System for Award Management

In these uncertain times, many companies are looking for ways to boost their businesses. Government contracting can be a lucrative option and one that is often recession-proof or durable during economic crises. In order to work with the government, your first step is to complete SAM.gov registration, and we can help.

SAM.Gov Registration
Registering with the System for Award Management (SAM) can be a complicated process. The government doesn’t charge companies a fee to sign up, but the registration application is lengthy and complicated. It easily can take 10+ hours to complete the process, and you may find yourself frustrated along the way.

However, don’t let this dissuade you from completing your SAM.gov registration. As a third party SAM registration service, we can handle this task for you, quickly and efficiently. We process hundreds of SAM registrations every year, as well as SAM renewals and fully understand all the intricacies of the process.

Of course, we do charge a fee, but it’s much like hiring an accountant to handle your taxes. You could complete your personal or company tax documents yourself, but it’s often highly complicated and frustrating, so millions of Americans pay an accountant to handle the process. We are basically the same, as we relieve you of the frustrating task of completing your SAM registration, freeing you up to keep working on your typical daily tasks and ensuring that you are ready to contract with the government as quickly as possible.

Contracting During The Current Pandemic
The government, especially agencies such as FEMA, have immediate needs from government contractors. If you provide any type of support relating to medical care, such as making surgical masks, manufacturing disinfectants or hand sanitizers, providing hospital equipment or anything that can help FEMA support the COVID-19 relief efforts, now is the time to get registered with SAM and start bidding on contracts.

However, the government, including FEMA, needs many other goods and services. Some of these are related to COVID-19, while others are simply general needs. You can take a quick look at the types of contracts available by searching Beta.SAM.gov. You can search by agency, keyword and several other ways, although we recommend that companies search using their NAICS codes.

These codes identify the precise goods or services provided by your company, and it’s usually the easiest way to find potential contracts using the Beta.SAM.gov website. You also can search using your PSCs, or Product Service Codes. If you aren’t sure which NAICS or PSC codes to use, we can figure that out for you as we complete your SAM.gov registration.

Contracting: Can It Weather A Recession?
Diversifying into government contracting is a great idea for many types of businesses. While your other clients may be affected adversely by economic downswings and recessions, the government still has to purchase goods and services. Unlike the private sector, they aren’t profit-driven, but rather are there to serve the needs of the citizens.

This means that even during a recession, the impact felt by various government agencies may not trickle down to contractors. In some cases, budgets may be cut and this certainly can affect contractors, but generally there will be plenty of contracting opportunities, even during times of economic instability.

What About Government Shutdowns?
Government shutdowns can affect government contractors, but not always. It depends upon the type of contract and several other factors. For instance, if you provide an essential service, there may still be funding in place to continue paying your contract.

In some cases, a government shutdown can be a problem for contractors, but it’s important to note that in the last 40 years, there have only been 10 government shutdowns. Four lasted only a day, while two others only lasted 3 days and once lasted just five days.

One shutdown in 1995-1996 lasted 21 days, while the 2013 shutdown lasted 16 days. The most recent shutdown in 2018-2019 was the most detrimental to government employees and contractors, alike, lasting 35 days. Still, not all federal agencies were affected by this shutdown. For instance, the Department of Defense, Department of Labor and the Department of Education were not impacted among others.

Government shutdowns tend to be brief, so this should never really serve as an argument against government contracting. They certainly have the potential to be a problem, but they are fairly rare and usually of short duration.

Get Started Today!
If you haven’t yet completed SAM.gov registration, give us a call or click on the New Registration tab on our homepage. We will get right to work on your registration and have you ready to start bidding on government contracts. As soon as your registration is approved, the government will send you a CAGE code, which is the unique identifier for your business in the SAM database.

Once we complete your SAM.gov registration, we also highly recommend that you sign up with your state’s procurement. You will need to go through the SAM registration process and receive a CAGE code for state procurement, as well, as their registration systems will ask for your CAGE code, NAICS codes and usually your PSCs.

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Government contracting can be lucrative, but getting started with government contracting is also a bit like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle where all of the pieces are the same color. We could write a 12,000-word article about the ins and outs of contracting, but let’s just focus on one topic for now – 8a contracts.

