For those hoping to become FEMA contractors, the good news is that there are plenty of jobs available. The bad news is that it can be very confusing getting started with government contractor, but we can help. Here is a list of tips that will make it easier to start bidding on government contracts.
1. Get Your DUNS
If you’ve never dealt with government entities before, new FEMA contractors should prepare themselves for the onslaught of acronyms heading your way, the first of which is DUNS. This stands for Data Universal Numbering System. This 9-digit number is a unique identifier for your business and you will need a separate number for each physical location of your business.
Fortunately, you can get your DUNS for free on the Dun & Bradstreet website and it takes just a few minutes to fill out the online forms. You will need to provide the legal name of your businesses, the headquarters name and address, any DBAs, the physical address, mailing address (if different, such as a PO Box), your telephone number, the main contact name and title, the number of employees at that specific business site and tell whether or not you are a home-based business. Once you’ve finished the process, it can up to 30 days to receive your number, although this can be expedited so that you receive it in 5 business days and perhaps sooner.
2. Get Your Notarized Letter
After you’ve secured your DUNS, the next step for FEMA contractors is to head to the Federal Service Desk website (FSD.gov) and search for instructions for the notarized letter that is now required in order to become a government contractor. This requirement is fairly new, and the government will provide you with a letter template and basically this identifies the Entity Administrator for your business. This is the person authorized to make changes to your System for Award Management account. Once this letter is filled out and notarized, send it to the address listed in the instructions.
3. Complete Your System For Award Management Registration
Now it’s time to sign up with the System for Award Management. For many potential FEMA contractors, this is one of the most difficult parts of the process. You can sign up for free at SAM.gov, but keep in mind that this is a very complicated process that can take as many as 15 to 20 hours to complete. At Federal Contractor Registry, we can take care of SAM registration for you. Over the years, we handled hundreds of SAM registrations for everything from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. Using our service is a bit like using an accountant to handle your taxes, but rather than handling IRS-related tasks, we spare you the hassle of dealing with the complexities of the SAM system.
4. Learn How To Bid On Contracts
Learning how to write a bid is an essential skills for would-be FEMA contractors. The U.S. Small Business Administration has some helpful guides on their website, and there are many other resources available online whether you have a small business or not. You also can head to FBO.gov, to find government contracting opportunities and you can even get a look at contracting bids that were successful and see what successful contractors are doing when they send out contracting proposals.
Also, don’t forget to consider the world of subcontracting. Rather than taking on a large contracting job, you also can subcontract and help out another government contractor. This can be a great way for FEMA contactors to get started, and the main contractor will, no doubt, be a helpful source of general contracting advice.
5. Rejected? Ask For A Follow Up
If you bid on a job, but are rejected by a government agency, it can be helpful to understand why. Sometimes, it’s a matter of cost or perhaps you don’t quite possess the needed skills, but sometimes your bid might not be quite up to par. Asking questions and learning what kept you from getting a job can be helpful information allowing you to improve your bidding process and, ultimately, enjoy some government contracting success.
6. Renew & Renew Early
Whether or not you actually bid and receive any government contracts during your first year after SAM registration, FEMA contractors do need to renew their registration every year. It is absolutely essential that you begin the renewal process several months before your registration expires.
For one thing, it takes time to complete the renewal process and time to get approved. And, if a government entity notices that you are close to the expiration date, they often will skip over your company because they will be worried that your SAM registration may expire in the middle of a contracting job, which means they are left high and dry without a contractor. We recommend renewing about three months early (or earlier) and we can help you with the renewal process as well as your initial registration.