Albany Marine Corps Base advertising small business set-aside contract for surveillance audits and recertifications
November 3, 2012 by cs
The Marine Corps Logistics Command, Albany, GA intends to award a Firm Fixed Price Requirements contract for a Base Period with 2 one-year options for ISO 3rd Party Registrar Services at Barstow, CA and Albany, GA. FOB Origin. The required Surveillance Audits and Recertifications are to be completed in accordance with Statement of Work.
A written solicitation document is scheduled to be issued on approximately November 13, 2012.
This acquisition is 100% set-aside for small businesses.
Details are now posted at https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=3620468d718869c578a33223524bb3c3&tab=core&tabmode=list&=.
The point of contact for this bid opportunity is Diane Heath, phone 229-639-6969, and email lim.cmsunull@htaeh.enaid.
3 steps to getting your small business discovered
February 17, 2012 by cs
I recently saw a discussion post in a group on LinkedIn that complained about people not lining up to download an application this person had on his web site. Why don’t people come to get this totally unique, valuable application? the person whined.
Why indeed!
We don’t operate in a vacuum and business does not occur by burning incense, chanting and praying for the phone to ring – or by posting something on a web site that very few people know about or visit.
What’s a company got to do to get on the radar?
Here are three relatively simple things that any company, especially small companies, should be doing so they can “get found.”
First, define your expertise in terms that resonate with your niche in the market. Bob Davis, vice president at HeiTech Services in Silver Spring, Md., calls this defining your “sustainable competitive advantage,” which should be something that your company does better than 90 percent of your competitors. This is a skill that you have demonstrated through work with a variety of clients, not simply one you claim without demonstrable experience.
In other words, you need to differentiate your company.
Second, get conversant with the new social media tools. Social media here encompasses web 2.0 tools like webinars, podcasts, blogs, web video, web radio and social networks like LinkedIn and GovLoop. To stand out and be found, you have to participate in multiple venues and offer some good content in each.
This does not mean that you have to use all of the above web tools, but you need to understand the value that each tool offers. Then use the tools that will help you get your message out to targeted audiences.
As I indicated in last month’s column, each of these tools brings something different to the table.
If you are offering a technical solution, webinars are a great tool to educate. Both blogging and webinars are great for developing a thought leadership position in your niche. Podcasts allow you to offer white papers, another thought leadership tool, in an audio format. The goal is to use one or two of these tools on a regular basis to highlight and support your claim to your market position and your sustainable competitive advantage.
The third task is to spread the word. You now have the message (your sustainable competitive advantage) and the platform(s) – whichever tools you have opted to use.
Next, you have to tell people where to find this great content. In February 2011 I wrote “Content may be King, but Delivery is the Ace” in which I explained that, although content is key to proving you own a particular piece of intellectual real estate, unless you can show people where to find that content, you will never get on the radar and get the right people to read, listen to, or watch any of the content you have developed.
Traditional methods still work. A solid PR campaign can help, but using social media to share the content as well as deliver it is effective.
Many people read my Washington Technology columns because they find the link to the article posted on LinkedIn, Tweeted, and occasionally even on Facebook.
Go back to the beginning of this article where the guy was whining about people not downloading an application that this person had on his web site. People have to know it’s there in order to download it.
Get on board and get on the radar of your audience.
About the Author: Mark Amtower is co-founder and co-director of the Government Market Masters program. This article was published on Feb. 14, 2012 by Washington Technology at http://washingtontechnology.com/articles/2012/02/14/amtower-small-business-social-media.aspx?s=wtdaily_150212.
Subcontracting could be your starting point into the government market
January 25, 2012 by cs
When considering how to enter the government marketplace, most business people first think about doing business directly with federal, state or local government agencies.
Contracting directly with a government entity involves many steps, and likely involves the requirement that you have years of established experience. In fact, there are many major considerations for doing government business as a prime contractor, including:
- Thorough knowledge of all applicable procurement regulations and laws.
- Registration in numerous vendor databases and keeping them up-to-date.
- Comprehensive market research to identify upcoming work.
- Skills necessary to analyze government solicitations, and then prepare detailed and responsive offers.
- Ability to secure bid, performance and payment bonds, if required.
