Three Tips For Getting Government Contracts

Federal spending has been going up in recent years. Regardless of your own political leanings, this spending boost is a great opportunity for government contractors. It also means there’s a lot more opportunity for small and emerging businesses as well as more established ones. Here are some of the most helpful tips to help you win contracts from the government.

Really Know Your Business

There are thousands of opportunities for federal contracts currently listed on the government’s clearinghouse website. In a way, thousands of options are worse than no option, especially if it’s your job to go through all these listings and work out which ones you might actually want to try and compete for.

The best way to manage this is to make sure that you really know your business, inside and out. You need to understand exactly what it is that you have to offer. Understanding both your business and government strategies for companies will help you to narrow down your search options a lot.

Be Aware Of Your Advantages Before Stepping Into Competition

As a small business, it can feel as though you’re at a disadvantage when you’re competing against much bigger businesses. You might be faster or more customer-focused than a larger organization with a lot more bureaucracy to deal with, but going up against the big boys can feel like an impossible fight.

In government contracting, however, that model can be turned on its head. The government actually sets aside opportunities run by women, those from economically or socially disadvantaged groups, veterans, or businesses located in underprivileged geographic areas. There are a lot of restrictions, so check each program for more details to see if you qualify.

The government also tries to set aside around a quarter of its contracts for small businesses, so you do have a chance to win contracts even if you’re still growing.

Get Comfortable With The Paperwork

If you want to business with the US Government, then your company must be registered with the Central Contractor Registration database. CCR can also be a useful tool for you too, as it will allow you to look at how many competitors there are in your industry who are already working with the government. This might give you some ideas about what it will take to make a business more attractive to the government or to give you a clue about opportunities for subcontracting.

Even though there are a lot of government contracts out there, landing them isn’t always going to be easy. Another way to get work with the government is to work as a subcontractor for larger companies. These contractors usually have a database themselves of potential partners and you will need to register with them separately from the government’s site. Have a look at the websites of big firms, and make sure you’re listed on Supplier Connection, a database that connects potential subcontractor partners to major contractors. Stay on top of the paperwork to stay on all these databases.