the company, where the project team is merely the facilitator for stakeholders who employ them for their expertise, experience and specialized tools. These types of projects are often won through a bidding process that involves various entities vying for the work.
Contract bidding can prove a lucrative track, but the bidding process can feel byzantine to those ignorant of its structure and process. Fortunately, like any project, it has a start and an end, and an understanding of the route between those two points starts by following these steps.
Win contracts and plan projects with ProjectManager.coms Gantt charts.Try it out today!
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How Small Businesses Can Compete For Government Contracts
When it comes to competing for government tenders, your small business may be better placed than you think. Because government authorities need to achieve the best value for money in their procurement, small businesses can often position themselves effectively against larger bodies for a variety of contracts.
Special Invoicing And Payment Terms
Invoicing and payment terms may differ from standard business contracts. Its common for government contracts to be monthly, net-60, which means you may not receive payment for 90 days. Any mistakes can lead to a delay in payment for several months.
There may also be special invoicing requirements. Government contracting requires you to keep track of your funding and notify the government when youve reached 75% of your funding. Failure to do so may carry a penalty. Its therefore important to read contracts very carefully to ensure that you understand your responsibilities as a contractor.
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Finally A Fast And Easy Way To Winning Government Contracts
WHAT IF THERE IS A FASTER WAY TO WINNING GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS?
The truth is, there is nothing fast about the government contracting market. On average, it takes 36 months for a business to lay a foundation in the government market. What if you had a “Fast Track” process to help you navigate through the government contracting maze so you can win government contracts? What if you could cut the average time from 36 months down to 12 or even 6 months?
That’s exactly what we’ve done here. We’ve invested over 10,000 hours of research and development to put together a software program that includes virtually everything you could imagine. We call it “GOV FAST TRACK”. What would have taken you years to discover and learn is now available in a simple and easy to use platform. Now you can win government contracts the fast way.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDANCE
Organized into 12 Steps to guide you through the whole contracting process.
CHECKLIST OF TASKS
Learn, track, and mark off each tasks as you complete them.
TOOLS/TEMPLATES/GUIDES
From training and template resources to registration and proposal guidance.
CLOUD BASE
Easily access the Gov Fast Track software from any device, any where and any time.
WORKS ON
