Every year, the hundreds of agencies within the federal government, offer a myriad of government contracting opportunities. These jobs can be financially rewarding, but it does take some research and extra work to learn how to appeal to government agencies and win bids. Check out a few of our helpful tips that might make the process easier.
1. Learn How To Market Yourself
While you already might know how to market yourself for the private sector, the government is another ball of wax altogether. For instance, perhaps you’re an IT consultant and you typically advertise using terms such as “boost your ROI,” or “reduce downtime by 40% or more.”
While reducing downtime definitely can be beneficial for government agencies, boosting the ROI is not really a concern. After all, these agencies are not for-profit businesses, they simply want an IT company that can streamline their IT systems and keep it as secure as possible.
You have to think like a government agency when you design marketing materials. What does this agency truly need from you? Whatever the need, make sure your marketing brochures, information sheets and other materials clearly showcase how you can help meet their needs.
Learning how to create a competitive bid is crucial, but it’s important to keep in mind that many agencies actively search through the System for Award Management (SAM) database for possible contractors. If an agency rep finds you through SAM, it’s crucial that your marketing materials and your website be top quality. It’s not just about the bid, it’s also about how your market yourself.
2. Evaluate Your Website
Does your website provide a user-friendly experience? You need to ensure that your website is well-designed and easy to navigate. Do the web pages load quickly? Does your site work well on mobile devices as well as on desktops? A great website can set you apart from your competitors, both with your government and non-government clients.
Government representatives need to quickly identify your services and qualifications. It would be smart to design a page devoted to government contracting, so that an agency rep quickly can find information about your core competencies, your CAGE code, DUNS number, set-aside codes and so-forth.
3. Create A Top-Notch Capability Statement
Most government agencies will want you to provide a Capability Statement, which is a bit like a resume, although the information that you need to include looks a bit different than a resume.
Still, government agencies sift through hundreds or thousands of these throughout the year, so yours does need to stand out. You need an eye-catching, easy-to-read design, but more importantly, you need to provide the type of content that the agency representatives are seeking.
This statement will include a list of your core competencies, which is basically a quick list of the types of services you can provide. You also need to list past experiences, which should include a list of clients you’ve served along with their contact information. Additionally, you will want to include a short list of differentiators, and this is a list that showcases how your company stands out from the pack.
The last section of this document includes your company data, including basic information about your physical location and perhaps your founding date, as well as your DUNS number, your CAGE code, your Socio-Economic Certifications, your NAICS codes and any additional certifications that might be of interest to a potential employer.
4. Attend A Workshop Or Class
Learning how to write bids can be tough, but there are some helpful resources available, particularly if you qualify as a small business. As part of the SAM registration process, we can help you find out if you do qualify as a small business, and then you’ll be able to use all of the resources available through the government-run Small Business Administration.
If you don’t qualify as a small business, there are still plenty of classes, online tutorials and even third-party services that can help you write your bid or proposal. Not only do you need to learn how to write a bid, you also need to learn about the different types of bids.
A government agency might issue a Request for Proposal (RFP), a Request for Tender (RFT) or perhaps a Request for Quotation. There are also Invitations for Bids (IFB). Each of these is slightly different, and it’s important to understand these differences so that you can find the best opportunities for your company.
For instance, an RFP or RFT typically is issued for contracts with a value greater than $25,000 and for contracts where the supplier will be chosen based on several factors, and not just for offering the lowest price point. An RFQ is typically awarded very quickly, and the value of these contracts is less than $25,000. An IFB typically has a value greater than $100,000. These bids are competitive, and the lowest bin will win the award.
5. Keep Your SAM Registration Current
At Federal Contractor Registry, we can help you get started with government contracting by completing your SAM registrations for you. We also can help with SAM renewals, and it’s important to get your SAM renewals completed well before your expiration date.
SAM registration expires every year, and you must update and renew your listing. It can take several weeks for this renewal to be approved, so it’s essential that you renew months before your actual expiration date. If an agency sees that your registration is going to expire in two or three months, they might be wary of using your company.
This is because if your registration expires in the middle of a job, they can no longer use your services because you aren’t legally able to do business with the government unless you have a current SAM registration. We highly recommend that you renew about three months before you expiration date, and we also encourage you to keep your information up-to-date. If a phone number changes or your address changes, immediately update this information in SAM.
While the government does not charge for SAM registration, it can be an extremely frustrating experience, and can take 10 or more hours to complete the application. If you wish to save some time and ensure that your registration is completed correctly, we can help. We are a third-party SAM registration service and we’ve helped thousands of companies, large and small, get started with government contracting. To get the process rolling, simply head to our homepage and click on the green New Registration button and one of our registration specialists will begin working on your registration as quickly as possible.