Sunday, April 2, 2017

Understanding How To Be A Government Grantee Or Contractor

By Jason Gray


In order to grow, businesses have to continually expand their client and customer bases. This can be difficult to do when the economy slows down. There is a constant source of revenue available to most businesses however, if owners are willing to consider it. Federal agencies award contracts to large and small businesses that successfully learn how to be a government grantee or contractor. Not all companies even attempt the complicated process, but those that do tell newcomers perseverance and tenacity are important components.

One of the first things they learned is to follow federal instructions to the letter. They have applied and gotten the federal identification numbers necessary and registered with the proper credit agency. They understand there is errors and omissions insurance required and have decided it is worth the cost to maintain the protection.

You need to register your company with the governmental database to be considered for any job. A lot of business owners think this is just a formality, but agency staff routinely search the database to fulfill small orders. Be sure to insert relevant keywords in the appropriate field and supply references. Most people who have experience in this area stress how important experience is to federal agencies. They do not necessarily chose the lowest bid. They want to feel assured the successful bidder can do the work.

Networking is a fact of business life these days, and getting yourself noticed by federal agencies will require some. The first step may be to introduce yourself to the appropriate procurement office, and stay in touch. If you persist, you will probably be able to talk directly with an official. Getting to know these people, even on a casual basis, will help you in the long run. Federal agencies periodically have conferences that are open to vendors, and you should consider attending any of them that you can.

Filling out a bid solicitation can be extremely frustrating and time consuming. Depending on the contract, bids can run dozens of pages, but that is fine as long as you give them all the information they require exactly in the manner they ask for it. Your bid can be thrown out because one item was left out. If your bid is rejected, you may request a meeting with agency representatives to find out why.

Contrary to the opinion of many, small businesses do have some advantages. Federal agencies are required to award contracts under one hundred thousand dollars to these kinds of companies, and there are many such contracts. You don't have to limit yourself to the small contracts though because agencies are willing to award large jobs to small businesses if they are convinced the company can handle the workload.

Businesses owned by individuals considered disadvantaged or minorities get even extra consideration. Companies owned by disabled veterans and those that are located in low income areas are examples of these types of businesses.

Owners who have been awarded contracts by federal agencies usually find it is worth the hassle it takes to get them. This is a good way to expand and secure the success of small and large businesses.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment