How to Become a Government Contractor

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Categories: How Tos

  • Federal, state and local governments offer big and small businesses the opportunity to sell goods and services to the government by becoming a government contractor. To become a government contractor you will need to follow specific procedures. Read on to learn how to become a government contractor.

  • Introduction

    • In this floundering economy, more businesses are wondering how to obtain federal, state and local government contracts. As long you follow government guidelines and procedures, becoming a government contractor is an easy process.

  • Step 1: Familiarize Yourself With Rules and Regulations

    • Conform to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). FAR is a 1,000 page document that outlines the rules for Government contracting. If you wish to obtain Department of Defense (DoD) contracts, your will also need to read the Defense Acquisitions Guidebook.

  • Step 2: Register Your Business

    • To do business as a government contractor, you will need to register with the federal government.
    1. Obtain a D-U-N-S Number. A D-U-N-S Number is a nine-digit identification number for the physical location of your business.
    2. Register with Central Contractor Registration (CCR). The CCR is the federal government's primary database of government contractors.
      • To register, go to the CCR website.
      • You will need a D-U-N-S number to register.

  • Step 3: Obtain Official Past Performance Evaluations

    • For some contracts, you will need an independent audit of your past contracts.
    1. Contact the company Open Ratings via their website.
    2. Request a Past Performance Evaluation.
    3. Open Ratings will:
      1. Audit your business' customer references.
      2. Give you a rating based on a statistical analysis.

  • Step 4: Find Government Contracts

    1. Contact the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). The GSA acts as the federal government's business manager.
      • Long-term contracts are established through the GSA Schedules Program.
      • Think about taking the Center for Acquisition Excellence's online training course, "How to Become a Contractor--GSA Schedules Program".
    2. Check out the FedBizOpps: Federal Business Opportunities website.
      • Agencies are required to list all planned contracts over $25,000 in FedBizOpps.
    3. Become a subcontractor for a company that already has a government contract.
    4. Contact your State to find out how you can get state contracts.
    5. Contact a Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), a nationwide network of procurement professionals who can help you find a government contract.




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