Category: System for Award Management

When you think about contracting and government agencies, the Department of Defense or FEMA might pop first into your head, but the General Services Administration (GSA) is a huge agency that needs plenty of outside help. Those GSA contracts can be very profitable, so take a look at some of our tips to help you get started with the GSA.

1. Complete Your SAM Registration
This is actually the first step for anyone that wants to do business with any government agency. Whether you want to win DOD contracts, NASA contracts, GSA contracts or contracts with another agency, you can’t bid until you complete System for Award Management (SAM) registration.

Once you’ve completed your SAM registration correctly, and been approved, you can start to bid. It might interest you to know that the GSA is the agency that is responsible for the SAM database, but that isn’t all that they do.

For a basic definition, the GSA provides two main services. Under the Public Buildings Service, they maintain and acquire offices and buildings for other federal agencies. For instance, the GSA is in charge of managing the Pentagon, as well as hundreds of other government buildings. This service also maintains the federal government’s vehicle motor pool, which includes more than 200,000 vehicles.

Under the Federal Acquisition Service, the GSA is responsible for procurement of goods and services for other government agencies as well as for the buildings and vehicles they maintain. This is where those GSA contracts come into play and after you’ve completed SAM registration, you can start looking at what’s available.

2. Determine If You Qualify For GSA Contracts
In order to qualify for GSA contracts, you have to meet certain qualifications. For instance, your company must have been in business for at least two years and you must have earned revenue of at least $25,000 per year.

You also need to read job postings carefully to ensure that your company and its representatives possess the experience and skills necessary in order to bid on any given job. The good news is that there are jobs out there for just about any type of business. Obviously, there are construction-related jobs aplenty, but there are contractors needed to provide packing supplies, furniture, janitorial supplies, language services, computer repairs and much, much more.

3. Get SBA-Certified
Does your business qualify as a small business? If so, we highly recommend you take advantage of that fact and register with the Small Business Administration. The government sets aside a portion of its yearly contracting budget just for small businesses, and if your business qualifies this can make it easier to win bids.

In addition to simply being designated as a small business in general, there are other special “set-aside” codes for which you might qualify. For instance, if your business is 51% woman-owned or 51% veteran-owned, these are two special set-asides.

If your business is located in a HUBZone, this also might qualify you for the HUBZone set asides. A HUBZone is an area that is considered to be “historically underutilized,” and therefore the government wants to boost businesses in these areas. These are just three of several set-asides, and you can go to SBA.gov to learn more.

4. Learn About GSA Schedules
In basic terms, with the GSA you can earn a long-term government contract that allows you to sell to government agencies or provide services to government agencies. There are advantages to these contracts both for the contractor as well as government agencies.

If you have acquired one of these contracts, it’s a long-term contract and potentially a long-term source of income. For government agencies, using GSA contractors can be an easy way to acquire goods and services at fair and reasonable pricing.

You’ll hear a lot about GSA schedules, but what does this really mean? GSA Schedules are basically the categories where you can apply to earn these long-term GSA contracts. Currently, there are 24 GSA schedules or categories, but that is actually about to change.

In the past, if a company wanted a GSA contract, they might have to apply within multiple schedules because they might have qualified for multiple schedules. There are 24 schedules in all, and your company might have been able to offer services under the Human Capital schedule as well as Professional Services or Office Management schedules. So, you might want to apply in all three schedules to increase your chances of success and profit.

In the next few months, however, the GSA will be doing away with the 24 Schedules and merging it all into one schedule. This means that you only need to apply for one schedule instead of potentially multiple schedules. While there’s bound to be some issues when this change occurs, ultimately it seems like this will make contracting easier for commercial entities.

5. Stay Patient
When it comes to government contracting, earning those GSA contracts can be the one of the slowest processes you’ll encounter. With the government, everything takes more time than it does with a private company simply because there are many more rules and regulations that have to be followed.

If you think about it, this does kind of make sense. After all, when a government is offering a contract, they are going to pay the contractor using tax dollars collected from U.S. citizens. The government should be cautious and rule-abiding when spending taxpayer dollars, in theory, and this is definitely one reason why it takes time to win any government contract.

However, getting into a GSA schedule can take much longer than the average government contract. In order to get “on-schedule,” you can expect to wait about six months and perhaps even longer. Once you are on schedule, it can still take more than three months to earn an award or job.

While this seems very time consuming, once you get on that schedule, it can be worth the wait. GSA contracts are five years in length, so while it takes time, you’ll be able to earn awards for five years. Additionally, there are extension options that might be available for up to 20 years, so it truly can be worth your time and patience.

Of course, if you want to bid on GSA contracts, you have to get started with your SAM registration, and we can help. We are a third-party SAM registration service, and we can save you a ton of time and the hassle of SAM registration, which can take 10-15 hours to complete and it’s quite confusing.

