Before you can bid on federal contracts, you must complete your System for Award Management (SAM) Registration. Only businesses that have completed their registration can submit bids and receive federal contracts.
Completed your SAM Registration? Then it’s time to start submitting bids for federal contracts. While landing your first government contract can seem like a daunting, and sometimes impossible, task, we can help. We present below the information you need to confirm you’re ready to submit bids; find information about procurement opportunities; reach out to and talk with procurement officers; and actually submit a bid.
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Before you bid, do your homework
There are federal contracts available for anything, from coffee cups and towels to disaster-relief efforts, airplane parts, and office space and cleaning contracts are one of the most widely needed contracts within the government space. And the federal government is set up to make it easy for small businesses to compete with large businesses (known as prime vendors). Minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses often have the advantage, because the federal government each year earmarks a percentage of their planned contract awards to these types of small businesses.
Before you can bid on government contracts, you need to know where to find information about available contracts and also how to confirm that you’re qualified to bid on the contract. You can find information about available government cleaning contracts online We update this list of available opportunities every day.
Federal contracts are often readily available but how does a business tell if they qualify for these contracts? The first step is to look and see what opportunities are available. A business can quickly search to find out which contracts are available by going to https://www.govcleancontractingservices.com. When a business looks at available Federal contracts, the business should understand that these contracts are currently available today only and will update every day for the next year.
Next, look online for information about which companies in your industry have received government contracts. To identify businesses and companies in your industry, you can search by NAICS code(s) or by keyword. Visit NAICS.com for information about NAICS codes. The NAICS Code for the cleaning industry is 561720. When reviewing previously awarded contracts, note the date signed and the award amount. This information tells you who is getting contracts and for how much.
Finally, identify your likely competition. You can look online for other companies and businesses that provide the same services and products that you provide. A company’s website can tell you a lot. For example, you may learn that one of your competitors has a license, is bonded, and is insured. If you’re bidding against this company, and you aren’t licensed, bonded, or insured, the procurement officer will likely pick that company over you, even if all other parts of your bids are equal.
2How to get your first federal contract
It’s a Catch-22. The more experienced you are, the easier it is to land a government contract, but landing a government contract without having much experience is difficult, and sometimes impossible. So if you want to get a federal contract? Be prepared to work hard, sometimes for less money that you think you deserve, and keep your clients happy.
The federal government looks for information about bidders in three databases: PPRIS, FAPIIS, and CPARS. These three databases are like giant review websites that the government uses to record and track past performance. The better your reviews, the more likely a procurement officer will trust that you can deliver what you say you will deliver.
And here’s how you can get examples of past performance and begin racking up good reviews:
Work as a Subcontractor to a Prime Vendor
Large federal contractors often must subcontract out parts of contracts to small businesses. A small business that works as a subcontractor not only makes money but also earns valuable (and necessary) past performance. You can information about prime vendors online to find information about prime vendors interested in teaming and partnering on large contracts.
Subcontractors often decide to continue subcontracting even after becoming an established prime vendor, since the return on investment can often be large. Subcontractors that are 8a Disadvantaged can really excel at subcontracting, as can WOSB (Women Owned Small Business) and VOSB (Veteran Owned Small Business).
Enroll in the Simplified Acquisition Program
You also can find information about prime vendors and subcontracting opportunities through our Simplified Acquisition Program. The Simplified Acquisition Program is a program designed to allow vendors to compete for contracts valued at between $2,500 and $250,000. Procurement officers award Simplified Acquisition contracts, which are set aside for small businesses, without businesses needing to bid. Simplified Acquisition contracts give businesses valuable best performance without them needing to bid. Many of our clients land their first contract via our Simplified Acquisition Program.
The best advantage to Simplified Acquisition Contracts has to do with the fact that a new vendor is saved from submitting bids. Bids can add confusion to the contracting process and Simplified Acquisition Contracts can be great way to get started in gaining that valuable Past Performance. Simplified Acquisition Contracts are the best way to get your first federal contract.
The Simplified Acquisition Program includes the following:
System for Award Management (SAM) Registration
Official Government Profile Creation in Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS)
Monthly Email Bid Notifications and Contract Support
Complete Government Business Plan with Direct Access to Buyers and Prime Vendors
Website Creation in Standard Federal Format
Training for the Simplified Acquisition Environment
No-Bids are also including with this program
Winning your first of many government cleaning contracts is a sure fire way to scale your cleaning business to 6-FIgures & Beyond.
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