GCAP Resources

Assess Your Business

Evaluate your small business to see if it has what it takes to win a government contract.

What It Takes

Assessment – https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/assess-your-business

The federal, state and local government prefers to work with established, reliable businesses. Do you have a track record of delivering quality goods and services on time and within budget? Is your reputation within your industry strong?

Not only can it take a long time to win your first government contract, it can take a significant amount of money. Some businesses spend between $80,000 and $130,000 to earn their first contract.

SBTDC’s Taking The Leap – https://sbtdc.org/takingtheleap
Small Business Center Network – https://www.ncsbc.net/

Basic Requirements

Your small business must meet some basic requirements before you can compete for government contracts.

Basic Requirements – https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/basic-requirements
SAM Registration – https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration
Federal Service Desk – https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp

Market Research

In order to bid on and win government contracts, you’ll have to sell products or services that the government buys — and at a competitive price. Use the resources below to see if there’s a market for your product or service, determine how big the market is, and find potential buyers.

Federal Procurement Data System – https://www.fpds.gov/fpdsng_cms/index.php/en/
US Government Spending – https://www.usaspending.gov/
General Service Administration – https://www.acquisition.gov/procurement-forecasts

Marketing Strategies

You may want to market your small business directly to a government agency or prime contractor. You can do that by learning what agencies or prime contractors need, and then showing them how your business can fulfill that need.