- Ability to finance what may be a multi-million dollar job for at least 60-90 days until the first payment arrives.
- Established relationships with agency, including buyers and end-users.
- Track record of relevant experience.
If your business lacks the wherewithal to support all this, you may want to consider an alternative.
The Alternative to Doing Business Directly with the Government
For less experienced and smaller businesses, there may be a simpler, faster, and less burdensome way to break into the government market — subcontracting. The subcontracting route allows a company to do business with the government indirectly — through a prime contractor — on smaller pieces of work and involving fewer requirements. A subcontractor is answerable to a prime contractor, not the government, and the prime contractor is held responsible by the government for overall work performance.
Prime contractors are responsible for meeting all government contracting requirements. Primes must be able to finance the job, bond the job, and complete the job on schedule.
Primes also are held accountable for meeting any socio-economic small business goals associated with the contract. Because of this requirement, prime contractors working on government contracts are always looking for talented small businesses to meet their needs. For federal contracting, this involves small businesses that are owned and controlled by women, minorities and other disadvantaged groups, and veterans, including service disabled veterans. Small businesses located in historically underutilized business zones (HUBZones) also are preferred by prime contractors. Individual state and local governments — like the City of Albany — also have preference programs involving particular local and small business categories.
Relationships always matter, and relationships with prime contractors are no exception. Small firms seeking to do business with a large prime must develop a strategy to introduce themselves and inspire the large firm to award them a small job in order to establish a reputation. Most small firms who have satisfactorily performed work for a government prime contractor report that they have received repeat business.
Preparing To Be a Subcontractor
So, what are the starting points for pursuing the subcontracting path? Here are a few suggestions:
- Gain at least a general knowledge of the government marketplace.
- Identify any areas of the government market where you have particular insights.
- Look for work areas where you may fulfill a specialty requirement or a niche.
- Familiarize yourself with the government’s various small business preference programs and how you can qualify.
- Create and polish a presentation about your firm’s capabilities and strengths.
- Pitch your credentials to prime contractors.
With Georgia Tech’s assistance, through the Albany Small Business Procurement Program, you can get help with most of these steps. By attending our classes regularly, you’ll learn lots of details about the government market, how it works, and who the players are. We can identify all the small business preference programs and how you might qualify. We can provide you with templates for presenting your experience and expertise. We also can identify successful government prime contractors and trade shows where you can meet them.
Help That’s Available
If subcontracting is the route for you, and you want to receive our assistance, we suggest you take the following steps:
- Attend our “Introduction to Government Contracting” class or our “Fundamentals to Working with the Government” briefing. By attending either one, you’ll learn the essentials of the government marketplace. Sign up for these classes right here in Albany at http://gtpac.ecenterdirect.com/Conferences.action.
- Sign-up and become certified as an Albany Small Business. You’ll learn how to do this by attending either of the seminars listed in step #1.
- Attend our class entitled “Subcontracting with Large Prime Contractors.” You’ll gain insights into the various types of partnering arrangements possible in government contracting and how to best position yourself.
- Make a commitment to continuous learning. Even subcontracting requires keeping yourself up-to-date with developments in the government marketplace. Attend our classes regularly, and consider professional education such as the courses available through The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech.
- Request a template from us for putting together a “capabilities statement” on your company. Use this as a way for putting together an impressive presentation of your credentials. While you’re at it, ask for an “elevator speech” template so you can practice how to make an impressive introductory statement about yourself.
- Learn about small business preferences that may apply to you, by either attending periodic briefings we put on about this subject or by attending instructional workshops conducted by the Small Business Administration and by state and local governments. Once you identify your potential qualifications, apply for appropriate certifications. We will not prepare certification applications because they must reflect your direct input, but we will be glad to offer you advice and counsel along the way.
- Stay alert to upcoming government-sponsored expos, trade shows, and other forums where you can meet and impress prime contractors. An ideal way to learn about such events is by regularly visiting the Albany Small Business website; our home page regularly lists many upcoming government vendor events.
- Familiarize yourself with government small business specialists. These officials are housed inside each federal agency’s major offices, and there are many small business advocates with state and local government units, too. If a small business specialist is impressed with your capabilities, chances are they can arrange for a presentation of your credentials to prime contractors. You can learn more about small business specialists, their role, and how to identify them by clicking here.