We’ll get your registered with SAM quickly, and you will soon be on your way to bidding on government contracts and starting the process of bidding on those long-term GSA contracts. To get started, just click the New Registration tab on our homepage.

It’s been said that the best things in life are free, but that doesn’t really seem to apply to SAM registration and renewal. While the government often stress that SAM registration is free, is it really?

On the one hand, the government doesn’t charge you to go to SAM.gov and sign up to become a government contractor. On the other hand, they also don’t tell you how long it can take to complete SAM registration or how frustrating it can be.

In fact, dealing with SAM registration & renewal can be so frustrating that many people, particularly those with smaller companies get frustrated with the whole process and simply give up. That’s a shame because there are tons of lucrative government contracts to be had and these can serve as a great way to build up your company.

If you don’t have the time or inclination to spend 10+ hours wading through the SAM application, it can make sense to hire an experienced third party to complete registrations and renewals for you.

As a third-party registration service, we handle SAM registrations & renewals for a wide range of companies, some are small and some are huge Fortune 500 firms. While some might wonder why we charge for our services, we actually aren’t much different from accountants.

Anyone can file their tax forms at no charge, but the tax codes are extremely complicated and frankly the way the government explains things isn’t always particularly clear. This is why so many people hire accountants to complete their taxes. Sure, they charge for their services, but they are tax experts that can ensure that your forms are filled out correctly.

It’s exactly the same with us. We are SAM experts, and we will ensure that your registration is completely quickly, but more importantly, that it is completed correctly. People often make small mistakes with their registration and then it’s denied and you have to go back and fix the problem and then wait a few weeks to see if you are approved.

With Federal Contractor Registry, we can complete your SAM registration in a matter of days, which can save you tons of time, allowing you to focus on running your business. When it comes time to renew your SAM registration, we can handle this process as well.

It is crucial that you renew your SAM registration several months before it actually expires. Failing to do so can lessen your chances of winning contacts. For instance, if a government agency representative is considering your company for a job, but sees that your registration is expiring in less than a month, they probably won’t do business with you.

This is because government agencies are only allowed to do business with companies or individuals that have active SAM registrations. If your registration expires in the middle of a job, then you no longer can work for that agency. This is a lose-lose because the agency doesn’t get its goods or services and you don’t get paid.

We highly recommend that you contact us for SAM renewals several months in advance. It can take a few weeks for the government to process your renewal, so it’s always best to get your renewal started as soon as possible.

SAM registration & renewal is not just your ticket to federal contracting, it also is your ticket to state and local government contracting. Just about every agency in your state will need contractors from time to time, so never forget to look for these more local jobs, as they can be very lucrative.

When you complete your SAM registration, you will be given an identifier known as a CAGE (Commercial and Government Entity) Code. While this code will be needed for federal contracting opportunities, all of those state and local agencies will want to know your CAGE Code, as well. So SAM registration truly is your first step into government contracting.

Once you get that CAGE code, we have a few helpful hints to make the contracting process a bit easier, especially for smaller businesses:

1. Sign Up With SBA
The Small Business Administration was created in 1953 to help small companies grow and develop. The SBA can help people just starting up a business, and they can help small businesses with federal contracting. A certain percentage of government contracting is set aside for small businesses, so don’t forget to check out what SBA can do to help your small business.

2. Sign Up With APTAC
The word “procurement” is going to become a big part of your life as a new government contractor. The Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers was created to help companies succeed with government contracting.

APTAC has centers across the country known as PTACs (Procurement Technical Assistance Centers). If you sign up with your PTAC, you will have regional representative that you can contact with questions or concerns, and APTAC often offers webinars and training regarding government contracting.

3. Sign Up With Your State Procurement System
If you want to bid on state government contracts, simply head to the internet and do a search for your state with the word “procurement” next to it. This will lead you to your state’s government website for contracting and procurement. There are tons of contracts available at the state level, so be sure to do this as soon as you get that CAGE code.

Again, if you need help with SAM registration or renewal, Federal Contractor Registry is here to help so give us a call or click on the green New Registration or the blue Renew Registration tabs on our website. We look forward to helping you get started with government contracting.

The government offers billions of dollars in contracts every year to civilian contractors, and while these contracts can be quite lucrative, getting started in the world of contracting can be confusing. To help ease the confusion a bit, we’ve compiled some helpful information about the types of government contracts you might see.

1. The Fixed-Price Contract
The fixed-price contract is a bit like those fancy prix-fixe dinners at upscale eateries. You pay a set rate and you get a specific menu of food. With a fixed-priced contract, a government agency asks for a specific item, and this agency sets the price they will pay for this service. There are several different types of fixed-price contracts, including firm-fixed-price (FFP) and fixed-price economic price adjustment (FPEPA) and several more.

Here’s a quick look at these types of government contracts. Let’s say you will be a paper supplier to a government agency. The agency’s contracting officer will create a contract for a specific amount of paper needed and set a price based upon a reasonable price comparison of that good’s current market value.

