This briefing covers active market intelligence, regulatory guidelines, and tactical capture recommendations for federal and defense contractors pursuing opportunities in this procurement classification.
GOVERNMENT CONTRACT- Adriana Flores’ family has been in the business of selling musical instruments for the past 88 years. Her grandfather, Alfredo Flores Sr., forced to flee his country for the U.S. during the Mexican Revolution in the early 1900s, began selling repossessed pianos bought from the bank where he worked during the Great Depression.
In the 1960s, Flores’ father began running the store — today the Alamo Music Center in San Antonio, Texas, — and took two important steps to expand: selling other types of musical instruments and registering to apply for a federal government contract.
Flores, now the store’s vice president, estimates that since that time, the store has sold the government thousands of musical instruments while also serving local customers. Government contracts account for about a sixth of the company’s business, she says.
Each year, the federal government spends roughly $400 billion to $500 billion on contracts, with a goal of allocating 23% of contracts to small businesses. Even businesses in industries that don’t scream “government necessity” can qualify for federal contracts — there’s a need for everything from tubas to office supplies to janitorial services.
What does it take to get your piece of the federal contracting pie? Here are the key steps.
Register your business
Register your business on SAM.gov. The free process involves getting a nine-digit identification number, called the D-U-N-S Number, for each location of your business, as well as designating one or more North American Industry Classification System, or NAICS, codes that describe the goods or services your business offers.
In addition to the 23% small-business procurement goal, the government also sets goals for providing work to traditionally disadvantaged small-business owners, including disabled veterans, minorities and women. To qualify, you must get certification from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Read more: How to score government contract work for your small business
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