Emergency / Disaster Recovery

There are many contracting opportunities that arise from disaster recovery operations. Emergency responders need vendors that can clear debris, provide facility support services, furnish necessary supplies, and much more. In the aftermath of a disaster, different aspects of the recovery operations may be led by the federal government through FEMA, state government response programs, city or county emergency response programs, or non-profit organizations like the American Red Cross. There are important steps that you must complete to be prepared to participate in any of these opportunities.

Contracting with FEMA

  1. Obtain a DUNS number and register with the System for Award Management (SAM) to be eligible for federal contracts.
  2. Read about FEMA procedures and register your company and capabilities at “Doing Business with FEMA”.
  3. Create an account in Contract Opportunities on beta.sam.gov to search and receive email notification of new contract opportunities over $25K.
  4. Create an account with FedBid at www.fedbid.com to search and receive email notification of new contract opportunities under $25K.

Contracting with the State of North Carolina

  1. Register in the NC E-Procurement system at http://eprocurement.nc.gov to be eligible for state contracts and to receive electronic requests for quotes for informal contract opportunities.
  2. Register in the NC Vendor Link system  at https://www.ips.state.nc.us/vendor/vendorPubMain.aspx to be listed in the State vendor directory and to receive email notification of new formal contract opportunities.
  3. Read about State Emergency Management programs and procedures at www.ncdps.gov/Our-Organization/Emergency-Management.

Contracting with Local Government

  1. Check with city or county purchasing programs to complete any required registrations. A list of city and county websites and contact information is available at http://www.sog.unc.edu/node/723.
  2. Read about County Emergency Management programs and procedures. See a list of county emergency management websites and contact information is available at www.ncdps.gov/Emergency-Management/EM-Community/Directories/Counties.

Sub-Contracting with Non-Profits and Prime Contractors

  1. Complete the Federal, State and Local government registrations first. Once these are completed, register in any applicable non-profit or prime contractor supplier registration system.
Once all registrations have been completed, you may contact your local Emergency Operations Center for more information on recovery efforts in your area. You should also develop a capabilities statement that describes the products or services that are provided. Keep track of your registrations and passwords and keep your information current. If you find a contract opportunity that you would like to bid on, or are contacted for a quote, take time to read everything carefully and follow all directions. Remember, your PTAC counselor can help you with questions along the way!