For the sake of argument, let’s say the agency needs 200 cartons of multipurpose printing paper. The contracting officer might set a price for this paper at $32 per carton. If a contractor is willing to provide the cartons for set firm-fixed-price, then they might bid on the contract.

Keep in mind, this can be profitable or not. If the contractor usually charges $35 per carton, this is less than what the contractor usually makes for the items. However, if the contractor usually charges $30, then it’s a profitable option. Obviously, this is a relatively simple example, but it illustrates the pros and cons of this type of fixed contract as there is some risk to the contractor if their costs exceed what the government is willing to pay.

In some cases, a government agency will offer a fixed-price contract with an economic price adjustment. This means that the price the agency will pay could go up or down depending on several factors. For instance, if the established prices of goods or services changes, this could affect how much the contractor will be paid.

If labor or material costs change, this also could affect how much a contractor could be paid. For instance, perhaps you have bid on a job and the labor needed for that job suddenly increases. While the government set a fixed-price for the contract, they might be willing to cover the expenses of extra labor and you can negotiate that with the contracting officer.

This is just a basic look at fixed-price contracts, there also are fixed-price incentive firm (FPIF), fixed-price award-fee (FPAF) and fixed-price prospective redetermination (FPRP) contracts under this category.

2. Cost-Reimbursement Contracts
While the fixed-priced contracts tend to balance more risk on contractors, the risk in cost-reimbursement contracts tends to fall on the government agency. These types of government contracts tend to involve research and development contracts rather than contracts for actual goods or services.

Obviously, research and development is a service, but it’s a bit more ambiguous cost-wise than a service such as janitorial services or perhaps painting or repair services. For instance, development a comprehensive IT plan for an agency or completing large-scale medical research might be projects that fall under this category.

There are several subcategories of cost-reimbursement contracts, including cost/cost-sharing, cost-plus fixed fee, cost-plus award-fee and cost-plus incentive-fee contracts. For some of these, there is a minimum and maximum payment range, while others are a bit more flexible.

3. Time & Materials Contracts
This one is pretty cut and dried. For these types of contracts, the government sets a per-hour labor rate and calculates materials costs and sets a price ceiling. If you can provide the services within the price ceiling this can be a good option.

These types of contracts often are very short-term, such as for emergency services. You might be called in to clean up after a flood, hurricane or other natural disaster. In some cases, known as labor-hour contracts, the contractor will only provide labor and not materials.

4. Incentive Contracts
Sometimes we wonder if the government is deliberately obtuse when it creates various documents. For instance, if you look up the government’s definition of Incentive Contracts, it states, “Incentive contracts … are appropriate when a firm-fixed-price contract is not appropriate and the required supplies or services can be acquired at lower costs and, in certain instances, with improved delivery or technical performance, by relating the amount of profit or fee payable under the contract to the contractor’s performance.”

Let your head spin around that one for a moment. What this really means is that the government is offering a contract with an incentive or reward based upon agreed upon specifications. An incentive contract will be a contract based upon either a cost-reimbursement contract or fixed-price contract with added incentives.

For instance, in Los Angeles, contractors were hired to provide retrofitting for several bridges that crossed over major interstate highways. These roads had to be shut down for the duration of these bridge repairs, which, in a large metro area can be quite a hassle. In fact, local residents call these repair days, “Carmageddon.”

Because the government fully understands the traffic nightmares that can ensue, they might offer an incentive contract to a company that can complete the project within the course of a weekend. Let’s say, the government asks for work to be started at midnight on Saturday and completed by 3 a.m. on Sunday. If the company completes this project early, there may be an incentive or bonus paid if the contract is completed on time or early.

5. Indefinite Delivery & Quantity Contracts
Sometimes a government agency doesn’t know precisely what they need. For instance, they might not know the exact quantities of a supply they might need or for how long they need a contractor to provide a service.

As an example, let’s think about snow. While snow can be lovely, it also can cause many logistical problems. A government agency might need to hire a snow removal company to ensure that roads or parking lots are kept clear so that drivers can utilize them. Of course, the government agency won’t be able to predict how often or for how long they will need to use this service.

After all, we have no control over the weather. There might be an early spring and no need for snow plowing or it might be a tumultuous season filled with blizzard after blizzard and the snow plow company will be in great demand. This is one simple example of an indefinite delivery contract.

To learn more about all of the different types of government contracts in more detail that you probably ever cared to read, head to https://www.acquisition.gov/content/part-16-types-contracts#i1104846.

If you need help with SAM registration, which is your first step in government contracting, give the team at Federal Contractor Registry a call. We can handle this complicated process for you and provide you with more time to read about the many types of government contracts.

Becoming a government contractor can be a confusing process, but at Federal Contractor Registry we’d like to make the process a bit easier. Take a look at our handy SAM registration guide which contains plenty of helpful tips to get you started.

