GETTING STARTED IN

G O V E R N M E N T

C O N T R A C T I N G
A PRACTICAL

GUIDE
 T A B L E O F

C O N T E N T S

Introduction 3

Register in SAM 4

Qualify for Set-Asides 5

Learn the Essentials 6

Optimization 7

Finding Opportunities 8

Writing & Submitting Your Bid 9

Debriefing 10

Your First Government Contract 11

Resources 12

Need assistance getting started with government contracting?

USFCR provides services, support, and training for government contracting. Request a free contracting
evaluation by visiting USFCR.com or call (877) 252-2700.
Getting Started in Government Contracting

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Working with the federal government is a proven

method for building your business. For many, it's
a consistent stream of revenue. Some business
owners will even start entities just for working on
government contracts. Either way, the biggest
undertaking is winning that first contract. Once
your first contract is awarded and fulfilled, past
performance is established, which keeps the
opportunities flowing.

What you will find in this guide are the steps for
getting started and winning government
contracts. It's more than just doing the
paperwork and submitting bids. It's about
setting up your business to thrive in the federal
marketplace and establishing the foundations to
build a solid stream of revenue.

This guide was developed by US Federal

Contractor Registration (USFCR). We're the
world's largest and most trusted third-party
government registration firm. For over 10 years,
we've been helping businesses both large and
small get established as government
contractors. We hope this guide serves you well
and we're always available if you need more
assistance.

You can request a free government contracting

evaluation from USFCR for your business by
visiting USFCR.com or by calling (877) 252-2700.

3
Getting Started in Government Contracting

R E G I S T E R I N S A M

THE SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

Need assistance getting

Every government contractor is required to be
started with government
registered in the System for Award Management
contracting?
(SAM).
Since 2018, a SAM registration requires a
USFCR provides services,
support, and training for notarized letter and a login.gov account.
government contracting. Consider a third-party to complete your SAM
Request a free contracting
evaluation by visiting registration in order to guarantee compliance
USFCR.com or call (877)
and timeliness.
252-2700.

Everyone who works with the government, from Boeing to the

local landscaper is registered in SAM. Once your SAM
registration is completed and processed, it will remain valid
for a period of 12 months. To complete a registration you will
also need a login.gov account and a notarized letter sent to
the Federal Service Desk.

If you have the patience and time, you can do your own SAM
registration. The risks of doing it yourself include errors and
potential fines for incorrect information. Perhaps the largest
risk is that you will not be told by the government that your
registration is incorrect or incomplete, you just won’t win any
contracts.

Third-party registration firms, such as USFCR, provide

guaranteed compliant SAM registrations along with additional
services to give you the best chance at winning your first
contract.

4
Getting Started in Government Contracting

QUALIFY FOR SET-ASIDES

FOR MORE FEDERAL OPPORTUNITIES

The federal government reserves 23% of
its annual contract spending for small Need assistance getting

businesses. started with government

contracting?
There are several opportunities reserved
for specific types of small businesses,
USFCR provides services,

including women - owned, veteran -

support, and training for

owned, economically and socially government contracting.

disadvantaged owners, and areas of the Request a free contracting

evaluation by visiting

country known as HUBZones. USFCR.com or call (877)

Beyond a SAM registration, qualifying for 252-2700.

set-asides can significantly enhance your

chances of getting government contracts.

If you're a small business, then you need to

understand set-asides. By law, the federal
government allocates (or sets aside) 23% of its
annual contracting budget to small businesses.
Some contracts are exclusively for small
businesses while others are for specific types of
small businesses. You just need to be officially
certified for these opportunities. Each type of
small business designation has a unique set of
qualifications.

To know if your business qualifies for set-asides,

you must go by the SBA size standards, which
can be found on their site. Simply identify your
primary NAICS code (industry) and compare it
to the size standard to determine if you qualify.
Each set-aside has its own qualifications and
certification process. At USFCR, we help our
SAM registration clients determine if they
qualify for set-asides and help them get
certified.