- Research who’s winning government contracts. You can find tips for doing this at: http://gtpac.org/2010/06/three-tips-for-researching-contract-awardees-and-probable-bidders. Also, you’ll want to obtain lists of government prime contractors to contact. Each month, Georgia Tech compiles a list of all Georgia businesses that have been awarded federal contracts, and we publish various other government contract lists on our web site. (For example, details on the largest 2011 federal awardees appears here.) These are the the businesses you want to target for subcontracting possibilities.
The Albany Small Business Procurement Program can help you become a successful government subcontractor. You may find that subcontracting is just the spot you want in the overall government marketplace. Or, you may find that subcontracting represents the “foot in the door” to moving on to prime contracting with the government.
Check this link every day for contract opportunities in Albany!
April 28, 2011 by ei2admin
Did you know that the Albany Small Business website lists contracting opportunities available in the Albany area every day?
If you are a business looking for opportunities, this is the place to visit: http://www.albanysmallbiz.org/contract-opportunities.
Right now, there are details posted on multiple items of contract work to be performed for the Albany Marine Corps Base, the Turner Job Corps Center, the City of Albany, Albany Technical College, Darton College, and Lee County.
If you are in the hunt for contract work, be sure to visit http://www.albanysmallbiz.org/contract-opportunities every day!
What is a Capabilities Statement and why should I have one?
April 20, 2011 by ei2admin
Clients of the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) often ask about how to best present themselves to government officials, particularly contracting officers and small business specialists. GTPAC Procurement Counselors — most former contracting officers themselves — consistently advise that there are four key ingredients to making a favorable impression within the government marketplace:
- Familiarizing yourself with the particular agency you are targeting,
- Being prepared to deliver a concise “elevator speech” (a 30-second description of your expertise),
- Presenting a business card which displays your CAGE, NAICS, and NIGP codes, and
- Having a “Capabilities Statement.”
While the first three ingredients are fairly straightforward, here’s what’s important to understand about creating a Capabilities Statement for your business.
A Capabilities Statement should contain particular information and be organized in a certain way for use in the government sector.
For instance, a Capabilities Statement should always identify the company’s CAGE code. The reason for this is that a company has a CAGE code only if it’s registered in Central Contractor Registration (CCR), the federal government’s vendor database. Showing your CAGE code is important because that way contracting officials know you are oriented to the government sector (if you weren’t, you wouldn’t know you have to register in CCR) and are properly registered (federal agencies can’t do business with you unless you’re listed in CCR).
Identifying your PSC/FSC and NAICS codes is important, too, because that means you know what they are and their significance. (There are such codes for every product and service, and government agencies specify their contract opportunities using these codes.)
Similarly, if you are marketing to state and local governments, you should show your NIGP codes in your capabilities statement, because state and local governments use NIGP codes (instead of PSC/FSC or NAICS codes).
Providing point-of-contact information for the references you list is important, too, in case a government official wants to make a call or send an email to one of them. Each reference should also describe the type of work you performed or the products you delivered.
Over a period of time, you’ll want to develop several different versions of your capabilities statement, each tailored to a particular government sector audience. This is just like tailoring a personal resume when applying for a particular job. You want your past work descriptions to match-up with the contracting needs of the agency to which you’re marketing. Small Business Specialists withing government agencies use this information to decide whether to refer you to contracting offices and end-users. Contracting officials use this information to make initial determinations about whether you have the wherewithal to perform.
GTPAC also recommends, in addition to a Capabilities Statement, that you create a one-page briefing sheet on your firm. It, too, should be tailored to each audience or occasion. Briefing sheets can be very helpful as handouts when you are attending trade shows, expos, pre-bid conferences, or face-to-face meetings.
If you need a sample Capabilities Statement or more guidance on this subject, contact your GTPAC Procurement Counselor for help. Remember, too, to attend GTPAC classes to obtain detailed instruction on marketing your business to the government sector.
© 2010 Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center – All Rights Reserved.
What’s an “elevator speech”? And why you need one!
April 19, 2011 by ei2admin
It takes planning to make a good first impression. And first impressions are usually made on the basis of just a few words.
