The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) constantly needs goods and services from government contractors. While you might associate FEMA disaster jobs with tasks such as cleanup services, there are many other profitable opportunities available and it’s not just about cleanup.
Your First Step: SAM Registration
Before you can bid on any FEMA disaster jobs or any government contracting jobs, you will need to complete SAM (System for Award Management) registration. SAM is a database with all government contracts, and once you complete the registration process and are approved, you will be given a Corporate and Government Entities (CAGE) Code.
Once you have an active SAM registration and a CAGE Code, you are free to bid on government contracts, including FEMA contractor jobs. Keep in mind, FEMA needs goods and services throughout the year, and not just when a disaster occurs. For instance, with the recent pandemic, they’ve need supplies and services throughout the year. But they also need basic items, such as office supplies, throughout the year.
SAM registration can be an arduous process and take can take 10 hours or more to complete. As a third-party SAM registration service, we receive calls all of the time from people frustrated with the process, ready to give up on government contracting. However, rather than forget about government contracting jobs, just hire us to complete the process.
We handle hundreds of SAM registrations and renewals each year, and we can complete your registration and have you approved and ready to bid on contracting jobs as quickly as possible. While you can register for SAM yourself at no charge, using our services is a bit like using an accountant to handle your taxes. You could file taxes yourself, but the tax code is complicated, and if you make mistakes, there are penalties so sometimes it’s easier to allow a pro to handle these types of tasks.
How To Find FEMA Disaster Jobs
One way to find FEMA jobs, as well as other federal contracting jobs, is to head to Beta.SAM.gov, which is run by the Federal Service Desk, the same organization that manages SAM.
At this website, you can search for jobs by agency. About halfway down the page, you will see a section for Federal Organizations. For FEMA, you would need to type out the full name – Federal Emergency Management Agency or type in the number 7022, which is the number designated for FEMA.
On a recent search for FEMA contractor jobs, we noticed that there were more than 20 pages of job listings. So, rather than scroll through 20-plus pages looking for jobs that suit your goods or services, it can be better to also add in your North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Codes or your Product Service Codes (PSCs). If you don’t already know your codes, we can find them for your during the SAM registration process.
If you don’t see anything listed, we recommend that you clear FEMA from your search and just do a general search for all agencies using your PSCs or NAICS codes. There may be other agencies that need your goods or services.
Types Of FEMA Jobs
After a disaster has struck, FEMA can help out in a number of ways. They can help provide emergency shelters, food and water for victims. They also can help support medical personnel, such as during our current pandemic. So, if your businesses can provide items such as protective gear, hazardous waste cleanup, medical test kits or something else needed to help fight Covid-19, you might be able to win a government contract.
During a quick, recent search we discovered a few of the following opportunities available via FEMA:
• Power Generators
• Generator Maintenance & Repair
• Janitorial Services
• File Cabinets & Safes
• Satellite Phones
• Copier Services
• Protective Equipment
These are just a few of the FEMA contracting jobs that have been offered recently. Keep in mind, that the dates to apply or bid on some of these jobs has passed, but it gives a general idea of the wide scope of opportunities available throughout the year. Food services and medical supplies are other items commonly needed by FEMA.
During a disaster, state and county governments also will need government contractors to help. It’s a good idea to sign up with your state’s procurement agency, as well as with SAM, so that you can take advantage of any natural disaster cleanup jobs at all levels of government. FEMA isn’t always called in to help with every emergency situation, so you should expand your contracting goals beyond this single agency.
In general, FEMA disaster jobs can be quite lucrative, and if you want to get started working with FEMA or any agency, contact us at any time and we will handle your SAM registration. You can contact us by phone at (800) 985-7658 or click on the green New Registration tab on our homepage and fill out our quick contact form.