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Links of Interest
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
All supplies and services, including construction, purchased by the federal government have a “NAICS” code. Contractors should review these codes and identify the ones that apply to them as a first step in this process.
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. As you register to do business with the federal government, you should identify all products and services that can be provided by your company (and note the correlating codes), not just one or two. Be sure to identify the 2002 codes and not the outdated 1997 codes.
Dun & Bradstreet
All contractors wishing to do business with federal agencies are required to register in a central database. Registration in the central database requires a D-U-N-S number and a Tax Identification Number (TIN, or Tax ID). The D-U-N-S Number is a unique nine digit identification number for each physical location of your business and is issued only by Dun & Bradstreet, a private firm that maintains a database of more than 130 million businesses.
If your company does not yet have a DUNS number one can be obtained by calling Dun & Bradstreet at (866) 705-5711, or by using the automated webform on their website. There is no fee in obtaining a DUNS 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 DUNS number, Tax Identification 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 bank’s nine digit routing number and the number of the account where payments will be deposited. It is important that you verify these numbers with your financial institution before registering 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 DUNS number and your CCR MPIN number. You must register in CCR prior to registration in ORCA.
Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps)
From this site a contractor can query federal procurement opportunities from most all federal agencies.
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 assists small business owners. They provide many at no charge. Louisiana business owners can simply visit the site above to learn more about PTAC Louisiana. Out of state contractors click here to find the PTAC serving you.
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