Sometimes, a few words are all you have a chance to say to a decision-maker — a government contracting official, for instance.
Companies who work with the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) tell us that government officials always seem to be in a hurry and want vendors to get right to the point. Similarly, government contracting people tell GTPAC that they are weary of dealing with ill-prepared vendors who just can’t seem to succinctly state what it is they’re good at.
These circumstances constitute a few of the reasons why vendors who want to make a good first impression with the government need to have what’s called an “elevator speech.”
Simply put, an elevator speech is what you say, in 30 seconds or less, to describe your expertise.
The term “elevator speech” comes from a situation such as realizing you’re in an elevator with someone you’d like to impress … but you’ve got only a few floors to say anything before they get off the elevator.
What if you suddenly found yourself on an elevator with a contracting officer, an elected official, or some other a potential government customer? Are you ready to quickly and professionally describe the solutions you represent and the expertise you can deliver?
Here’s an outline of what a good elevator speech should address:
- Who and what you are
- What you specialize in
- What you do
- Why you’re the best at what you do
- What you want (a call to action)
- (And remember: Everything must be stated in less than 30 seconds.)
Contact your GTPAC Procurement Counselor for further assistance in formulating your elevator speech.
© 2010 Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center – All Rights Reserved.
Find contract opportunities in Albany every day!
April 18, 2011 by ei2admin
Did you know that the Albany Small Business website lists contracting opportunities available in the Albany area every day?
If you are a business looking for opportunities, this is the place to visit: http://www.albanysmallbiz.org/contract-opportunities.
Right now, there are details posted on multiple items of contract work to be performed for the Albany Marine Corps Base, the Turner Job Corps Center, the City of Albany, Albany Technical College, and Lee County.
If you are in the hunt for contract work, be sure to visit http://www.albanysmallbiz.org/contract-opportunities every day!
Presidential appointee and regional director among gov’t officials you can meet on Feb. 22
February 19, 2011 by ei2admin
Presidential appointee Meredith Lilly is among the large group of government officials gathering in Albany on Tuesday, Feb. 22 to explain their contracting opportunities to local businesses. Ms. Lilly serves as special assistant to the Regional Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA). GSA is responsible for awarding the largest amount of federal contracting dollars, second only to the Department of Defense,.
“Speed Partnering for Small Businesses” is the title of the event being held at the Albany Civic Center from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm.
Patricia Hanes is the keynote luncheon speaker. She is the regional director of the Atlanta National Enterprise Center, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), U.S. Department of Commerce. Ms. Hanes is speaking about effective marketing and sales strategies to both the government and commercial sectors.
Overall, representatives from 12 local, state and federal government agencies will be represented at the event, and attendees at the event will have the opportunity to meet with each of them.
Concurrent workshops also are being conducted on Business Communications, Bid Preparations, Conducting Market Research, and the Do’s and Don’ts of Government Contracting.
The event is free, and pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Simply go to http://tinyurl.com/4dvxlxj to register and then hit the “Sign Up” button.
Hurry up and register in CCR? Stop!
October 6, 2010 by ei2admin
You may have heard that it is essential to register your business in CCR — Central Contractor Registration — if you want to pursue a government contract. That’s true.
But registering in CCR with incorrect or incomplete information can be worse than not registering at all. That’s why it is very important to “get ready” for CCR registration by thoroughly preparing yourself.
The Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) provides advice to Georgia businesses practically every day on the subject of proper CCR registration. In the course of providing this assistance, our Procurement Counselors review many existing registrations. Based on our reviews, GTPAC estimates than as many as 20 percent of the 600,000 firms presently registered in CCR have mistakes in their records. The mistakes range from misspelled words to empty data fields, to incomplete entries, to selection of incorrect procurement codes, and more. As a result, these vendors miss-out on government contract opportunities because they are screened-out for not exhibiting attention-to-detail or — because of incomplete data – they cannot be found in the first place.
