How to Bid on Military Jobs

The Federal government purchases $425 billion in products and services annually.

The Federal government has an insatiable need for products and services from private contractors, and purchases more than $425 billion annually on the open market. In order to compete for federal contracts, including military contracts, there are some specific steps you will have to go through. You'll also need to round up good references and be able to demonstrate a track record of successful performance in your business.





(NOTE TO EDITOR: See http://www.sba.gov/contractingopportunities/index.html for source on 425 billion figure.)

Things You'll Need

• Social Security Number or Taxpayer ID number
• Internet access

Instructions

1. Apply for a DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet. This is a unique 9-digit identifier for each physical location in your business. See resources for where you can request a DUNS number.

2. Register your business with CCR, the Central Contracting Registry. Regulations require all bidding businesses to be registered in CCR prior being contracted to provide goods or services to the Federal Government. You can register using the link given in the references section.

3. Visit the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA). There you will fill out "reps and certs" information, and apply for status as a HUBZone or Section 8(a) business, if applicable. This is where the government "looks" to qualify you as a small business or other disadvantaged business, and make you eligible for set-aside contracts or pricing advantages reserved for small businesses or businesses in economically challenged communities.

4. Identify the NAICS Codes under which you will be doing business. Each trade, service or industry has a unique NAICS code that the government uses to categorize and itemize its purchasing. You can find your NAICS code by visiting NAICS.com.

5. Identify the contract on which you would like to bid. You may visit FedBizOpps, the official federal listing for contracting opportunities, at www.fbo.gov. However, many smaller opportunities are never posted on the FedBizOpps site. Contracts under $25,000 are frequently handled by local or agency purchasing officers.

6. Visit the Defense Contracting site on Business.gov and locate the defense agency or service in which you are interested in working. Read the link and follow those agency-specific directions.

7. Download and read the requests for proposal (RFPs) in which you are interested. To bid on specific jobs, follow the directions carefully.

Tips & Warnings

• Bid carefully. Bidding is a time-consuming process. Bid only where you have a competitive advantage over the competition.

• Consider subcontracting to a prime contractor. Acquisition regulations require prime contractors to subcontract 47 percent of their contract to women-owned, minority-owned, or veteran-owned businesses.

• Make good use of the Office of Small Business Programs. They can help you connect with the OSDBUs (Office of Small Business Development and Utilization) in each relevant agency, who can help guide you through the process.

• Don't bite off more than you can chew. It is very easy for a small business to become overwhelmed by the volume of some federal contracts. Limit the scope of your engagement, or subcontract with a partner provider who can help you with larger orders.

References

• Business.Gov
• Request a DUNS Number
• Register with CCR
• FedBizOpps
• Business.Gov: Defense Contracting

Resources

• Department of Defense Office of Small Business Development