Whenever the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is called in to help after a disaster, government contractors are enlisted to provide support. These disaster relief jobs can be a lucrative option for many types of companies, and the following tasks are generally always needed. If your company can provide these goods or services, you can complete your SAM registration and bid on disaster relief contracts.
1. Water Restoration Services
If you own a company that can help with water restoration or mold remediation services, these often are needed by FEMA as well as other government agencies. Disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding and even the recent deep freeze in Texas all can cause issues with water and mold. The government might need a company to quickly come in and remove water damage to a government-owned facility. In some cases, the government might need related services such as hazardous waste collection or even bioremediation services.
2. Sanitation-Related Services
Whether you can provide portable toilets or portable hand-wash stations or even items such as hand sanitizer or toilet paper, these are often needed at the scene of many disasters. The government also might need these items at vaccination sites or other temporary locations. Custodial services, in general, also often are needed as part of disaster relief.
In some cases, if you can provide these items, it’s smart to complete SAM registration and bid on disaster relief contracts, but also look into GSA contracts, which are officially known as GSA Schedules. The General Services Administration, or GSA, enlists the help of private companies to provide all sorts of products and services for federal government agencies. GSA Schedules are lists of private companies that are approved to provide these goods and services. It takes time to get on a GSA Schedule, but it can be a good option, as it will help you bypass the contracting process.
For instance, if you can provide hand soap consistently for the government, an agency can look at GSA Schedules and see that you are an approved provider. This means that their procurement agents don’t have to create a full proposal to find these items, they can choose from companies already approved as vendors. State governments also can buy from GSA Schedules and even some contractors, so this definitely can be a lucrative option.
3. Medical Supplies
Whenever there is a disaster, medical supplies are always needed. FEMA tends to keep some level of supplies on hand, and they get all of these supplies from government contractors. If you can provide items such as syringes, bandages, alcohol wipes, gloves, masks or anything else that might be needed by medical personnel during a disaster, this might be a contracting job to consider. Of course, many agencies need medical supplies throughout the year, so be sure to look beyond FEMA contractor jobs.
4. Language Services
When you think about disaster relief jobs, language services might not immediately spring to mind, but it’s always a possibility that the services of interpreters will be needed in a disaster situation. Whether you are fluent in Spanish, American Sign Language, Mandarin, Farsi or something else, this might be needed during a disaster. There also is a GSA Schedule for language services, so keep that in mind if you provide translation services or interpreter services.
5. Repair Services
When disasters strike, repairs are needed and that could mean just about any type of repair. Whether your company provides plumbing services, electrician services, automotive repair, drywall repair, HVAC repair or any other type of repair services, these may be needed for disaster relief. Of course, the government also needs these services even when no disaster is present, so if you can provide repair services of just about any kind, there are usually government contractor jobs available.
6. Security Services
Security services are needed by many government agencies, and not just as disaster relief jobs, although FEMA often requests security firms to bid on government contracting jobs. If your company provides security guards or even items such as security fencing or alarm systems and cameras, there may be contacting opportunities available for you from time to time.
7. Debris Removal
This type of service is an obvious match to disaster relief jobs, as natural disasters tend to leave a plethora of debris behind. If you can provide these types of services, FEMA and other government agencies will need your assistance after many disasters. In general, if you can provide any type of waste removal, there are always jobs available, although there are several different categories of waste removal recognized by the federal government.
Even if you don’t see your type of business here, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any disaster relief jobs available within your industry. Keep in mind, that disaster relief is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to government contracting. There are hundreds of government agencies, and they need everything from baked goods to computer repair to landscape maintenance. To see if your company’s goods and services are a match for any contracting jobs, head to Beta.SAM.gov and browse through the contracting opportunities. Chances are you will find several matches, even if they aren’t with FEMA.
Get Started With SAM Registration
Before you can bid on any disaster relief jobs or become part of a GSA schedule, you will need to complete your SAM registration. SAM stands for System for Award Management and this is the federal database that includes all government contractors. While the government does not charge a fee for SAM registration, many people opt to hire a third-party registration service for this process, such as Federal Contractor Registry.
We handle hundreds of SAM registration and SAM renewals throughout the year, and we can complete your SAM application quickly and accurately. The SAM registration process can be time-consuming (10 hours or more) and extremely frustrating. It’s full of complicated government-speak and many people give up on government contracting because the SAM registration process is too complicated.
However, hiring a third-party, such as our company, can relieve you of this frustration and you will be eligible to bid on disaster relief jobs and other types of government contractor jobs in no time at all. If you are interested in becoming a government contractor and would like us to handle your SAM registration, give us a call at (800) 985-7658 or just click on the green New Registration tab on our homepage.