The Women’s Business Development Center presents Are You Ready for a Government Contract?

Presenter Freida Curry Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) Director (312) x53

Doing Business With the Government Market Overview Are You Ready? –Customer Evaluation –Assessment of Your Company’s Capabilities Getting Started Finding Opportunities Certifications Conclusion

What Does the Government Buy?

Market Overview: What Does the Government Buy Total 2007 Federal Acquisition Spending: $460B ($331B by DoD alone) –36% - Services –35% - Supplies & Equipment –19% - Agriculture, Transportation, Communications, Utilities, Finance & Administration –7% - Construction –3% - Wholesale/Retail

Market Overview: What Does the Government Buy State of Illinois: Spends $15 Billion on commodities and services Cook County: $200 MM City of Chicago: Over $2 Billion dollars –Chicago Park District –Chicago Public Schools –Chicago Transit Authority –Chicago Housing Authority –City Colleges of Chicago –Public Building Commission of Chicago –Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority

Diversity Spending Goals

Market Overview: Federal Spending Goals Federal contracts over $550,000 ($1 million if construction) –23% - Small Business –5% - Small Disadvantaged Business –5% - Woman Owned Small Business –3% - HUBZone Business –3% - Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business

Market Overview: State & Local Spending Goals State of Illinois –5 % - male minority-owned small business –3 % - female minority-owned small business –9 % - female-owned small business –2 % - persons with disabilities-owned small business Cook County –25 % - minority-owned small business –10 % - women-owned small business –(Excludes construction) City of Chicago –25% - minority-owned small business –5 % - female-owned small business IDOT - Chicago Region –23% - minority and/or female-owned small business

Are You Ready? Customer Evaluation Capabilities Assessment

Are You Ready: Customer Evaluation Common Customer Characteristics: Opportunities –Spends lots of money on a variety of commodities and services –Has an interest in “sharing the pie” with small business –Is a reliable payer Challenges –Often involves a highly bureaucratic process –Requires a serious commitment of time and resources to market to the government –Can be very price conscious –May be a slow payer –Usually inflexible

Are You Ready: Capabilities Assessment Do you sell a product or service that is needed by an agency? Do you have a competitive edge? Why should they buy from you? Do you have core knowledge from years of experience? Can you effectively compete with other businesses? Do you have a quality assurance program? Do you have adequate packaging, marking, shipping? Is your office organized and efficient? Do you have the technology? Do you have sufficient capacity to consistently delivery on orders? Is your pricing competitive? Can your business financially support the execution of a government contract with delayed payment? Do you have the patience to deal with the bureaucratic process? Do you have the commitment to invest the time and resources necessary to market to the government?

Getting Started Finding Your Market

Getting Started: Finding Your Market Federal Government Department of Defense Civilian Agencies (GSA, NASA, DOE, HUD) Prime Contractors State Commodities and Services Construction Related Agencies Department of Corrections Department of State Police Department of Public Aid Department of Human Services State Universities Local Cities Counties Municipalities

Getting Started Registering Your Business

Getting Started: Finding Your Market What type of business are you in? Manufacturing (federal, some state) Distribution or Wholesaler (federal, some state) Service (federal, state, local) Retail (local) Construction (federal, state, local) What is your geographical service area? Local, regional or national

Getting Started: Federal Registration Central Contractor Registration (CCR): You must register your company as an available vendor on the CCR ( –Go to CCR’s homepage at –Click on “Start New Registration” –You will need: DUNS number ( or call (866) http:// FEIN Statistical information about your business Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) information –Click “Validate/Save” when finished entering your information on each page –Click the SBA Logo to create a SBA Profile if you are a small business Your registration should be active within 24 hours of completion After hours search for your company in CCR and in the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) to ensure proper registration

Getting Started: Federal Registration On-line Representations and Certifications (ORCA): Complete Representations and Certifications (Reps and Certs) for your business. This will be required to bid on federal contracts. ( Register with Agencies that Buy Your Product/Service: Some federal departments and agencies have their own contractor databases. You must contact each department or agency you want to do business with to determine if they have a separate contractor registry database. Contact the agency’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU)