CCR is the federal government’s primary source for identifying potential vendors. Every federal agency, both civilian and miltary, utilize the CCR database. Many federal contract officers initially determine whether a contract should be set-aside exclusively for 8(a), HUBZone, or service-disabled small businesses based on firms identifying themselves with these designations in CCR. Prime contractors also use CCR to identify potential subcontractors and suppliers, with emphasis on the various small business socio-economic categories. Even state and local governments consult CCR to find potential vendors who are interested in the government marketplace. Businesses and non-profits must be registered in CCR in order to receive federal payments and disbursements against contracts and grants.
Are you beginning to see CCR as a tool to market yourself and not just as a task to quickly get out of the way?
There are several steps you should take before trying to register in CCR. Among these steps are:
- Obtaining a TIN/EIN for your business from the IRS. (Even if your business is a sole proprietorship, it’s important — because of identity-theft considerations — that you do not operate your business using your Social Security number.)
- Obtaining a DUNS number for your business. (Don’t pay anyone for this; a DUNS number can be obtained through a 10-minute phone call.)
- Researching and identifying the PSC/FSC and NAICS codes most appropriate to your business. (Every product and service is classified by these federal numbering systems, and it’s essential that you identify the codes that are applicable to your business.)
- Determining whether your business meets the SBA’s small business size standard. (Virtually every federal contract valued at less than $100,000 is awarded to small businesses, so you need to know if you qualify.)
- Writing a brief capabilities statement. (You must have a grammatically-correct, short description of what your company does.)
- Identifying “key words” associated with the nature of your business. (These words should be crafted from a government buyer’s perspective; in other words, think about what the government might ”call” what it is you do or sell.)
- Making a list of business references. (Be prepared to provide company name, contact person, dollar value, and date range of work.)
These are not all of the preparatory steps, but they are the most important ones.
If you have questions or need help with any aspect of CCR, please consider taking advantage of GTPAC’s services in a comprehensive way. GTPAC provides assistance to help Georgia firms get ready as well as find and pursue contracting opportunities in federal, state, and local government markets. This assistance is provided at no charge. Complete details on how to access GTPAC’s services can be found on our ABOUT US page.
© 2010 Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center – All Rights Reserved.
Find Davis-Bacon in federally-funded construction contracts, not in a supermarket
October 5, 2010 by ei2admin
There is hickory bacon. There is turkey bacon. And then there is Davis Bacon.
The first two can be found in the meat department of your local supermarket.
The last one — Davis Bacon — is found in federally-funded construction contracts. If you’re bidding on a federal contract or subcontract, you’d better educate yourself about this requirement.
The federal Davis-Bacon Act (DBA) applies minimum prevailing wage classifications for all federally-funded or assisted construction projects. The U.S. Department of Labor creates wage classifications by the type of project for a specific type of worker. (Although not the case in Georgia, also be aware of the fact that some state governments have adopted “little DBAs” requiring prevailing wages on state funded works.)
The worker classifications are crafted with broad job scopes, in order to be over-inclusive. These classifications have drawn the ire of many private construction firms, who complain about what they consider over-payment for non-specialized labor (i.e., paying a wire runner as a journeyman electrician). So, as many favor the DBA’s heavy wages – it can be crippling to an unprepared private firm’s profit margin.
To prepare, a construction professional must read and absorb the federal wage classifications that apply on their project – before bidding. Wage classifications are prepared by state and by project, and are included in all federally-funded construction work.
If you are bidding a contract in the State of Georgia, you’ll need to check out the Georgia classifications. For example, if you were building a non-residential structure, such as a government building, in Bibb County, you can see the applicable wage rates here.
If your Bibb County bid needs to include ironworkers to install your structural steel, you would need to bid them per hour at $24.04, plus $9.86 in fringe benefits (insurance, fringe, or even cash). There are no real boundaries here – if a worker is involved in structural steel work, that worker is to be paid as an ironworker. If a contractor does not plan for this broad application, you’ll be facing penalties that are spelled-out under the Wage & Hour Act or Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act. The penalties are stiff, providing for up to two times the amount of the unpaid or underpaid wages, plus interest.
The lesson here? Like with all things involving government contracting, do your homework before jumping in with both feet. To obtain assistance, check with a representative of the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) nearest you. With proper preparation, you’ll be able to bid correctly, win a contract or subcontract, and then be able to bring home the real bacon.
© 2010 Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center – All Rights Reserved.