4 Best Practices For Winning Federal Government Contracts

For small businesses, having the federal government as a customer can be a surefire ticket to success. And while it may seem that most government contracts only go to the biggest organizations out there, the truth is that there’s a lot of work to be done, which means even the smallest firms can win government contracts under the right circumstances.

But this is all probably yesterday’s news to you. What you want to know is how to build a business strategy that will help you win government contracts. Unfortunately, there’s no secret sauce when working with the government. But what you can do is use tried and tested practices to help your small business attract the attention of procurement officers.

Register at the System for Award Management (SAM) Website

Before anything else, your business must first register with the System for Award Management (SAM) as an official government contractor. You will need:

Your D-U-N-S number, a legal business name, and physical address found in your D&B record. Your Taxpayer Identification Number and registered Taxpayer Name Bank routing number, bank account type, and bank account number

You will find the complete list of steps for government contractor registration in the Small Business Administration’s website.

Know Which Agencies To Target

The U.S. Government has more than 250 agencies that do everything from build roads, perform healthcare research, facilitate foreign aid, and help find ways to grow food more efficiently.

The key is knowing which agency, or agencies, your organization should do business with. That means knowing your services inside and out, from strengths and weakness, to which organizations it would serve best. Your business may have a better shot at success when bidding for government contracts in Education, Agriculture, or Technology.

Bottom line? Focus on your strengths to avoid spreading yourself out too thin. BizDev Experts can help you with capture management if this isn't your forte.

Forge Alliances With Other Contractors

If you’re starting out, its’ a good idea to collaborate with other contractors and even subcontractors to increase your bandwidth and access to contracting opportunities, while at the same, lower your risk. You could, for example, offer to subcontract your services to a prime contractor, which is a quick way to get your name out in the contractor market.

Admittedly, the federal government used to prefer working with prime contractors alone. However, with the 1997 Small Business Reauthorization Act requiring that 23 percent of contracts be awarded to small businesses, teaming up is now encouraged. You can meet other contractors directly on this site, BizDevExperts.com, by signing up and viewing the membership directory.

Get Certified

Small businesses that want to differentiate themselves from the competition can seek certification according to SBA requirements. There are a variety of certifications from which you can choose (eg 8a, HUBZone, service-disabled veteran owned small business, and women owned small business to name a few). BizDev Experts can help you with the application process for any certification including the SBA’s HUBZone program, which provides special access to contracts for small businesses located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZones).

To qualify for HUBZone status, your business must be located in a recognized HUBZone, with 35 percent of your employees residing in one as well. BizDev Experts can help you stay compliant by recruiting HUBZone employees for your business.

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