Getting Started: Illinois Registration Register your company with Central Management Services (CMS): –Complete the State of Illinois Department of Human Rights Employer Report Form (IDHR Form PC-1) and mail or take to the Thompson Center to get an IDHR Number –Complete the Bidder’s Application Form (BAF) Include the IDHR Number Choose appropriate Commodity Classification Code Include W-9 Form Include Employer Report Form if 15+ employees –All documents are available at:

Getting Started: Local Registrations Cook County: –Complete Vendor List Application Include appropriate Cook County Commodity Code City of Chicago: –Register as a vendor at individual websites of the City of Chicago Sister Agencies (Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Park District, CTA, etc.) –Google: [agency name] procurement – Other Municipalities: –Do research to determine who the buying agencies are and what the registration requirements are –Register as appropriate

Finding Opportunities

Getting Started Find out how the agency contracts –Purchase Orders –Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity –Credit Cards –Federal level - Federal Supply Schedules Find out where the agency advertises Do a test run (don’t actually submit the bid) –Request a solicitation –Are you competitive? –Watch for the award and compare your pricing

Finding Opportunities: Federal Government Check Federal Buying Forecasts for each Departm ent – Monitor Fed Biz Opps ( –All federal opportunities over $25,000 Check Agency Websites –Find a list of government agencies and departments: > “A-Z Agency Index” –Search using keyword “procurement” Utilize Subcontracting Directories –SBA Subcontracting Opportunities Directory: _opportunities.html –Department of Defense Subcontracting Directory: pdf WBDC PTAC Bid Match Service

Finding Opportunities: Federal Government GSA Schedules Program ( –Also referred to as Multiple Award Schedules and Federal Supply Schedules –Long-term government wide contracts with commercial firms to provide access to commercial supplies and services –Direct ordering from contractors or through the GSA Advantage!® online shopping system ( Schedules are… –Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) –A base contract of 5 years with up to 3 Evergreen options (20 year total) –Negotiated to offer your Most Favored Customer (MFC) price To become a GSA Schedule Contractor –Review the “Getting on Schedule” page at –Submit an offer in response to the applicable GSA Schedule solicitation

Finding Opportunities: State of Illinois Illinois Procurement Bulletin – –Must be registered to view solicitation documents Invitation for Bids (IFB) –Based on Commodity Classification Codes from BAF –Circulated to vendors who have indicated interest –If vendor does not reply to three consecutive IFBs, they will be removed from list Illinois Public Higher Education Procurement Bulletin – WBDC PTAC Bid Match ***Be aware of requirement to comply with Public Act ***

Finding Opportunities: Local Governments Cook County –Monitor Bid Proposal Postings – City of Chicago ( –Monitor City of Chicago Department of Procurement Services website –Check MBE/WBE Small Order Bid Opportunities and Current Bid Opportunities –Sign up for DPS Alerts –Monitor individual City of Chicago Sister Agency websites Same process for other municipalities

Finding Opportunities: Bidding on Contracts Deciding whether or not to bid –What is the bid due date? –What is the delivery location? –What are the items requested? –What is the quantity? Bidding the Contract –Read ALL the rules that apply to the opportunity –Understand Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Clauses and Provisions ( –Follow the prescribed procedures –Direct questions to the Contracting Officer

Finding Opportunities: Bidding on Contracts Preparing a bid: –Read the solicitation CAREFULLY and more than once –Request a “Buy History” if available –Get clarification, in writing, of any ambiguities or mistakes in the bid package –Attend Pre-bid meetings (construction and service contracts) –Do a walk-through if possible (construction and service contracts) –Have someone else proofread your proposal –Submit your bid on time and in the prescribed manner (Note: Federal bids are considered "timely" when post marked by the U.S. Post Office. All other delivery services must be in hand to be considered timely.)

