If you want to bid on government contracting jobs, you have to find out what’s available. In the past, the government website FedBizOpps.gov or FBO.gov was the place to go. However, this has changed and FedBizOpps no longer exists and BetaSAM or rather Beta.SAM.gov is the place to go.
Several years ago, the government created a huge database that includes information about every government contractor. This is called the System for Award Management or SAM. In order to do business with the federal government, a company or person must first complete their SAM registration, but we’ll talk more about that in a minute. First, let’s focus on BetaSam.
When you head to Beta.SAM.gov, you can begin to search for government contracts in a few different ways. Right at the top of the page, you will see a search bar that says “I’m looking for . . .” You can go to the tab that says, “All Award Data,” and click on the drop-down menu and select “Contract Opportunities,” and this will take you to the search page.
Additionally, if you are on the homepage of BetaSAM, you can just scroll down a little bit and you will find a Contracting section. Under this, you will see Contract Opportunities (FBO) and beneath that, you can either click on “Learn About Contract Opportunities,” or if you want to go directly to the search engine, simply click on “Search Contract Opportunities.”
How To Use Beta.SAM.gov
Once you reach the search engine, you have several search options to consider. You search using the following criteria:
• Keyword
• Inactive Date
• Published Date
• Updated Date
• Response/Date Offers Due
• Federal Organizations
• Type of Notice
• Entity Name/DUNS
• NAICS
• PSC
• Set Aside
• Place of Performance Location
Let’s take a quick look at each of these options. It is important to note, though, you can search using multiple parameters, which often is your best option.
Keyword
The keyword option is just what it sounds like. You search using keywords that might describe the type of contract you want or the type of service you provide. For instance, if you want to help with disaster relief, you might use the keyword “disaster.” If you want to offer janitorial services or products, you might use the keyword “janitorial.” While this can yield solid results, it’s not always the best way to find a match for your company’s goods and services.
Dates
You can search by Inactive Date, which is when the contract becomes or became inactive. The Published Date, which means the date the government agency published the contract, or by Updated Date, as sometimes agencies will change a contract end date or start date. You also can search by Response/Date Offers Due, which basically means when the due date for your bid. While you can search using dates, it’s usually not the best option unless you mix it with other parameters.
Federal Organizations
If you want to work with a specific federal agency or office, you can search using this parameter. For instance, if you want to bid on FEMA disaster relief jobs, you could search this agency by typing Federal Emergency Management Agency into the search box. Typing the acronym FEMA will not work.
Likewise, if you want to work with the Department of Defense, typing DOD will not work. You will need to type the word Defense. For NASA, you cannot type in NASA, you need to type in National Aeronautics, and then you will see it pop up. This can be confusing, but just try out a few combinations until you figure out how the agency or office is listed.
Type of Notice
For those new to government contracting, this can be a confusing section, as it includes a variety of options that you might not yet understand. This includes Special Notice, Presolicitation, Solicitation, Intent to Bundle Requirements, Award Notice and several others. Until you learn more about the many facets of government contracting, you might keep this search option on the backburner, but it can be a good source for terms every government contractor needs to know.
Entity Name/DUNS
This is actually a way to search for companies that are listed in the System for Award Management rather than a way to search for contracts. However, you could do some research on another contractor using this search which works by typing in the DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) ID number.
Of course, you would need to know the DUNS number for the company in question, which can be tricky to find. Usually, this is a search for procurement agents at various federal agencies to use to look up information about a potential contractor.
Service Classifications
This includes NAICS, PSCs and Set Aside searches. NAICS stands for North American Industry Classification System. The NAICS codes identify the specific goods and services your company provides. There are 20 different sectors for these codes, including construction, retail trade, health care and more. Within each sector are areas of specialization.
For instance, if you sell wholesale plumbing and heating equipment and supplies, you will have a code of 42372. The 42 is for the Wholesale Sector, and the remaining numbers indicate what you can provide for the government. To find your codes, you can go to https://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/2017NAICS/2017_NAICS_Manual.pdf. Or we can find them for you if we complete your SAM registration, which we will explain further down in this article.
PSCs, or Product Service Codes, are much like NAICS codes as they describe the types of products or services you can provide to the government. You can find more information about these codes at https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual. However, we also can determine these for you if we complete your SAM registration.
Set Asides are another search option. These come from the Small Business Administration. The government “sets aside” a portion of its contracting budget specifically for small businesses. In addition to qualifying as a general small business, there are several “set aside” categories, such as Woman-Owned Small Business or Veteran-Owned Small Business. These are just of the categories, and you can learn more about these set asides at SBA.gov.
When you are in BetaSAM, searching using NAICS codes, PSCs and Set Asides can be a great way to find government contacting jobs. With NAICS codes and PSCs, you know you are finding matches for your specific goods or services. You also can use multiple parameters, such as searching by NAICS codes and Set Aside.
Place Of Performance Location
This is just what it sounds like. You enter a zip code and if there are any results in that area, they will pop up. If you use this search, we recommend that you enter multiple zip codes in your area, as just one specific zip code is unlikely to produce a myriad of results.
Of course, finding opportunities at Beta.SAM.gov is just one part of the process of government contracting. You have several requirements to fulfill before you can even bid on these government contracts. You will need to complete your SAM registration and send in a notarized letter to the government identifying your company’s Entity Administrator, which is the person allowed to make changes to your SAM account.
SAM Registration Instructions
In order to become a government contractor, you must complete SAM registration, gain approval and receive a CAGE code, which is your unique identifier in SAM. You can register with SAM for free at SAM.gov, but many people opt to hire a third-party service, such as Federal Contractor Registry, to complete this process.
SAM registration is not a fast or easy process. It can take 10 or more hours to complete and is filled with complicated and confusing government jargon. Many people become frustrated with the registration process and give up on government contracting, which is a shame because can provide a great source of income and help you expand your business.
At Federal Contractor Registry, we complete hundreds of SAM registrations and SAM renewals every year for all types and sizes of companies. We can complete your registration quickly and accurately so that you can gain approval as quickly as possible. We compare ourselves to accountants. While you can complete your tax forms on your own, the tax code is very confusing, and it’s often simply easier to just hand over this task to a professional.
As we complete your SAM registration, one task that you will need to handle is sending in your notarized letter to the Federal Service Desk, which is the federal office that is in charge of SAM and other government systems. You can find instructions for this notarized letter at FSD.gov.
If you head to the homepage, go to the top where it says, “Top Help Topics.” Under the SAM section, click on “Tips for notarized letter.” This leads you to a question about notarized letters. Under the answer, it states “Use one of the templates provided in the FAQs.” If you click on the word “templates” this links to three templates. Typically, most registrants will just need to click on Template 1 and follow the instructions exactly.
Government contracting can be lucrative for many businesses. The government needs virtually every good or service imaginable. Before you give us a call to handle SAM registration, browse through some of your opportunities at Beta.SAM.gov to see what’s available for your type of business. If you see several potential contracting jobs, this indicates that you probably will be a good match for government contracting. So, give us a call, and we will get started with your SAM registration.