If it’s been seven or eight months since you completed your SAM registration, you probably should begin to think about SAM renewal. Renewing early is crucial, but what if you have yet to attain a contracting job? If you are feeling discouraged, consider using some of the following resources.
Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC)
If you’re having trouble with government contracting, the APTAC website can be an excellent resource. Centers known as PTACs are found throughout the United States (including Puerto Rico and Guam), and were formed in the 1980s under the Procurement Technical Assistance Program. The goal of this program is to assist businesses and help them become successful in the world of government contracting.
To find your center, or PTAC, go to the APTAC website at www.aptac-us.org. From there, you can click on the Government Contracting Assistance tab and then select Find-a-PTAC. For instance, California has 6 PTACs serving a number of counties and you’ll also find a link to the American Indian Chamber Education Fund, which operates a PTAC for Native businesses in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Idaho and Washington. If you don’t live near your PTAC, you can contact them via phone, email and even with a webcall, if necessary.
Most of the services provided at your PTAC are free, and they might include helping you determine which agencies might be a good match for contracting, notifying you about potential job opportunities, helping your market your business and much more.
The APTAC website also has a government contracting blog and a list of resources and contracting tips. Additionally, they also host PTAC training events with subjects ranging from “Introduction to Government Contracting” to “Small Business Certifications” to “Teaming Arrangements and Subcontracting.”
Small Business Administration
If you qualify as a small business, the Small Business Administration can be an excellent resource for government contractors. Before you decide to forgo your SAM renewal, check out some of the offerings at this website. If you head to this specific page, https://www.sba.gov/course/how-prepare-government-contract-proposals/, you can view a 30-minute mini-course designed to help you learn how to prepare a proposal.
The SBA’s Learning Center also provides mini-courses for other subjects that may be of interest to small business owners. Topics range from social media marketing to finding investors for your small business. You also can find links to the SBA’s Contracting Guide and Contracting Assistance Programs as well as counseling for those struggling with the world of federal contracting. These links can be found at https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting.
FedBizOpps.gov
This website includes a search engine for finding government contracts, and it also provides some helpful contracting information. Click on the Getting Started tab on the homepage and you’ll find links to training videos as well as written user guides and a massive section filled with frequently asked questions. If you have questions about contracting, it’s likely that others also have these same questions and you can find many of the answers at FedBizOpps.gov.
Additionally, there are many private companies that offer workshops and seminars for government contractors. These resources aren’t free, of course, but they might provide some valuable information as well as helping you build your contact list. One of our biggest tips for contracting newbies is to consider subcontracting. This can be a great option, allowing you to build up a government contracting resume and let a more experienced government contractor handle the heavy lifting, so to speak. You can learn a lot from these experienced contractors, so don’t be afraid to try subcontracting.
If you have decided to take the plunge and opt for SAM renewal, we can help. We are a third-party SAM registration and renewal services. If you want to save yourself the time and headache associated with SAM renewals, hire us and we’ll handle it for you. We highly recommend that you contact us for your renewal several months before your expiration date, as government agencies are wary of hiring contractors whose SAM registration is nearing its expiration date.