Getting Certified

Certifications: Federal Formal Certifications through SBA: –SBA 8(a) Program –HUB Zone Self Certifications through CCR/DSBS: –Small Business –Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) –Woman Owned Business –Veteran Owned Business –Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business

Certifications: Federal 8(a) Business Development Program –9 year program providing ongoing personalized assistance through SBA counseling and training –Sole Source and Limited Competition Awards –Automatic Small Disadvantage Business (SDB) certification –Requirements: Small Business by SBA standards In business for a minimum of 2 years Direct ownership of the company by US citizen claiming disadvantage Net Worth under $250,000 (excluding home and/or business equity) Social disadvantage: Members of specific groups or written narrative of disadvantage (women are not considered disadvantaged) Economic disadvantage: Everyone must write a narrative of financial disadvantage

Certifications: Federal Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) –Creates jobs in urban and rural communities –Provides federal contracting preference to small businesses –Potential price evaluation preference of 10% on full and open competition contracts –Requirements: Small business by SBA standards Owned and controlled at least 51% by U.S. citizen(s) Principal office must be located within a HUBZone At least 35% of employees must reside in a HUBZone –Are you in a HUBZone?

Certifications: Federal Small Disadvantaged Business Self Certification –Register SDB Status on CCR and ORCA –Requirements: Small Business by SBA standards In business for a minimum of 2 years Direct ownership of the company by US citizen claiming disadvantage Net Worth under $750,000 (excluding home and/or business equity) Social disadvantage: Members of specific groups or written narrative of disadvantage (women are not considered disadvantaged) Economic disadvantage

Certifications: Federal Small Business Self Certification –Requirements Meet Small Business Size Standards set by the SBA Woman Owned Business Self Certification –Requirements Business is at least 51% owned by a woman or women Management and daily operations are controlled by a woman or women Veteran Owned/Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business Certification –Requirements Business is at least 51% owned by a veteran or service disabled veteran Management and daily operations are controlled by a veteran or service disabled veteran Center for Veteran’s Enterprise (

Certifications: State of Illinois CMS Small Business Set-Aside Program 64 supply/service classifications set-aside All awards under $50,000 set-aside for certified small businesses All State procurements considered for set-aside program To qualify, must be an Illinois business with annual gross sales –less than $6 million for Retail/Service –less than $10 million for Wholesale –less than $10 million for Construction –less than $10 million and less than 250 employees for Manufacturing Apply for the program by completing the Bidders Application Form available at

Certifications: State of Illinois CMS Business Enterprise Program (BEP): Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Persons with Disabilities Business Enterprise (PBE) Female Business Enterprise (FBE) –To qualify: Business must be at least 51% owned and controlled by persons who are minority, women or designated as disabled Owner must be a United States citizen or resident alien Average annual gross sales over the last three tax years must be under $31.4 million Certification documents are available at

Certifications: State of Illinois Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program –Department of Transportation funded/assisted transportation projects –Requirements Business is 51% owned, managed and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged groups (minorities and women) Net worth less than $750,000 (excluding home and business equity) Business must meet SBA size standards and have average annual gross receipts not to exceed $22.41 million –Through the Illinois Unified Certification Program (ILUCP) certification from one agency will be honored at any of the agencies below IDOT City of Chicago CTA Metra PACE

Certifications: Local MBE and WBE: –Cook County Application available at the Office of Contract Compliance ( –City of Chicago Application available at the Department of Procurement Services ( DBE: –Application available at CTA Metra Pace City of Chicago Cook County Highway Dept. does not have its own DBE program, but utilizes IL UCP DBEs on its highway projects

Certifications: Private Chicago Minority Business Development Council (CMBDC) –Certifies businesses that are owned, managed and controlled by ethnic minorities (MBE) Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) –Certifies businesses that are owned, managed and controlled by women (WBE)

Certifications: Private Benefits of WBDC and CMBDC Certifications: National Recognition by Corporate America Streamlined State of Illinois certification Expedited City of Chicago certification Accepted by Chicago Park District, City Colleges of Chicago, Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, City of Evanston, Village of Oak Park Provides assistance to help utilize certification Typically faster, more user-friendly process

Conclusion: Things to Remember

Register with entities that buy your product/service Focus on opportunities in your niche and prioritize Be competitive Make appointments and attend contracting sessions - meet your buyers if possible Be Persistent – do follow-up on each activity Be Patient Network, Network, Network

WBDC PTAC Services Automatic Bid Matching Service Assistance with Certification Direction in locating contracting information Providing Mil-Specs and Standards Review of bid package prior to submittal Listing of current local, state and federal government bid opportunities on our website ( under “Contract Opportunities”

WBDC 8 South Michigan Ave., 4 th Floor Chicago, IL