To compete for “Federal Government” contracts you must first jump through a few hoops and get registered in the system.  It is a little time consuming but the good news is that it is all done online.  Here are the web sites you will need to get started.

  North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
All supplies and services, including construction, purchased by the federal government are coded with what’s called a “NAICS” code. Contractors should review these codes and be able to list the ones that can be provided before registering in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR).  Begin with the keyword search.  Use words such as landscaping, engineering, dump truck, computers, office supplies, medical equipment, plumbing, flowers, clothing or whatever is applicable to your company.  You should identify all codes that can be provided by your company not just one or two or only the main one.  Be sure to identify the 2002 codes and not the outdated 1997 codes.

  Dunn & Bradstreet
All contractors wishing to enroll in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) will be required to have a Dunn & Bradstreet number and a Tax Identification Number (TIN).  If your company does not yet have a D&B number one can be obtained by calling D&B at (800) 333-0505 or (866) 705-5711.  There is no fee in obtaining a D&B number.  Simply tell the D&B representative that you require this number for Federal Government contracting opportunities.

  Central Contractor Registration (CCR)
All contractors wishing to do business with the Department of Defense, and most other federal agencies, are required to register in the CCR.  This registration must then be renewed and/or updated annually.  It is very important that the information entered into CCR be accurate, detailed and current.  Be very detailed and complete when registering.  Among other things, you will need your company D&B number, TIN number, and your banking information.  All payments made by the Federal Government are now made by way of Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).  You will need your banks nine digit routing identification number and the number of the account you wish any future payments to be deposited into.  Need I say, it is important that you verify these numbers with your financial institution before registration in the CCR.

 Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA)
ORCA is an Online Representations and Certifications Application (Reps & Certs).  Federal Government contracting activities in the past have been required to issue paper Reps & Certs with each and every solicitation they issued.  Over the period of a year contractors may have been required to complete many copies of the same documents to compete for federal contracts.  With the online application process contractors now only have to complete these documents once a year.  To register in ORCA you will need your company D&B number and your CCR MPIN number.  You must register in CCR prior to registration in ORCA.

 Federal Technical Data Solutions (FedTeDS)
FedTeDS is the site that FedBizOpps will send you to when you identify a solicitation that you would like to download.  As with the other sites you will have to register with FedTeDS.

Now that you are registered in CCR, ORCA and FedTeDS and have identified the NAICS codes that you can provide to the Federal Government you are now eligible to compete and bid for federal contracts.  There are several ways to search for federal procurement opportunities but the simplest way is to search Federal Business Opportunities.  This site contains all advertised federal procurement opportunities over $25,000.  You will also have to register on this site.  Once you have registered I would recommend checking the site daily.

 Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps)
From this site a contractor can query federal procurement opportunities from most all federal agencies.  I would suggest spending a lot of time on this page and become an expert at navigating the site.  Review the last link over on the right hand side under “Related Links”; “Vendor Notification Service.”  From that link you can register with FedBizOpps to have it email you solicitations of your choice.

 Small Business Administration (SBA)
All Small Businesses should review the information provided by the Small Business Administration.  SBA has many assistance programs for Small Business Contractors.

 SBA Table of Size Standards
From this link you can check the table of size standards and determine your business size classification.  Once at the Size Standards page look for the link to the Table of Size Standards over on the right side down towards the bottom.  Click on that link and then click on either HTML or PDF format.  That will bring up a table that shows the size standard for each and every NAICS code.  It’s important to note that a firm could be considered Small for one action, or NAICS code, and Large for another.

 SBA Business Development Program (8a Program)
Small Disadvantaged Businesses should consider certification in SBA’s 8a Business Development Program.

 SBA HubZone Program (HubZone)
Be sure to read about the SBA HUBZone program.  The HUBZone certification is simple to obtain for eligible contractors and can be a tremendous advantage for small businesses when bidding on federal contracts. 

 Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)
PTAC is a federally funded organization that assist Small Business owners.  They provide many services to Small Businesses all at no charge.  They will assist SB owners in the federal procurement process.  Louisiana business owners can simply visit the site above to learn more about PTAC Louisiana.  Out of state contractors click here, then click on the Government Contracting Assistance tab to find the PTAC representative nearest you.