A General Overview of Government Contracting
Government Contracting Guide
Primer for small businesses who are new to government contracting or already down the path of contracting and looking to solidify their foundation.
Government contracting is not necessarily the best next step for every business, however, there probably comes a time in the evolution of every business when government contracting should at least be explored as a potential avenue to grow the business.
It’s no small undertaking to pursue government related business. Governments at all levels in the United States have had over 230 years to figure out how to buy your widgets or your services… and they have pretty much documented every step and developed a process around them. While there are similarities to traditional selling, government contracting is unique in many ways. It has its own language and its own rules and requirements.
A company needs to be ready, willing, and able to take full advantage of the government contracts marketplace – as it can be a great opportunity for growth.
Six Things to Keep in Mind
As a starting point, here are some things to help us start to understand government contracting.
Must Have Capacity for Education and Research
You will likely need to become a ‘student’ of the government contracting process. Government contracting can be complex and it can be a moving target.
Beyond the Posting
Even those with some understanding of the process tend to think that a government contracting opportunity ‘starts’ with a government agency posting a solicitation on an electronic bulletin board. The reality is that posting a solicitation is closer to the end of the process than it is to the beginning.
Identify Potential Target Markets
You need to think of the government marketplace as a group of potential target markets and target accounts.
Three Phases of Business Development
The government contracting ‘sales process’ can be considered in three (3) phases.
Potential Next Steps
This primer isn’t designed to make you a government contracting expert, but the hope is that if you are new to government contracting you have at least been introduced to some of the components of the process. Read on to learn more about potential next steps.
Marketing to Department Of Defense
Are you a small business interested in working for DoD? Pursuing DoD contracts is not for everyone; it requires patience, persistence and an in-depth understanding of federal acquisition rules.
Additional Help & Materials
- sam.gov (System for Award Management (SAM) – Federal government
- MyFloridaMarketplace various agencies within the State of Florida
- SBA.gov
- State of Florida
- Orange County
- Florida APEX Accelerator
Prepared by:
Steve South
Program Manager, Florida APEX Accelerator at UCF
[email protected]
The Florida APEX Accelerator at UCF is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense. Government Contracting Services are offered by the Florida APEX Accelerator headquartered at the University of West Florida (State Office).