What Are 8a Contracts?

Every agency in the U.S. government sets aside a portion of its contracting jobs for small businesses. If your company qualifies as a small business, the Small Business Administration has created several designations for specific types of small businesses.

These are known as “set-asides,” and 8a contracts are a type of set aside for businesses known as small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs). You can qualify under the 8a program if you meet the following criteria:

Are You Small?
You must qualify as a small business according to government size standards (click here https://www.sba.gov/size-standards/ to see if you qualify)

Are You Majority U.S. Owned?
In order to qualify for 8a contracts, your company must be 51% owned and controlled by U.S. citizens. But, these citizens also have to be economically and socially disadvantaged.

The “socially” disadvantaged basically refers to people who historically have been either underrepresented and/or subjected to ethnic, cultural or racial bias, such as African-Americans and Native Americans, but also many other groups. For instance, your gender or a physical handicap might be a factor.

Is Your Income Low Enough?
The owner of an 8a company must be a person with a personal net worth of $250,000 or less and with $4 million or less in assets. The owner’s average adjusted gross income for the last three years also must be $250,000 or less.

If you seem to qualify based upon the aforementioned requirements, here are some fast facts about 8a contracts that might be helpful:

1. 8a Contracts Can Be Highly Profitable

If you qualify as one of those SDBs and win a few contracts, this truly can take your business to the next level. In 2018 alone, the federal government awarded $120 billion in contracts to small businesses, and more than $46 billion of this went to SDBs.

For many types of small business set-aside, the contract dollar amount is relatively small. You might find some jobs worth $20,000 or less, which definitely is profitable for a small business, but 8a contracts are a bit different and potentially more profitable. With 8a contracts, small businesses that provide products or services can earn up to $4 million. Contracts up to $6.5 million are an option for manufacturing firms.

Keep in mind that an 8a certification doesn’t mean you are guaranteed a bunch of million-dollar contracts. It simply means that there are possibilities available up to those amounts. It’s perfectly likely that you might find a $25,000 contract or a $50,000 contract that fits the goods and services you provide. While these are smaller, it still can give your business a huge boost.

Also, even if you don’t qualify as an 8a business, small businesses aren’t necessarily bidding on less profitable contracts. A regular small business could win a contract worth hundreds of thousands of dollars; it’s just a bit harder to win these bigger contracts when you don’t have 8a status.

Typically, all government contracts for $150,000 or less are set aside for small businesses and while a giant company like Lockheed Martin might find 150 grand to be small potatoes, a small business definitely would view that as a substantial sum.

2. There are 8a Contracts for Every Type of Business

According to the SBA, construction firms that qualified as SDBs were awarded $5.83 billion in contracts in the fiscal year 2018. But, it’s not just construction companies that earned contracts. Many companies that provide different types of computer-related services also were top earners, as well as security guard companies and even companies that provided weather forecasting services.

These are just some of the top earners; there are contracts out there for just about any type of business, from catering services to paper suppliers to different types of repair services. Many people mistakenly think that government contracting is all about construction and disaster cleanup-type services, but the government works with businesses from just about any industry.

3. 8a Contracts Aren’t Available Forever

The whole goal of providing 8a contracts is to help businesses grow and thrive. Once you are certified as an 8a business, you can maintain that status for up to nine years. In many cases, however, your 8a status will be taken away long before those nine years have passed, simply because you have reached the point where your business is too successful to qualify for 8a contracts.

4. 8a Contracts Can Be Easier To Attain

The government is really trying to boost small businesses, specifically those SDBs. So if you are 8a certified, you are eligible to bid on 8a contracts. Of all the businesses in the United States (more than 24 million approximately), fewer than 9,000 have been 8a certified. This definitely reduces the playing field, and with less competition, it’s just easier to get contracts.

Additionally, it is easier, in general, to bid for 8a contracts. Figuring out how to create proposals for government contracting can be very complicated in general, but if you are an 8a-certified company, the government makes a huge effort to eliminate some of the “red tape” that other businesses have to handle.

