Doing Business with the Federal Government M. Leonard Manzanares (818)

Register Your Business  Central Contractor Registration Database (CCR)  Keep Current (Update yearly at minimum)  Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA)

 Self-Certifications Small Business – NAICS Codes Woman-owned Business Veteran-owned Business Service Disabled Veteran-owned Business  Formal Certification Programs 8(a) Business Development HUBZone Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) Know the Federal Contract Certifications

Formal Certifications  Requires SBA Approval – 8(a) - Socially and economically disadvantaged firms enrolled in a 9-year business development program. – HUBZone - Small businesses located in areas identified as historically underutilized business zones,and with 35% of its employees living in HUBZones. – SDB - Three-year certification for small, socially and economically disadvantaged firms eligible to receive prime and subcontract preferences.

8(a) & SDB SBA 8(a) program  Applies to all purchases  Must be certified by the SBA  Non-competitive and competitive program  9-year term - no renewals  All 8(a) firms are SDBs  Award must be made at fair market price  FAR 19.8 SDB program  Applies over $100,000  Must be certified by the SBA  Competitive program  3-year term with renewals  Not all SDBs are in 8(a) program  10% price evaluation credit (limited to select agencies)  FAR and 19.12

HUBZone Program  Applies to purchases over $3,000;  Must be certified by SBA - no term limits;  Recertification required every 3 years;  Competitive and sole-source program benefits;  10% price evaluation preference  Principal office must be in a HUBZone  35% of employees must live in a HUBZone  FAR 19.13

Veteran’s Program  Applies to purchases over $3,000  Self Certified on CCR  VA determines Service Disability  Competitive and sole-source program benefits  Subcontracting and Prime Contracting goals  FAR Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business

Know the Rules  Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR)  Part 19 – Small Business Programs

Finding Prime Contract Opportunities  Identify Current Procurement Opportunities ‒ Federal Business Opportunities (FBO)

FedBizOpps Identify Opportunities – Follow the Money or

Finding Subcontracting Opportunities  Subcontracting Opportunities Directory of Large Prime Contractors  SUB-Net  and go to subnet,directory

SUB-Net

Market Your Firm  Present your capabilities directly to the federal activities and large prime contractors that buy your products and services  Attend procurement conferences and business expos  Attend Business Matchmaking events

View Solicitations   Request or download a bid package  Obtain copies of relevant specifications & drawings Sign up for modifications  Federal Acquisition Regulations: Contract clauses

Prepare Your Offer  3 Rules for a solicitation: -Read it…Read it…Read it!!!  Request a Procurement History  Attend Pre-Bid Meetings & Walk-Throughs  Get clarification on items you don’t understand  Proofread your proposal  Submit it on time!

Contract Proposal  Are you responsive - non-responsive?  Deliver on time (your proposal)  Are you responsible - non responsible? ‒ Pre-Award Survey: Technical capability & production capability ‒ Quality Assurance (QA) (ISO 9001) ‒ Financial: accounts receivable, net worth, cash flow ‒ Acceptable Government Accounting System ‒ System for Qualifying Suppliers (subcontractors) ‒ Packaging, Marking, Shipping

 Contingency Plans  Have a back up plan if something goes wrong  Give yourself enough time to react  Anticipating Final Inspection or first article approval  Make an appointment before shipping date  On-Time delivery  Establish a good track record  Subcontracting – subcontractors Contract Performance

 Know the paperwork process  Keep good records  Know your options ‒ Progress payments  EFT (electronic funds transfer)  Why you registered on ccr  Accept government credit cards Getting Paid

Seek Additional Assistance  Procurement Technical Assistance Center   Small Business Specialists  Local SBA District Offices  Local Small Business Development Centers  SCORE  Women’s Business Development Centers

More Helpful Web Sites  SBA’s Home Page:  Government Contracting : Site includes links to all major government contracting programs discussed here plus much, much more.