First off, let’s talk a bit about SAM, which stands for the System for Award Management. This is a central database for all government contractors. There used to be several databases, including the Online Representations and Certification Application (ORCA) and the Central Contractor Registration (CCR).

You still often will see references to ORCA and CCR, but these systems are no longer in place, and everything is stored in SAM. So, if someone tells you to register with ORCA or CCR, understand that these are old databases. At any rate, in order to get started with government contracting, here’s what you need to do.

1. Gather Up Your Basic Information
Before you get started with SAM registration, you will need to know some important information. For instance, you will need your company tax ID number, which should be listed on tax forms.

You also will need the routing number and account number for your business bank account, as payments to you will be made through SAM so this info is stored in your SAM account. You also will need to know your North American Industry Classification System Codes. These codes identify the specific goods or services (or both) that your company provides.

If you opt for our SAM registration services, we can help you determine which codes apply for your business. There are hundreds of possible codes, and it can be tricky to figure out what applies to you, but again, we can help with this process.

2. Get Your DUNS Number
DUNS stands for Data Universal Numbering System, and every business can have a DUNS number assigned to them at no charge. If you don’t already have a DUNS or are not sure if you have a DUNS, simply go to the Dun & Bradstreet website and check or apply for one at https://www.dnb.com/duns-number/get-a-duns.html.

3. Send In Your Notarized Letter
This is one of the newer requirements within the SAM registration process. Because of suspected fraud in the SAM database a year or so ago, the General Services Administration, the entity that maintains SAM, began requiring companies to send in a notarized letter designating an Entity Administrator.

This administrator is simply the person in your company that is authorized to make changes to your SAM account. There are templates for this letter available at https://fsd.gov/fsd-gov/home.do. To find it, go to the top of the page under the Top Help Topics area. Hover over that area and you will see a section for SAM and a section that states “Tips for Notarized Letter.” This will lead you to templates for your letter. Just copy the template exactly and send it in as soon as possible.

We can still process your SAM registration for you while you wait for your letter to be approved. In the past, the letter had to be approved prior to your attaining SAM approval, but that is no longer the case. Still, the letter does need to be received as quickly as possible, in order to ensure your SAM registration stays active once it is approved.

4. Sign Up With SBA
If your business qualifies as a small business, you will want to register with the Small Business Administration. This federal agency was created to help small businesses thrive and grow, and you will find many resources here.

If your company only has a dozen or so employees, you are sure to qualify as a small business, but it might surprise you to learn that some types of businesses can have many more employees and still qualify. To determine if your business qualifies as a small business, go to https://www.sba.gov/size-standards/.

You will need to know your NAICS codes for this process, and as stated before, we can help determine your codes if you use our SAM registration services. Or, you can check out the full list of codes at Census.gov. Once you enter your NAICS codes and your number or employees, you can determine if you qualify as a small business.

5. Determine Your Set-Aside Codes
The SBA has created several categories for special types of small businesses, and given each of them a special code, known as a set-aside code. It is called this because a portion of the federal governments contracting budget is “set aside” specifically for small businesses.

For instance, if your company is majority (51% or more) woman-owned, there is a set-aside code for woman-owned small businesses. If your company is majority veteran-owned, this is another set-aside. There also are set asides for companies located in historically under-represented areas, as well as set-asides for very small emerging businesses. If you qualify for a set-aside, you definitely will want to take advantage of it as it can make it easier for you win contracts.

6. Sign Up With Your PTAC
While our SAM registration guide can help with some of the basics, there’s no getting around the fact that government contracting can be confusing and difficult to understand at first, but your Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) can help you wade through some of the mire.

There are local PTACs in every state, and signing up for your PTAC is free once you’ve completed SAM registration. After your SAM registration is completed, you will be assigned a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code. The CAGE code is a unique identifier assigned to your company.

At any rate, when you sign up with your PTAC, you will want to give them your CAGE code. To sign up, go to http://www.aptac-us.org/ and near the top left of the page, you will see a map of the United States and a header that reads Find a PTAC. Just select your state, and you will find a list of possible PTACs in your area.

This organization was created to support businesses and help them find success with government contracting. They have resources on the website and also host training events throughout the year. Your PTAC representative can be a valuable resource, so be sure to sign up.

7. Create A Capability Statement
This is basically a resume for your business, but it’s a unique type of resume that government agencies look for when selecting potential contractors. It contains several sections including general data about your company, as well as a listing of your past clients, your core competencies and your differentiators.

You can do a quick internet search for “capability statements” and you will find tons of great examples and some helpful hints for creating this crucial document and what to name each header, etc.

8. Create A Government Webpage
If you want to do businesses with anyone these days, a great website is crucial. We highly recommend that you add a page to your website specifically for government contracting. This page will be geared toward government agencies, which have different agendas than many of your clients.

After all, the government exists, in part, to provide services for its citizens and not to generate a profit. This might require a different sales approach than you might use for your regular clients. In addition, you will want to provide your capability statement on this page, and, in general, describe how your business can benefit a government agency.