5. Sole Sourcing Is Another Benefit

In general, when a government agency needs to put out a contract for work, it’s a complicated process that can be very competitive. With 8a contracts, the government agency can kind of bypass and offer contracts to a single source without going through the whole bidding and competition process. This benefits the agency because there is less red tape, and it benefits the 8a businesses because it’s simply easier to earn contracts.

6. 8a Status Isn’t a Guarantee of Earnings

While the playing field is smaller and sole-sourcing also can make it easier to win contracts, you do still have to work hard to earn contracts. You still actively have to look for contracting opportunities. It’s highly unlikely that you would get certified and then have government agencies just calling you up and offering you jobs.

You can find contracting opportunities at Beta.SAM.gov, but we also recommended that you join your local Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). These centers are located across the country and they provide a huge amount of valuable advice.

For instance, if you have questions about contracting, you can make an appointment to speak with your PTAC representative. They offer a wide array of free workshops and events where you can grab a ton of information about government contracting. To find your local PTAC, go to APTAC-US.org.

Getting Certified

In order to bid on 8a contracts, you must be certified by the Small Business Administration. In order to start the process, you will need to go to certify.SBA.gov. However, that is not the only step you’ll need to take.

If you want to bid on any type of government contract, 8a contracts, or anything else, you must complete your System for Award Management (SAM) registration and we can help. We are a third-party registration service that handles all the intricacies of the SAM registration process.

It can take 10 or more hours to complete the SAM registration process and it can be quite complicated and frustrating, and it’s often simply easier to hand this task over to experts such as ourselves. This ensures that your registration is completed quickly and correctly, so you can start bidding on 8a contracts and other types of government contracts. To get started, just click on the green New Registration box on our homepage.

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Just about every government agency offers government contracts to businesses of all sizes. While there are plenty of contracts available, many small businesses avoid looking at DOD contracts because they believe them to be too difficult to win or just presented to huge companies such as Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin.

However, the Department of Defense can be a great option for businesses of all sizes, and the DOD, just like all other agencies, reserves a portion of its budget for small businesses. In fact, the federal government requires the DOD and other agencies to keep a certain percentage of their contracts set aside just for small businesses.

Additionally, many Prime Contractors (these are the big guys that win those huge contracts) also are required to use small businesses as subcontractors for a portion of their projects when they do business with the federal government, so there are subcontracting opportunities, as well.

The first step you have to take is to complete your registration with the System for Award Management (SAM). After you complete SAM registration, you will receive what is known as a Cage Code, and you then will be eligible to bid on government projects.

However, it’s important to note that SAM registration can be quite complicated to complete. In fact, it can take 10 to 15 hours of your time to wade through the many pages of government-speak. While it’s free for you to complete your SAM registration, many people opt to hire a third-party registration service to complete this process.

We can save you a ton of time and frustration, and quickly complete your SAM registration. Using our service guarantees that your SAM registration will be completed correctly, as well. If you do it yourself, you will have no idea if you’ve completed the registration correctly until you are either approved or you are notified that you need to correct a section (or sections) of the application.

It can take the government a few weeks to approve an application, and if mistakes are made, this stalls the process even further. At Federal Contractor Registry, we’ve completed hundreds of SAM registrations for companies of all sizes. We know precisely how to complete each section of the application, including the crucial section that will allow you to bid on DOD contracts.

Some of our clients mistakenly believe that security clearance is required for all DOD contracts, but this is definitely not always the case. Obviously, for some projects, security is an issue, but in many cases, security clearance won’t be a problem.

You can get a look at the types of contracts available by heading to Beta.SAM.gov, which is a new database that was created to replace FedBizOpps.gov. Throughout the last few years, the government has been migrating many contracting-related websites into SAM to keep everything in one place.

Keep in mind as you peruse the listings, you might want to check beyond just searching for “Department of Defense.” The database includes many different DOD-related agencies and offices that might need government contractors. In fact, there are more than 100 departments, agencies and offices that make up the DOD.

This includes big guns (pun not intended) such as the Department of the Army, Department of the Navy and the Department of the Air Force. Each of these departments also includes several other agencies/facilities, and all of these will put out bid requests for government contractors.

