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Acquiring Government Contracts |
| Date Added: January 03, 2009 02:45:55 PM |
| Author: Theodore Watson |
| Category: Blogs: Law |
| Governing laws The federal acquisition regulation (FAR) is the primary procurement law for government contracting agencies. Regardless of the agency, procurement officials must follow these guidelines. Of importance is that an agency can divert away from the main FAR regulations to create local rules to compliment the unique missions. However, an agency can not invent new rules or create rules or policy that contradicts congressional intent. How to become successful in small business contract awards The key to successful award of contracts under the government small business program is to learn how to become competitive, learn how to market to the federal government and master how to take advantage of subcontracting, teaming and joint ventures. Without these efforts, the government can justify , as they frequently do, why commercial services and products are not awarded to small businesses. What should you do first? As potential government contractor, the first inquiry should always be whether or not the government does in fact purchase your service or product. Chances are it does. After finding who your target market is a potential government small business contractor should then align their capabilities to meet the demand. Can I sell services and products outside of my state? Yes you can. As opposed to state government contracting, federal procurement law allows contractors to reach across state lines. Most small business contractors fear to venture outside of their comfort zone. However, this can be a grave mistake. Federal contracts are awarded every day to successful bidders that are not located in the dame state as the procuring government agency. In fact, government procurement officials should not create RFPs that on their face favors in state contractors over out of state bidders. This can be viewed as unconstitutional. What training do I need to become a government contractor? As for any new business venture, a new federal small business contractor must have someone on its team that understands how the game is played. Government contracting is a very lucrative business. However, federal procurement law is full of complex regulations and rules. If your budget and business plan allows, you should consider hiring an experienced government contract consultant that understands the procurement process. The SBA offers training for small businesses and government contractors. However, the government is also reducing manpower. Therefore, training can be very limited and the content may not always help your specific business initiatives. Past Performance Matters One of the major concerns for federal small business contractors is that they may not possess enough experience to bid for government contractors. This line of thinking is not exactly true. Congress new that to encourage small business to bid on government contracts that there should be rules to offset this fear. Federal procurement laws provide that a small business should not be rated negatively for lack of past performance. However, contracting officers do not always adhere to this guidance. Small businesses can help overcome low scores on past performance by taking advantage of teaming arrangements with contractors that do have the experience. Joint ventures are also other mechanisms to use. You should start seeking out credible teaming partners early. How do I qualify to be a federal small business? Unlike the commercial sector, federal procurement laws are governed by definitions, definitions and more definitions. To become eligible as a federal contractor, government contract law only requires you to be registered on CCR. Then, you can assign up to 20 NAICS codes to tell the government what exactly you offer. It is each of these codes that sets out the important qualifications. For sample, each NAICS code distinguishes between large and small businesses by the amount of gross revenues or the amount of employees. Where do I find Qualified Federal Procurement Consultants? Many businesses advertise as government contract consultants. Many of them recruit prior government contracting officers. This can be a benefit. However, new small business contractors seek federal contract consultants that also understand the small business program and understand the legal aspects of federal procurement law. At Watson & Associates,LLC we staff our federal procurement and small business consulting team with prior government contracting officials and government contract lawyers. For more infor, visit us at www.theodorewatson.com |
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