Around 2010, a contracting officer at a military base in Tampa, Florida, unknowingly initiated a major change in the way small businesses win federal contracts. It all started with the purchase of a boat. The short story is that the government's boat purchase illustrated a problem which needed a solution.
Before the government buys anything, there is usually a build up process to that need. This allows the government to plan their acquisitions. Planning isn’t just to create a laundry list of things that need to be done. It's to also provide the biggest opportunity to small businesses.
With beginnings in 1979, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has become the go-to source for federal disaster relief. FEMA recognizes the importance of private-sector partnerships to restore communities after disasters and that is where federal contracts come into play. With a little guidance, businesses can provide assistance and win federal contracts.
For almost two decades, contracting officers, government contractors and those interested in pursuing government contracts have relied on the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) to collect and interpret the information needed to succeed in the federal marketplace. Now that resource is being replaced.
On this episode of The Government Buys... a Podcast, host David Rockwell and Senior Registration and Contracting Specialist, Justin Jones, discuss the most recent changes to the simplified acquisition procedures as of mid-April 2020. How can your small business provide relief and assistance during this national emergency? Are you prepared for the potential economic downturn after the initial crisis is over?
On this special edition of The Government Buys... a Podcast, we analyze the U.S. Government's immediate response with federal contracts to the COVID-19 outbreak.
On this episode of The Government Buys... a Podcast, we highlight how the right training can take a business from SAM Registration to their dream contract. Listen to the story of service-disabled veteran and business-owner Craig Williams.
On this episode of The Government Buys a Podcast we interview Steven Lee, Founder and Director of Research and Analytics for Rotunda Solutions, a systems engineering and data analytics consulting firm. We learn about how this Service Disabled Veteran Owned small business, Rotunda Solutions, was hired by the US government to streamline processes and improve efficiency. Steven is joined by TGBAP Alumni Brett W. Josephson, Assistant Professor of Marketing at George Mason University, who also works as a consultant with Rotunda Solutions to provide valuable insight regarding the federal marketplace.
On this episode of TGBAP we interview Brett W. Josephson, Ph.D. Brett is the Director of Executive Development at George Mason University and an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Mason’s School of Business. He is also an Affiliated Faculty member for Mason’s Center for Government Contracting. His unique research into government contracting provides insights for businesses moving into the federal market. Part 2 of the conversation answers the question, "Is the government a good customer?" If so, "How do you extract value from this customer once you've made the commitment?"
On this episode of TGBAP, we interview Brett W. Josephson, Ph.D. Brett is the Director of Executive Development at George Mason University and an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Mason’s School of Business. He is also an Affiliated Faculty member for GMU's Center for Government Contracting.
Many people think that government contracting is for well-connected, large businesses, but that is a misconception. Small businesses play a major role in government acquisitions. Thanks to small business programs called set-asides the federal marketplace is accessible to almost everyone. Join us as we root for the underdog in this episode of The Government Buys...a Podcast.
Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Businesses (EDWOSB) can be eligible for set asides. Set-asides even the playing field for small businesses. Get your documents together and find out what it takes to qualify on this episode of The Government Buys... a Podcast.
Set asides for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses and Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses can provide an advantage to veterans in the competitive federal contracting marketplace. Stand behind those who have stood behind us all on this episode of The Government Buys a Podcast.
A current registration in the System for Award Management is the key to getting paid for the federal contracts you complete as a government contractor. Making sure a business of any size is compliant with all federal regulations can increase your odds of winning government contracts and make you an attractive partner to other contractors.
Grab your chips and get ready to learn the recipe for the secret sauce!
Award Notices are given when a federal agency awards a contract in response to a solicitation. Government contractors can learn a great deal from an award notice in addition to finding out which vendor won the contract and for how much. Just because the contract has been awarded to a vendor doesn’t mean the work is over. Roll up your sleeves, it's time to get deep and deconstruct what valuable information is hidden in award notices.
You will see your business grow faster if you choose the right partners on your journey into government contracting. Partners can come in many forms. You could partner with a third-party registration firm to cut through red tape. You could team with a company to expand your capabilities. You could merge with a business to form a joint venture. Or you could form a prime-sub relationship to fulfill a specific contract requirement. This podcast episode will explore the concept of networking and partnering as well as provide an example of it in action.
Set-asides give small businesses a major advantage when it comes to winning contracts. If it wasn't for these distinctions, small businesses would have a much more difficult time getting established in government contracting. HUBZone certification is one of the more confusing set-asides to attain and that's why we'll dedicate this podcast episode to understanding it more.
When a business starts winning government contracts, they may experience some cash flow changes because the government pays a little different than your average client. This is something that you have to consider when submitting your offers. On this episode of "The Government Buys...a Podcast," we're going to uncover some of those challenges. We'll look at some early wins for a successful small business government contractor to understand what went right and what went wrong.
The Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) is a portal used by federal agencies to find small businesses for simplified acquisition contracts and micro-purchases. Prime contractors also use it to find subcontractors. In this episode, of "The Government Buys...a Podcast," we get insight from USFCR's experts about the system.
The General Services Administration (GSA) has a big part in the process of government contracting. Some people have a bad impression of the GSA because they are so interconnected into the process. This podcast episode explains it all leaves you feeling like you understand how to use the GSA's resources to make money for your business.