When you head to Beta.SAM.gov to search, you could search by agency, such as typing in “Department of Defense,” “Defense Logistics Agency,” “Army National Guard,” etc., but it really can be smarter to search using your NAICS codes.

These are the North American Industry Classification codes. Just about every type of business imaginable is listed under these codes. You will need to figure out which codes apply to your business during the SAM registration process, but we can help. Simply tell us a little bit about the goods you sell and/or services your company provides, and we will pick the NAICS codes that best represent what you do.

When we state that every type of business has a code and that the government extends contracting opportunities, we aren’t kidding. For instance, 451120 is the code for Hobby, Toy & Game Stores. Searching Beta.SAM.gov with that code, we found three DOD contracts alone that fit this NAICS code. That’s just one example of a type of business that the DOD might need for goods or services.

If you want to start bidding on DOD contracts, or contracts for any other government agency, we can complete your SAM registration as quickly as possible. Once it’s approved, you’ll be eligible to bid. To get started, give us a call or simply click on the New Registration tab on our homepage.

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The Small Business Administration was created to help small business owners succeed. They provide a plethora of resources for small business owners, including loans and grants. If you are a small business and want to do business with the government, it’s definitely smart to check SBA government contracting resources.

Do You Qualify For SBA Assistance?
If you have just a handful of employees, it’s probably certain that you qualify as a small business. But many types of businesses with hundreds of employees also qualify as a small business. To see if you qualify, go to https://www.sba.gov/size-standards/, and use SBA’s Size Standards Tool.

You will need to know your North American Industry Classification System codes, known at NAICS codes. If you aren’t sure what codes apply to your business, the SBA has provided a link to a document filled with all of the NAICS codes. Once you put in your codes and enter your number of employees, the tool will let you know whether or not you qualify.

Which SBA Set-Asides Apply To You?
You might wonder why your business size matters in regards to contracting, and why you should even bother with the SBA. Government contracting is meant to help businesses of all sizes, but the government is particularly concerned with helping small businesses grow. Every federal agency is required to set aside a portion of its contracting budget just for qualifying small businesses. Many large companies that win huge government contracts also are required to use small businesses as subcontractors.

The SBA created several categories of small businesses, and these categories are known as “set-asides.” Your business may qualify for one or even several different set-asides, and in addition to simply qualifying as a general small business, other special set-asides include:

HUBZone Set-Asides: If your business is located in what has been designated a Historically-Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone), it might qualify for this set-aside. As the name suggests, these are areas where small businesses historically have struggled and boosting the economy of these areas is important to the government.

Veteran-Owned Set-Asides: There are two veteran-related set-asides. One is a general set aside that applies to any business owned 51% or more by a veteran. There also is a set aside for Service-Disable Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, for those soldiers that were disabled in the line of duty.

Woman-Owned Set-Asides: If your business is owned 51% or more by a woman and also meets the small business requirement, you qualify for this set-aside. There also is a set aside for Economically-Disadvantaged Woman-Owned Businesses, and your net worth and income will factor into determining whether or not you qualify for this set-aside.

8(a) Business Set-Asides: In addition to helping women and veterans, the government also seeks to help any business owner that is part of a historically socially or economically disadvantaged group. The business must be at least 51% owned by a U.S. citizen (born or naturalized) that belongs to one of these groups, and there are restrictions regarding that person’s net worth and income.

Native American Set-Asides: There are a few set-asides for Native American-owned businesses, but Native Americans also might qualify for the 8(a) set-asides and all Indian reservations and other Native American lands are located in HUBZones, so there are several options for Native American business owners, and this category also includes Native Hawaiians. Basically, these types of set-asides were created to support businesses owned by any group of indigenous people.

It’s important to keep in mind that most of these set-asides are valid only for businesses that are majority-owned (51% or more) by a person that qualifies in one of these groups. The exception would be those businesses located in HUBZones.

Beyond Set-Asides: What Else Can SBA Do For You?
If you head to SBA.gov, you will see a tab at the top of the homepage that says Federal Contracting. If you click on that tab, you will find three sections – Contracting Guide, Contracting Assistance Programs, and Counseling & Help. Each of these sections can provide you with a wealth of information.

We definitely recommend that look at their contracting guide, as it has information about types of contracts, how to win bids, size standards and much more. Under the counseling section, you can find SBA representatives in your area that can answer questions, both about contracting and other small business concerns.

Getting Started With SBA & Government Contracting
While SBA is a valuable resource for small business owners, your first real step into government contracting will be to complete your System for Award Management (SAM) registration. Until you finish SAM registration, you will not be able to bid on government contracts.

While you can complete SAM registration on your own for free, it can take 10 to 15 hours (or more) to finish the application and the process can be confusing. If you start the process and become frustrated or just want to avoid the hassle, we can help.

We are a third-party registration service, and we handle hundreds of SAM registrations each year. We understand all of the complexities of SAM registration and will complete your application quickly and accurately. During the process, we also can help you decide which set-asides and NAICS codes apply to your business.

Once your SAM registration is approved, you will be eligible to start bidding on government contracts. Before you do start the bidding process, definitely take a look at the many SBA government contracting resources that are available. If you are ready to get started with government contracting, just call us or click on the New Registration tab on our homepage, fill out our quick form and a registration specialist will be in touch as soon as possible.

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If you want to do business with the federal government, completing your System for Award Management (SAM) registration is the first step. But in addition to this application a notarized letter must be sent to the Federal Service Desk (FSD). Here’s a few quick facts about the SAM notarized letter.

1. The SAM Notarized Letter Is A New Requirement
The notarized letter requirement has only been around for about a year or so. The General Services Administration (GSA), which is responsible for the SAM database, noticed possible security issues with the database.

These issues only affected a few contractors, but the GSA decided to increase security and require anyone completing SAM registrations (or renewals) to submit a notarized letter identifying the Entity Administrator for their SAM registration. This Entity Administrator is the person who is authorized to make changes to your SAM account.

2. You No Longer Must Have Letter Approval Before SAM Approval
When this whole letter requirement came about, anyone renewing or registering with SAM had to have their letter received and processed by the FSD before they could gain SAM approval.

This was a logistic nightmare because the FSD was inundated with thousands of these notarized letters and could not process them quickly enough. Many people with existing registrations that were simply renewing ended up with inactive SAM accounts. If your SAM account is inactive, you cannot do business with the government, so you can imagine the hassle for companies that were in the bidding process or in the middle of an actual contracting job.

In the end, the FSD decided that your SAM registration or renewal could become active without prior letter approval. You do still have to send in this letter, but you can gain SAM registration approval before the FSD reviews the letter. It is crucial that you send it in, however, as it must be received by FSD within 60 days of your SAM registration.

3. There Are Letter Templates
You might be wondering how to write this SAM notarized letter, but fortunately there are some handy templates available at FSD.gov. Once you reach the homepage, look up at the top of the page where you’ll find a tab that says, “Top Help Topics.” This is divided into several sections, so go under the SAM section and select New Registration – Notarized Letter Requirement (Domestic).

Under this section, you will see a question about the notarized letter followed by the answer. In this answer, there is a link to Template 1 and Template 2. Then simply copy this letter verbatim, get it notarized and send it off. That’s all you have to do.

4. Renewals Now Can Skip The Letter
When the letter first was required, everyone had to submit a letter, either for initial registration or renewal. However, now that more than a year has passed, most people renewing their SAM registration already have submitted the SAM notarized letter. If you are renewing and already have sent in a letter, you need not send it in again. So, you can save yourself at least one step in the renewal process.

5. We Can Handle Your Registration
While we can’t complete your SAM notarized letter, we can take SAM registration off your hands. As a third-party registration service, we handle hundreds of SAM registration every year for companies of all sizes.

While the government loves to tell you that SAM registration is free, what they don’t tell you is that it can take more than 10 hours to complete the application. Many people become so frustrated with the SAM application that they simply give up and walk away from the idea of government contracting.

That’s a huge shame, because the government spends billions of dollars on government contracts each year, and it’s not just money going to huge corporations. The government sets aside a portion of its contracting budget specifically for small businesses. If you find SAM registration to be frustrating or you’ve just heard some horror stories, skip the hassles and let Federal Contractor Registry help.