9. Sign Up With Your State Government
In the world of government contracting, it’s definitely not just about the federal government. State and county governments also need contractors, and once you sign up with SAM and get your CAGE code, you can sign up with your state government as well.

To find your state’s government website for contractors simply do an internet search with your state name and the word “procurement.” The top result should be the government agency that handles contractors. Signing up should be free, and once you’ve been approved, you will be eligible to bid on state contracts as well as federal contractors, which can be quite lucrative.

10. Attend Workshops & Seminars
Earlier in this article, we talked about how your PTAC will offer training sessions and workshops from time to time, but state governments also often host events for potential government contractors. These may or may not be free, but usually are fairly inexpensive and you can gain valuable information about contracting and meet some representatives from various government agencies.

11. Research Government Agencies
There are literally hundreds of state, local and federal government agencies. Many people just think about agencies such as FEMA or the Department of Defense, but there are so many out there it can make your head spin.

For instance, there is an Arctic Research Commission that literally researches the Arctic Circle. There’s also a Railroad Retirement Board created to support U.S. railroad workers. There’s a National Cemetery Administration, the Southwestern Power Administration and the list of obscure agencies goes on and on.

From time to time, just about every federal or state agency might need contractors, so it can be smart to check and see what’s currently out there. Just go to https://www.fbo.gov/ and you can look up thousands of contracting opportunities by agency, set-aside code, state and other criteria.

12. Renew Your Registration Early
Once you’ve completed your SAM registration, you might think you are home free, but you actually must renew this registration every year. It is absolutely crucial that you renew several months ahead of your expiration date.

It takes a few weeks for renewals to get approved, especially if there is a backlog, and if you wait to the last minute, you might miss out on some great contracts. When an agency sees that your SAM registration is a month or so from expiration, they might bypass you because if it expires, they no longer can do business with you.

This means you could be in the middle of a contracting job and have to stop all work because your SAM registration is not current. You won’t get paid, and the agency won’t receive its goods or services. This is why you need to renew early every year.

While our SAM registration guide should help you understand some of the basics of contracting, SAM registration can be a difficult process. It can take 10 or more hours to complete, and can be quite frustrating. This is why many people opt to have us complete SAM registration for them. We help hundreds of companies every year sign up and renew SAM registrations.

If you’ve been struggling with SAM registration, read over our SAM registration guide and then consider giving us a call. We can complete your SAM registration quickly and accurately and get you ready to start bidding on those government contracts. To get started, click on the green New Registration tab on our homepage.

If you want to bid on government contracts, you’re first step will be to register with the System for Award Management (SAM), a database for all government contractors. This can be a difficult process, and many people wonder about the SAM registration fee, but we can break down all you need to know about SAM registration.

There actually is no SAM registration fee, and it is free to sign up with SAM. At Federal Contractor Registry, we can complete your SAM registration for you, but we do charge a fee for our services.

Many people wonder why they should hire a third-party registration service if there is no official SAM registration fee, and the main reason is that you will save a ton of time and frustration.

SAM registration is very complicated, and can take 10 hours or more. While the government provides you with some tutorials and guides, the application is still filled with government acronyms and government-speak that can be extremely confusing.

As SAM experts, we handle SAM registration for individuals, small business up to huge Fortune 500 firms. We understand all of the complexities of SAM registration, and we liken our services to that of an account. Filing your taxes is free, but the tax code is complicated, so we hire experts to handle the process.

It’s just the same with SAM registration. While there’s no SAM registration fee, it’s a complicated process and hiring someone else makes good sense and frees you up to handle your day-to-day business tasks.

Before you give us a call, there are a few pieces of information that we will need, including:

1. Your DUNS Number
If you don’t have one, you can register for free at Dun & Bradstreet. This number is provided to all businesses at no charge. Simply go to https://www.dnb.com/duns-number/get-a-duns.html to get started.

2. Your Taxpayer ID Number
This taxpayer ID number (TIN) also might be known as an EIN (Employer Identification Number). If you aren’t sure what your number is, simply look on your most recent tax documents for your business.

3. Your Company Addresses
We need your business’s actual physical address, as well as the mailing address if this is different.

4. Your Company Banking Information
When you win government contracts, these agencies will need your basic banking information, including your bank routing number and bank account number, both of which will be required for SAM registration.

Gather all of that together and give us a call, and we can get started on your SAM registration. We also will ask you some questions about the goods or services you provide, the size of your business and a few other pertinent questions.

From there, we will complete the process as soon as possible and then it takes a couple of weeks for your SAM registration to be approved. Once approved, you will be given a CAGE code, which stands for Commercial and Government Entity code. It’s just five characters and it is the unique identifier for your business.

Once you have this CAGE code, not only can you bid on federal government contracts, you also can bid on state and local government contracts. You will need to sign up with your state’s agency for government contractors and possibly with your county government. All government agencies, regardless of the level, will ask for your CAGE code when you sign up.