Things To Remember  TARGET YOUR CUSTOMER: Who buys your product or service? How do they buy? When do they buy?  KNOW THE RULES: Federal Acquisition Regulations Contract requirements and specifications PERFORM AS PROMISED: On-time delivery, Good Quality, at a Fair Price

SBA Programs Small Business Act 1953 –Implements Congressional Policy to aid, counsel, assist & protect the interests of small business concerns (loans) –Goal of policy is to ensure that a fair proportion of purchases, contracts & subcontracts be placed with small businesses

Procurement Center Representative PCR

What PCRs Do  Coordinate with contracting activities  Review acquisitions  Recommend Set-asides  Review Solicitations Support the Small Businesses With government contracting

OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT CONTRCTING Four Programs (Offices) –Size Determination –Certificate of Competency - COC –Commercial Marketing Representative - CMR –Procurement Center Representative - PCR

Size Determination A Contracting Officer can at anytime request an informal size determination in he or she feel that a company is not a small business. Code of Federal Regulations title 13 Para 125

Certificate of Competency Must be found non responsible by Contracting Officer Must be a small business Must be low bidder on the solicitation Referred to SBA by Contracting Officer for either capacity, credit or integrity

Certificate of Competency Capacity means the CO determines that the small business cannot perform on the solicitation. Cannot deliver on time, manufacturer the part or a variety of reason related to performance. Credit, does not have the finances to perform on the contract integrity, is debarred, not in good standing with the federal government

Certificate of Competency  SBA’s Industricial Specialist (IS), conducts a complete analyses of the small business to see if the contracting officer is correct in his/her assessment of the firm.  The SBA has 15 working days to complete the COC. The IS makes a recommendation to whether the small business get the COC or not. Final decision is made by the Area Director.  5 days firm, 5 days IS and 3 days COC committee  2 day AD decision is final.

Commercial Marketing Representative  CMR are responsible for prime contractors sub contracting plans, for contracts over $550,000 manufacturing and $1M for construction.  CMR's make sure primes contractors meet their sub-contracting goals. CMR do what we call compliance review of the large prime contractors.

SBA’s Role in Subcontracting Types of Reviews  Pre-Award Subcontracting Plan Reviews  SBA’s PCRs review subcontracting plans prior to contract award (advisory)  Post-Award Compliance Reviews  SBA’s CMRs monitor goal achievement after contract award Subcontracting Assistance

Statutory Subcontracting Goals Small Business Act: Section 15(g)  Small Business (SB) – 23%  Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) - 5%  Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) - 5%  HUBZone Small Business - 3%  Veteran-Owned Small Business - negotiable  Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned SB - 3% Subcontracting Assistance

Procurement Center Representatives PCR’s work with Government Agencies, Directors of Small Businesses, Head of Contracting and Contracting Officers to assist them in meeting their small business goals. My authority comes from the FAR Part 19.4 I work with 28 Government Agencies

Agencies I oversee (FY2008) Vandenberg AFB (160M) Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake(569M) NASA Dryden, Edwards AFB (100M) Edwards AFB (224M) Corps of Engineers (929M) Space & Missile Center, El Segundo (6.7B) VA Medical Center, Long Beach Just to name a few

Procurement Center Representative As a PCR is my responsibility to review all requirement that are going to set as full and open competition. I make recommendations to see if they can be set-aside for small businesses. What are Small Business: Firms that are small business, 8(a) firm, HUBZone, Small disadvantage businesses, women owned businesses, Service Disable Veteran owned business and Veteran owned business.

 I receive from the government agencies a Form DD 2579, or Small Business Coordination Record.  Any solicitation over $10,000 must have a this Form  This form must be first signed by the contracting officer, then the small business specialist and must be coordinated by the PCR.  Form informs me of several things, solicitation number, dollar amount, method of solicitation, NAICS code, full and open, SBSA, HUBZone, etc. Procurement Center Representative

 I have 30 days to review this form concur with method of contracting or make a recommendation.  Rules are simple If I find that there are two or more small business that can meet the requirement, I can make a recommendation to set that aside as a small business set aside. Procurement Center Representative

Two or More small businesses  Where do I find two or more small businesses, first I go to the SBA web site, located on the CCR web site and it’s called the Dynamic Small Business Search.  I usual know the NAICS code for the requirement so its easy for me to locate two or more.  So if your not registered on CCR or Dynamic Small Business Search I can’t find you.

Two or More small businesses  If I find two or more QUALIFIED small business, I can make a recommendation for that solicitation to go small business set aside.

What PCRs Report  Monthly report *  Set-asides  8(a) awards  HUBZone awards  SDVOSB awards  WOSB awards  Full & open awards

PCRs are Unique! Support Small Businesses Special Authority - FAR Part 19.4 No signature no solicitation If we error we error on the side of small business

M. Leonard Manzanares Procurement Center Representative (818)