Hiring us is similar to hiring an accountant to do your taxes. Filing taxes is free, but tax codes are complicated, so it often makes sense to bypass the frustration and hire a tax expert. We are SAM experts and quickly will complete your SAM registration so that you can concentrate on running your business.

To get started, simply click on the New Registration tab on our homepage. We’ll handle all the heavy lifting and you can concentrate on sending in that SAM notarized letter and searching for contracting opportunities.

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When it comes to government contracting, there’s definitely a learning curve and it can be tough to keep track of all of your contracting-related information, including your SAM MPIN and CAGE code. Here’s a quick look at what that means and a few tips to help you manage it all.

1. What Is A SAM MPIN?
SAM, as you probably know, stands for System for Award Management, and it’s a huge database that contains information about every government contractor. As you complete your SAM registration, you will be asked to create a Marketing Partner Identification Number or MPIN.

The MPIN is a code that you create, and it is a personal code that will be your password into SAM. There are actually two levels of access within SAM. You create a Login.gov username and password, as well as an MPIN.

With either of these passwords, either the Login.gov password or your MPIN, it is crucial that you keep this information in a safe place and that you do not share it with anyone. If an agency representative or someone else asks for your MPIN, do not provide it. They might ask for your DUNS or CAGE code or your NAICS codes, but your MPIN is private.

2. Understanding Your CAGE Code
Once you have completed your SAM registration, the government agency that is responsible for SAM, the General Services Administration will look over your application and either approve you or send you email explaining why they did not approve you.

If you are approved you will receive what is known and a Corporate and Government Entities (CAGE) code. This is will be a series of five numbers and letters and it will be code that agencies and other contractors can use to search for your business in SAM.

Even if you want to do businesses with a state government, you will need to provide your CAGE code so SAM registration truly is your entrance into the world of government contracting at all levels, including federal, state, county and perhaps even local levels.

3. Other Important Codes
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) was developed to categorize different types of business. Therefore, if a government agency needs someone to provide graphic design services, they would search for 54143, if they need rice drying services, they would search 115114. If they need greeting card publishers, they would search for 511191.

These examples might seem obscure but they stress the point that their truly are contracting opportunities out there for everyone. Many people mistakenly assume it’s all about construction or disaster clean-up, but the government needs an abundance of goods and services including plumbing services, paper products, landscaping, vehicle maintenance, consulting services and much more.

Product Services Codes or PSC are another type of code that you might need to know about. These are similar to NAICS codes, but unlike NAICS, these codes are not required to be part of your SAM registration. Still, it’s always good to provide the government with as much information about your business as possible.

One of the first codes that you’ll need for your SAM registration is your DUNS number, which stands for Data Universal Numbering System. If you’ve been in business for a while, chances are good that you probably already have this number, but if you don’t, you can head to the Dun & Bradstreet website and sign up for a DUNS number. There is no charge for this service.

As a side note, the government will no longer be using DUNS numbers in the near future. A new company was awarded a government contract in place of Dun & Bradstreet. The new number will be called a SAMMI number (SAM Managed Identifier). However, it’s uncertain as to when this number actually will be the requirement, so presently, DUNS numbers are still required.

4. Get Started Now – We Can Help
If you’ve got your DUNS and your taxpayer identification number, as well as your bank routing number and bank account number, you are ready to start your SAM registration and create that SAM MPIN.

SAM registration is free, but it’s also quite complicated and can take 10 to 15 hours to complete. The application is filled with vast amounts of government-speak which can be difficult to translate and understand. If you find yourself feeling frustrated with the process, give us a call.

As a third-party registration service, we do charge for our services, but we can quickly complete your SAM application and get you up and running as quickly as possible. We can help you find those NAICS codes, as well as your PSCs. We also understand each section of the application entirely, so we can ensure that the application is filled out correctly. The main reason why SAM registrations are not approved is due to errors on the application, but we can ensure that everything is correct on the first go around.

To get started, simply click on the green New Registration tab on our homepage. If you have an active registration already, but simply forgot your SAM MPIN, go to FSD.gov for further assistance. However, if we prepared you initial SAM registration, we may be able to provide you with your SAM MPIN, as we probably created it for you during the registration process.