5
Getting Started in Government Contracting

LEARN THE ESSENTIALS

THE INS & OUTS

Government contracting is the most heavily regulated sector in the economy.
Before you begin searching and submitting bids, it is best to learn the most
essential elements and language of government contracting.
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provides the rules and regulations
for contractors.

Although it may sound cliché, knowledge is

Need assistance getting
power. This is especially true in government
started with government
contracting, which is the most heavily
contracting? regulated sector of the economy. The federal
government is not just another customer
USFCR provides services, who always has money to spend, but one
support, and training for
that conducts business in a unique and
government contracting.
Request a free contracting complex manner. To start working with the
evaluation by visiting government effectively, you need to have
USFCR.com or call (877)
252-2700. read the FAR and understand key
terminology.

You can read the 2,000+ page FAR

document and master the rules yourself.
However, that is unrealistic for most business
owners, as most are not familiar with the
government and legal jargon. You’ll also
want to stay competitive in the federal
contracting marketplace by learning as
much as possible. For this, there are learning
resources and training available via third
party firms and the SBA. An alternative to
managing your government contracting
business yourself is to use a full-service
government contracting services firm. USFCR
acts as the government contracting
consultants department for our clients.

6
Getting Started in Government Contracting

O P T I M I Z A T I O N

TO PLAN FOR WHAT'S NEXT

Need assistance getting

Narrow your focus. What is the main product

started with government

or service that you want to sell to the

contracting?
government? Which agency are you looking to
sell to?
USFCR provides services,

Assign a single point of contact for your

support, and training for

business, create a workflow, and keep records government contracting.

of everything to keep them accountable. Request a free contracting

evaluation by visiting

Develop a long-term plan for your business.

USFCR.com or call (877)

Where do you want government contracting to 252-2700.

take you in 5, 10, or even 20 years?

You're registered in SAM, have your set-aside certifications,

and you're fairly knowledgeable about government
contracting. Immediately, you're going to want to take the
plunge and start finding opportunities. However, before you
do so, you’re going to want to ensure your business is a fine-
tuned opportunity hunting and bidding machine.

First, you're going to narrow your focus. Too often, contractors

try to stretch themselves thin. When you're working with the
government, a “jack of all trades” is the last thing you want to
be. It's best to be known as a supplier of one service or
product. Then, you will need to calculate the capacity of your
operations. For the sake of your past performance record, you
don't want to bite off more of a contract than you can
handle.

You need to implement a process for pursuing contracts.

How often will you search? Who will be writing the proposals?
Be sure to establish just one point of contact when working
with the government. Finally, you're going to want to take a
look ahead. What are your goals for government contracting?
Where do you want it to take your business?

7
Getting Started in Government Contracting

FINDING OPPORTUNITIES

THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE

Locate contract opportunities via online

research tools, such as SAM.gov or
APP.usfcr.com.
Take active measures to market yourself for
simplified acquisition opportunities.
Determine your competitors and research
them thoroughly.

Just because you're registered in SAM doesn't mean the government will give
you contracts. As a newcomer, you have to take the initiative to find contract
opportunities. One of the most common places to find opportunities is
through SAM.gov, by going to the Contract Opportunities section of the
website.

An alternative is the Advanced Procurement Portal (APP), which has search

capabilities and other advanced features not available at SAM.gov. APP is a
web-based contracting search and management platform that simplifies
researching and bidding on government contracting opportunities.

For smaller opportunities, you need to actively market yourself to federal

agencies. Before you contact anyone at an agency, have a capabilities
statement and a DSBS profile set up. During this phase, you should also
research your competitors. Learning what others have bid on and how much
they were awarded is valuable information to new contractors.

Need assistance getting started with government contracting?

USFCR provides services, support, and training for government contracting. Request a free contracting
evaluation by visiting USFCR.com or call (877) 252-2700.