We highly recommend that you also sign up with your local Procurement Technical Assistance Center or PTAC. This is free, and these centers exist to help government contractors win bids, specifically smaller businesses.

Your PTAC representatives can answer questions you may have, provide some helpful advice and the PTAC might host webinars or seminars from time to time that are very helpful for those getting started in government contracting.

State government agencies also often host events for government contractors where you can learn some helpful contracting information as well as meet with agencies that might need your goods or services. These typically are low-cost events, and often well worth your time.

Another tip we recommend, especially for small businesses, is to consider subcontracting. In the world of government contracting, there are Prime Contractors and Subcontractors. A prime contractor often is a large business with a good amount of government contracting experience.

Becoming a subcontractor can be a great way to get started, as this prime contractor will handle much of the government back and forth, and you can learn a lot about the process without having to do it all yourself. Additionally, government payments can take some time, but when you are a subcontractor, you typically are paid by the prime contractor rather than having to wait on a government payment.

All in all, subcontracting can be a good way to get started and build up your government contracting resume with less risk and less hassle. There are many subcontracting jobs available, and prime contractors often are required to hand off a portion of their contract to a subcontractor that is designated as a small business.

In general, the government truly wants to hire contractors and they truly want to support small businesses. While the process can be confusing and difficult at times, once you get some experience, this can be a highly valuable way to build up your business.

Again, while there is no official SAM registration fee, we are happy to help you with the registration process as well as your SAM renewals. Contact us today and we quickly will get started on your SAM registration and get you ready to bid on those lucrative government contracts.

Every year, billions of dollars in government contracts are awarded to companies, large and small. Learning how to become a government contractor can seem a bit overwhelming, but we can help. Here’s a quick look at government contracting in general and how we can get you started with the process.

All Government Agencies Offer Contracts
In general, 99% of government agencies need outside help and services from time to time. We tend to think of agencies such as FEMA and the Department of Defense as the main source of contracts, and while these agencies do offer many contracts, they are by no means the only option.

For instance, everyone from the National Park Service to NASA to the EPA and beyond will solicit contractors for a wide range of jobs. These jobs aren’t just related to construction, either. Virtually any type of business might be needed by a government agency.

Think Beyond The Federal Government
While federal government agencies certainly offer tons of lucrative government contracts, state and local government agencies also offer contracts. If you simply limit yourself to federal opportunities, you could be missing out on contracts at the state, county and city level. These contracts sometimes can be easier to win than the federal contracts, so be sure to register with your state and county after you’ve registered with the federal government.

Get Started With SAM
The System for Award Management (SAM) is everyone’s first step in the government contracting process. This is a huge central database that contains information for all government contractors. Before you can bid on any contracts – federal, state or local, you must register with SAM.

Third-Party Registration Services
SAM registration is free if you decided to register your business yourself. So why would you hire a third-party registration service such as ourselves? SAM registration is a very complicated and often frustrating process.

It can take 10 or more hours to complete your SAM registration, and the application is filled with complicated government-speak. Many of our customers call us after they’ve started the process but have become frustrated with the complexities of SAM registration.

We can take all of your information and quickly complete your SAM registration. Every year, we help hundreds of companies, from Fortune 500 firms to small business, complete SAM registrations and renewals quickly and easily.

While we do charge for our services, we find that using Federal Contractor Registry is a bit like using an accountant to do your taxes. The government doesn’t charge you to file your taxes, but the tax code is complicated and it just makes sense to hire a tax expert to handle the process. It’s the same with us. SAM registration is complicated, but we are SAM experts, and can handle the task quickly.

After SAM, What Should You Do?
Once your SAM registration has been approved, you will be eligible to bid on federal government contracts, and you will be assigned a CAGE code, which is a unique identifier for your business. At this point, you can start bidding, but there are some other tasks we recommend you complete before you bid.

1. Sign Up With Your PTAC
A PTAC is a Procurement Technical Assistance Center. These are centers that were created to help small businesses that want to bid on government contracts at the federal, state or local level. To find your PTAC, go to www.aptac-us.org. This is a huge resource, so as soon as you get that CAGE code, sign up with your PTAC.

2. Sign Up With The SBA
The Small Business Administration is another excellent resource for small businesses. Obviously, larger businesses cannot sign up with SBA, but you might be surprised to find that your business qualifies as a small business.

To find out if you qualify, go to https://www.sba.gov/size-standards/. You will need to know your North American Industry Classification System codes. This is something we can figure out for you as we complete your SAM registration. These codes simply identify the type of business you own. Many businesses qualify for multiple codes because they provide multiple services, and we can find all of your NAICS codes.

Additionally, you may qualify for special “set-aside” codes. A portion of all government contracts are set aside from small businesses. Additionally, many prime contractors are required to use subcontractors that qualify as small businesses. Subcontracting can be a great way for a small business to get started with government contracting.