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Every year, the government spends about $500 billion on contracts with businesses and individuals in the private sector. New contracts pop up all of the time and there are truly opportunities for everyone. If you’ve considered U.S. federal contractor registration, but aren’t sure how to get started, we can help.

System For Award Management Registration
In order to contract with the government, you will need procure what is known as a Commercial and Government Entity Code, or CAGE code. They only way to obtain this code is through U.S. federal contractor registration via the System for Award Management (SAM).

SAM is a huge database filled with every individual and company authorized to do business with the federal government. SAM registration is your first big step into the world of government contracting. Technically, SAM registration is free, but it can be so difficult and confusing that many people walk away from contracting, frustrated with the whole process.

That’s where we come in. As a third-party registration service, we can complete your SAM registration and renewals. We can take the guesswork out of this huge first step, which can take 10 to 15 hours or more to complete. While we do charge for our services, we find that using a third-party service saves enough time and frustration to be well worth the cost. It’s similar to hiring an accountant to handle your taxes to save yourself from the complexities of the U.S. tax codes.

After SAM, The Fun Begins . . .
SAM registration is the first hurdle, and after that you can start bidding on contracts. However, you need to think about a few things first and handle a few important tasks, including:

1. Sign Up With SBA
The Small Business Administration can be a helpful source for government contractors, providing contracting tips and other advice to help you build up your business. Does your business qualify as a small business? You might be surprised to learn about the size standards for small businesses, it’s not just for companies with 10 or fewer employees. In many cases, a company with 100 or more employees can qualify.

Why does this matter? The government sets aside a specific portion of its federal contracting budget just for small businesses. In some cases, it can be easier to earn a contract if you are a small business.

For instance, if the contract is worth $3,500 to $150,000, these contracts are automatically set-aside just for small business owners. The government also sometimes requires prime contractors to use small businesses as subcontractors, and subcontracting can be an easy and profitable way to dive into government contracting.

If you qualify, in general, as a small business because of your size, you may also qualify for other small business distinctions. For instance, if your business is 51% or more woman-owned, veteran-owned or service-disabled veteran-owned, these are special distinctions known as set-asides because a portion of the federal contracting budget is “set-aside” for these jobs and there are several other set-asides in addition to the ones mentioned above.

2. Sign Up With Your PTAC
The Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers was developed specifically to help small businesses with procurement. For the uninitiated, procurement is the word to describe the process by which the government purchases goods and services. There are many regional offices, known as PTACs, so just go to the APTAC website and click on the map of the United States to find your office.

3. Create Your Capability Statement
A capability statement is kind of like a resume for the government. It basically expresses your abilities and past performances. Government procurement agents will expect to see your capability statement at some point during the bidding process and you should have it readily available at all times. It’s also recommended that you create a webpage just for government contracting with a link to your capability statement.

How do you create this capability statement? This document includes a great deal of information about your company, including your core competencies and a list of previous clients. You also will want to list your CAGE code, your DUNS number, your NAICS codes and any small businesses certifications.

To learn more, do an internet search to find some examples of what these statements include and how to design them. We also found Pinterest to be a surprising source of design ideas for these statements, so don’t forget about this site.

4. Do Some Research
You already know how to market and sell to the private sector. Selling goods or services to the government is a vastly different process, although the government wants the same thing everyone wants – quality at an affordable price.

In order to bid on government contracts, you need to learn about the different types of contracting opportunities, as the bidding process for each one is unique. Our best advice is to consider attending some workshops or watching webinars regarding government contracting.

Sign up with your state’s procurement system, and not only can you bid on state contracts, you also will gain access to many resources that will help you dive into the world of government contracting. States often host workshops or events where potential government contractors can learn more about contracting and even meet face-to-face with procurement officers. These typically are inexpensive and packed with helpful information.

Take Your First Step
If you need to complete your initial U.S. federal contractor registration, but are a bit unsure about the process, give us a call at any time at (800) 985-7658 or click on the green New Registration tab on our homepage. We complete hundreds of registrations and renewals each year for small business as as well as large corporations, and we can quickly get you registered and ready to bid on those government contracts.

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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.

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