Author: Noah King

Guide to Getting Started in Government Contracting

Step 1: Get Your Business Registered in SAM

The System for Award Management (SAM) is the U.S. Federal Governments portal for determining where contracting dollars are going, to who, and for what. Any business or sole proprietor looking to do work or provide a service for the Federal Government MUST be registered in SAM. This registration ensures that you’re recognized as a legitimate federal contractor, allowing you to be seen by agencies searching for vendors.

Step 2: Determine Your Small Business Size Standards and NAICS Codes

The SBA (Small Business Administration) has many opportunities for Small Businesses to obtain and win contracts. 25% of federal contracting dollars are allocated annually to Federally Certified Small Businesses. Below are five of the SBA’s Small Business Size Standards:

• Must be considered a small business by SBA standards
• Must have listed the proper NAICS codes in SAM Registration
• Must not surpass average annual revenue based on NAICS codes
• Must not surpass number of employees based on NAICS codes

Step 3:  Obtain your Federal Small Business Certification

With your SAM Registration in place and your Small Business eligibility determined, have a CRS help you fill out your DSBS, SBA, and Small Business Profiles to be reached out directly by prime contractors.

Step 4: Bid and Win Contracts!

Once you have done the above steps, you are on your way to government contracting. Ask your CRS for more details on bidding and winning federal contracting.

If you are unsure if you have a SAM Registration, use the SAM & UEI Status Lookup Tool by clicking the button below.

Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Certification Benefits

Small Business Certification: Next Step After SAM Registration

Maximizing Your Small Business Certification

Once you have an active and compliant SAM Registration  as well as a your Federal Small Business Certification, you can start exploring more options when it comes to Federal Contracting. This includes programs like SBA’s Set-Asides or the GSA Schedule.

The SBA has four primary Set-Aside Programs; Woman-Owned Small Business, Veteran-Owned Small Business, 8(a) Minority Owned Business Development Program, and the HUBZone Program. What’s unique about these certifications is that each of them come with specific benefits. There are specific Federal Contracts that must be awarded to specific Set-Aside Certifications holders which will greatly increase the chances of being contacted and awarded by prime contractors.

USBRI has been in operation since 2011 assisting companies of all business types with SAM and Federal Certifications. Reach out to the USBRI Help Desk at 1-888-646-9998 to learn more and speak to  CRS directly about next steps.

Where to find 8a Business Development Program Assistance

The 8(a) Business Development Program has been a huge success for those US based small businesses that have joined this SBA program. The benefits, resources and opportunities accessible to it’s program members are untouchable when compared to any other small business certification or program.

The first step in becoming certified would be to complete and have an active System for Award Management (SAM) Registration in place with at least 6 months of validity left prior to expiring. Then of course you would want to create and optimize your DSBS Profile, SBA Profile, Capabilities Statement, and any other registration or profile that pertains to your industry and/or business itself.

Once you begin the 8(a) Program certification application process, it normally takes about 3-6 months to reach completion. The application process is quite tedious and must be completed with full accuracy and without errors. Submitting an application with any errors or omissions will delay the approval of said application by at least another 2-3 months.

The Office of Government Contracting and Business Development does have a Help Desk that 8(a) Program applicants can call for assistance regarding any issues, obstacles or technical problems that arise during the application process iteself. And yes, there will be many.

The Office of Government Contracting & Business Development’s Help Desk is ONLY available on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 2pm to 3pm EST. The phone number to call is 202-765-1264.

USBRI was established in 2011 to provide the level and type of assistance that most businesses need in order to successfully complete this certification and reap the benefits of having said certification actively in place. This also include attending to and updating all the other remaining profiles, platforms, registrations, capabilities statements, narrative statements, FEMA/SEMA (if applicable) and whereever else your business information is presented to Contracting Officers and Prime Vendors for directly awarding contracts and subcontracting opportunities.

What Are the Five Requirements for the Small Business Certification

Being considered a Small Business by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and obtaining your Small Business Certification will greatly increase growth and revenue for your company. Prime federal contractors will be looking up eligible companies via the DSBS and only contacting those who have their profiles complete. Below are the five requirements, Small Business Size Standards, set forth by the SBA.

• Be a for-profit business of any legal structure
• Be independently owned and operated
• Not be nationally dominant in its field
• Be physically located and operate in the U.S. or its territories
• Be registered and active in SAM.gov

Completing your Small Business profiles are essential when wanting to be contacted by prime contractors. Additionally, if you are Small Business Certified, you may be eligible for one or more of the SBA’s Set-Aside Programs (WOSB/EDWOSB, VOSB/SDVOSB, 8(a) Program, and HUBZone Program).

For an easy way to find out if you qualify for a Small Business Certification, click the button below to use the calculator tool.

Woman-Owned Small Business Certification Eligible NAICS Codes

Having a NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) Code is essential to your business when seeking out federal contracts and grants. Your SAM Registration will ask you to provide any and all relevant NAICS Codes to your business. The 5-6 digit code is designed to identify what your company does as a business and the service provided.

The WOSB/EDWOSB Small Business Certification program has specific NAICS Codes when considering who can apply for the certification. To be eligible, the primary NAICS code on your SAM Registration must match what is accepted by the WOSB Program.

To view the list of eligible NAICS Codes for the WOSB Certification, click the button below

Woman-Owned Small Business Certification Benefits

Becoming a certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) can greatly increase the growth of your business. The federal government sets aside 5% of federal contracting dollars each year to WOSB Certified businesses and there are even specific contracts that only WOSB Certified businesses can obtain and bid on.

The key benefits of the WOSB/EDWOSB Certification include:

• Access to federal contracts set aside specifically for WOSBs
• 5% of federal contracting dollars are allocated to WOSB Certified small businesses.
• Increased subcontracting opportunities
• WOSB Certified businesses also gain direct contracting access with prime contractors and are listed in exclusive government databases, enhancing their visibility for no-bid and direct-award contracts.
• WOSB set-aside contracts have higher profit margins compared to other contracts

USBRI has been in business since 2011 assisting small businesses with SAM and Set-Aside Certifications. If you have questions or would like more information get in contact with a CRS today by calling the Help Desk at 1-888-646-9998. Learn more about the WOSB/EDWOSB Certification by clicking the button below.