We can determine your set-aside codes as we work on your SAM registration. For instance, your small business might be located in a HUBZone, which is a historically underutilized business zone. You might qualify as a veteran-owned small business, a woman-owned small business or another set-aside code.

3. Create Your Capability Statement
A capability statement is basically a resume for government contractors, but it looks a bit different than the resume you would create for yourself. This document will include important information such as your CAGE code, your DUNS number, your NAICS codes and set-asides.

In addition to your basic company data and contact information, this document will include a section listing your Core Competencies, Differentiators, and Past Performance. Core Competencies are the services and goods your company can provide. Differentiators are the characteristics that set your company apart from the competition, and Past Performance is basically a listing of companies for whom you have provided goods and services in the past.

4. Create A Webpage For Government Contracting
Your website probably already provides a good deal of information about your goods and services. But, it’s smart to add a page just for government contracting. The government is unique in that its goal is not necessarily profitability but rather providing services for its citizens, therefore the approach you use with a government agency differs from the approach you might use with a private sector client.

Obviously, both types of entities want a good value for their money, but while a company might be seeking your help to improve their business, a government agency seek you out to help support an agency or its programs and initiatives. It’s smart to include a webpage that speaks to government agencies, and be sure to add your capability statement on this page, as well.

5. Sign Up With Your State & County Governments
Every state has its own unique process for government contracting, so you will need to find the agency that is in charge of state government contractors. To do so, simple do an internet search for your state with the word “procurement.” This will lead you to the website for your state.

Once there, you can register. Keep in mind; you will need to provide your CAGE code, DUNS number, NAICS codes, set-asides and other important information about your business and how much it earns, as well as information about officers, etc. Every state is a little bit different, so it’s hard to completely pinpoint everything your state might ask.

6. Educate Yourself
State governments and your PTAC and even the SBA often host workshops and events to help government contractors. At these events, you can learn about the bidding process and make tons of contacts.

We highly recommend that you take advantage of these special events and attend a few. There also are online webinars that can provide you with helpful information about how to write bids and find job opportunities.

Many of these offerings are free or low-cost, so sign up and start learning how to become a government contractor. If you need help with SAM registration, give us a call at (800) 985-7658 or click on the green New Registration tab on our homepage.

If you want to dive into government contracting, you probably know that the first step is to register with the System for Award Management (SAM). Every SAM account must have what is known as an Entity Administrator, a person authorized to make changes and manage this account. Your SAM administrator will have several responsibilities, including the following tasks.

1. Complete & Send In A Notarized Letter
For the past year or so, anyone registering in SAM has been required to send in a notarized letter to the Federal Service Desk identifying their Entity Administrator for SAM. This requirement came about due to fraudulent activity in the SAM database, and is meant to increase security within the database.

The notarized letter is a requirement for anyone who is registered with SAM or wishes to become registered with SAM, and this is one of the first tasks you will want to complete. To learn more about this letter as well as to find a letter template, go to the Federal Service Desk at FSD.gov. From there, go up to the top of the page to Top Help Topics. Hover over this tab and you will see a tab for SAM and under that you’ll find a link to “Tips for Notarized Letter.”

2. Complete SAM Registration
Typically, your SAM administrator will be the person tasked with SAM registration. This can be a difficult process, taking 10 or more hours to complete. The good news is that while you do need to appoint a SAM entity administrator, you can hire a third party to complete your SAM registration.

The government does not charge companies and individuals to register with SAM, but it often makes sense to hire a third-party registration service to complete your registration, especially if you’ve gotten started with the process and become frustrated.

Unfortunately, many people give up on government contracting because the SAM registration process is complicated and that’s a shame because there are so many lucrative contracts out there for the taking. If you are daunted by the registration process, contact our service and we can handle your registration tasks.

It’s a bit like hiring an accountant to handle your taxes. Certainly, you could complete your taxes on your own at no charge, but the tax code can be difficult to understand and hiring an expert can save you a ton of time and frustration. We are just like that accountant; except we handle the complexities of SAM registration for you.

3. Register With SBA & PTAC
This task is really only for those who qualify as a small business. If you do qualify, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and your local Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) will be important resources, and your SAM administrator will want to register with both services.

SBA has resources for starting business, finding loans and grants, government contracting and much more. Your PTAC also can help with many aspects of government contracting, including getting set up to contract with state and local governments, which also offer many lucrative government contracts.

The government truly wants companies to succeed with government contracting, especially small businesses. The government recognizes many different types of small businesses, such as woman-owned and veteran-owned businesses and sets aside a portion of its contracting jobs specifically for these types of businesses. So be sure to take advantage of your small business status.

4. Make Any Necessary Changes
Any time information in your SAM account changes, your SAM administrator will need to update this in SAM as well as with any state or government agency with which you are registered. For instance, if your phone number changes or perhaps your physical address, you will need to update that information as quickly as possible.