8
Getting Started in Government Contracting

WRITING & SUBMITTING YOUR BID

TO SECURE A CONTRACT

Need assistance getting

When you find the solicitation, read the
started with government

instructions to offerors carefully.

contracting?
If you have any questions about the
opportunity, submit them to the designated
USFCR provides services,
support, and training for
Contracting Officer.
government contracting. Some third-party contracting registration firms
Request a free contracting
offer bid training and proposal writing services
evaluation by visiting
USFCR.com or call (877) for your business.
252-2700.

You've found a great opportunity for your

business and now you're ready to bid. Before
you start writing that proposal, read the
solicitation thoroughly. The last thing you
want is to miss out on a contract because you
simply didn't follow directions. If you have
questions about the opportunity, you can ask
the contracting officer. Part of their job is to
answer questions that offerors have about an
opportunity. Plus, it helps build familiarity
with your business and what you offer.

If you're not confident with the proposal

writing process, you can get help from a third-
party government contracting firm. USFCR
provides services and training to help you win
your first contract.

9
Getting Started in Government Contracting

D E B R I E F I N G

TO REFINE YOUR APPROACH

A debriefing tells you why you did, or did not, win a government contract.
Contracting officers are obligated to give you a debriefing upon request.
Refine your contracting processes. Find your weaknesses and work on them.
Develop a system to measure your progress.

You'll likely get your first debriefing before you get your first award notice.
Requesting a debriefing is one of the most important things you can do as a
government contractor. If you won the contract, or if you didn't, you need to
understand why so you can enhance your performance.

In the long run, there's nothing more valuable than having a refined process for
pursuing contracts. The only way you can work on your weaknesses is by having
them laid out in front of you. Contracting officers are obligated to give you a
debriefing when you ask for one. Use this requirement to refine how you
approach contracting opportunities.

With the information, you get from a debriefing, develop a way to measure your
progress. Keep detailed records of the opportunities you've approached. Track
the relationships you've been building with federal agencies and procurement
officers. Winning a contract is the ultimate goal, but pay attention to the steps
you took to get there.

Need assistance getting started

with government contracting?

USFCR provides services, support,

and training for government

contracting. Request a free

contracting evaluation by visiting

USFCR.com or call (877) 252-2700.

10
Getting Started in Government Contracting

YOUR FIRST GOVERNMENT CONTRACT

FOR MORE FEDERAL OPPORTUNITIES

Make sure that you know your

businesses' capacity to perform
the contract before signing the
award notice.
Review your operations for
financing if needed.
Maintain regular communication
with the agency and procurement
officer you're working with.

Congratulations! You're now officially a government contractor. Before you sign the
award notice, make sure that you are capable of executing this contract. You can
decline an award without penalty. If you take the contract and fail to deliver, it will
hurt you in the long run.

Be sure to go over your sources for financing if

you need it. The Small Business Administration
Need assistance getting
(SBA) can help you get connected with a lending
started with government

partner for loans. You will also want to maintain

contracting?
regular communication with the federal agency
and procurement officers. This isn't just for clarity,
USFCR provides services,

it’s because you're going to continue to build

support, and training for

government contracting.
those working relationships.
Request a free contracting

evaluation by visiting

In government contracting, success breeds more

USFCR.com or call (877)

252-2700. success. Winning your first contract takes a lot of

work, but with constant refinement, it will get
easier and more profitable.

11
Getting Started in Government Contracting

RESOURCES

FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

SAM.gov - System for Award Management

The home for all things government contracting.

FPDS.gov - Federal Procurement Data System

The Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) is a
single source for US government-wide procurement
data.

USASpending.gov - USA Spending

USA Spending tracks federal spending to ensure
taxpayers can see how their money is being used in
communities across America.

USFCR.com - US Federal Contractor Registration

The largest third-party SAM registration and
contracting services and training provider.

APP.usfcr.com - Advanced Procurement Portal

(APP)
A government contracting Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
portal for finding new opportunities, researching
vendors, and exploring previously awarded contracts.

Need assistance getting started with government contracting?

USFCR provides services, support, and training for government contracting. Request a free contracting
evaluation by visiting USFCR.com or call (877) 252-2700.

12