5. Complete SAM Renewal
Your SAM registration will need to be renewed every year, and because it takes time for the government to process these renewals, it is best that your SAM administrator completes your renewal well in advance of the expiration date.

If you are within just a few months of expiration, it can be much more difficult to win contracts. We highly recommend that you renew at least three months prior to expiration to ensure that you do not miss out on any lucrative contracts. When a representative from a government agency sees that you are nearing your expiration date, they might be hesitant to proceed with a contract.

After all, if your registration does expire in the middle of a contract, you no longer are authorized to complete the work and everything comes to a standstill, so as a SAM administrator, you need to keep a close eye on your expiration date.

Of course, in addition to helping with SAM registration, we also can process your SAM renewals on behalf of your SAM administrator. If you want to begin the registration process or have questions about how to get started with SAM registration, just click on the New Registration tab on our homepage and fill out our quick contact form. A registration specialist will be in touch with you as soon as possible to help you get started in the world of government contracting.

Every year, the federal government awards billions of dollars in contracts to prime and subcontractors. While these government contractor jobs are profitable, the federal route isn’t the only route to consider. State, county and local agencies across the country regularly need government contractors and these often can be easier to attain than federal contracts.

Start With SAM
Of course, in order to start bidding on any level of government contractor jobs, you’ll need to complete your System for Award Management (SAM) registration. Once you’ve completed this registration, you will receive what is known as a CAGE (Commercial and Government Entity) Code.

You can complete SAM registration for free via SAM.gov, but this process can be very frustrating and time-consuming, easily taking 10 or more hours to complete. This is why many company representatives, including Fortune 500 firms, will hire a third party to complete their registration, saving them valuable time.

This is where we come into the picture. As a third-party SAM registration service, we understand all of the complexities and government jargon associated with SAM registration and can complete registrations and renewals quickly and leave you free to run your business or learn more about bidding on those lucrative government contractor jobs.

Register With SBA & Your PTAC
Once you’ve got that CAGE code, the fun really begins. If your business qualifies as a small business, and many do, you can register with the Small Business Administration (SBA) and your local Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC).

The SBA is a federal agency whose sole reason for existence is to support small businesses. They can help you find information about bidding on government contracts, as well as helping you find funding and grants. If you are just starting a business, they also provide a wealth of information about setting up your business. You can register at SBA.gov.

A PTAC is another resource for those seeking government contractor jobs. In fact, that’s the reason its parent, the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers was created. They provide help for small businesses as well as training for those new to government contractors. Go to Aptac-us.org to find your local center, and be sure to sign up as this is a fantastic resource.

Understand Your NAICS Codes & Set-Asides
As we work on your SAM registration, we will identify your North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes as well as identifying any SBA set-asides for which you might qualify.

A portion of all federal contracts are “set aside” for small businesses, especially those that are majority woman-owned, veteran-owned or owned by a person that qualifies as historically economically or socially disadvantaged. If your business is located in a HUB Zone, which is a historically disadvantaged area, you also may qualify for that set-aside.

Qualifying as a small business can be advantage at the federal level, particularly when it comes to subcontracting as Prime Contractors often are required to use small businesses for all or a portion of their subcontracting. It’s also an advantage at the state level, county and local level, as many non-federal government entities also set aside a portion of their contracts for small businesses.

Those NAICS codes are your ticket to determining whether or not you qualify as a small business. As we complete your SAM registration, we will identify your codes and do a quick check to see what set-asides you might qualify for, and this information will be stored in your SAM account. You also will need to provide the NAICS codes and set-asides as you register with your state or local governments.

Sign Up With Your State Government
With the federal government, everything goes through SAM, it’s one central database for all government contractors. Of course, with 50 states (as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, etc.), each of these have their own governments and their own unique processes for attaining government contractor jobs.

To get start, just do a web search for your state name and the word “procurement.” We are headquartered in Nevada, and a search for “Nevada procurement” led us to NevadaEPro. This is Nevada’s version of SAM, and after you register and are approved, you will be able to bid on state contracting opportunities.

Additionally, each state hosts workshops, meet-ups and conferences for government contractors where you can learning about the bidding process and interact with representatives for various government agencies. Many of these offerings are free or low-cost, and it’s a great way to start learning the whole government contracting process.

Develop Your Website
No matter what type of business you might have, a high-quality website is an important marketing tool. Ensure that your website provides a wealth of information for government agencies that might be searching for contractors.

In fact, we highly recommend that you have a separate page just for government contractor. This page should include a link to your Capability Statement. This is basically a special kind of resume that all government agencies will want to see, so you need to design a great statement that expresses your many qualifications. Do a search for capability statements and you will find plenty of great examples and advice for creating this crucial document.

Of course, as we said before, it all begins with SAM registration and we can help. If you like to start bidding on government contractor jobs, and would like us to complete your SAM registration, give us a call at a (800) 985-7658 or click on the green New Registration tab, fill out our quick form and a registration specialist will be in touch with you as soon as possible.