Federal Business Opportunities
Contract Opportunities on beta.sam.gov is the single government point-of-entry for Federal government procurement opportunities over $25,000. Government buyers publicize their business opportunities by posting information directly to Beta SAM online. Through this portal, commercial vendors seeking Federal markets for their products and services can search, monitor and retrieve opportunities solicited by the entire Federal contracting community.
Small Business Specialists
These specialists can provide helpful information on how to market your product/service within their activity. The
Department of Defense Small Business Offices have professionals who can help you understand their organization’s mission, challenges and requirements. Your
NC PTAC Counselor can provide you with a list that includes contact information for Small Business Specialists at federal contracting offices in North Carolina.
Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)
The
DLA buys millions of different items for the Department of Defense (DOD) activities through supply centers that manage day-to-day procurement and logistic operations. These supply centers forecast demands, process requisitions, award contracts, and monitor inventory levels. More information can be found at the link above under “Business Opportunities.”
See a list of military installations in North Carolina.
- Wide Area WorkFlow (WAWF) – WAWF is a secure web-based system for electronic invoicing, receipt and acceptance. WAWF creates a virtual folder that combines the three documents required to pay a vendor – the contract, the invoice, and the receiving report.
- NAF (Non-Appropriated Funds) – If you have retail items (such as those found in your average large department or hardware store) that you are interested in selling for resale to Department of Defense, then the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), Navy Exchange (NEX), Marine Corps Community Services and the US Coast Guard Exchange are possibilities.
- The DoD’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) activities are responsible for providing quality of life services and programs (recreation, sports & physical fitness activities, child development & youth programs, hospitality and retail shopping opportunities) to federal, active reserve, and retired personnel and their dependents. .
General Services Administration (GSA)
GSA contracts for a large volume of goods and services on a worldwide basis for numerous federal entities. The Federal Supply Schedules Program closely mirrors commercial buying practices. It provides ordering activities with millions of state-of-the-art; high-quality commercial products and services at volume discount pricing on a direct delivery basis. Under the Multiple Awards Schedule (MAS) program, GSA awards contracts to multiple companies supplying comparable products and services at varying prices. The dollar value of
GSA Schedule orders is increasing by approximately one billion dollars annually. While a schedule holder is not guaranteed any orders, the fact that many of the contracting procedures and hurdles have been addressed is an attractive feature for agencies seeking to purchase a commercial item or service. The contractor pays GSA an Industrial Funding Fee of .75 percent of the total sales for that quarter under their schedule. Additional GSA Schedule information can be found at their
E-Library web page.
Department of Veterans Affairs
The
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates a nationwide system of hospitals, clinics, regional offices, data processing centers and national cemeteries that require a broad spectrum of goods and services. These are purchased on a national, regional and local level. Examples of goods and services purchased include medical, pharmaceutical, and laboratory supplies and equipment, laundry services, and building maintenance and repair. Opportunities can also be found at the VA’s
Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.
Others
There are hundreds of other federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Energy, etc. These agencies and others, contract for an assortment of products and services. Their solicitations in amounts exceeding $25,000 can be found at
Beta SAM – Contract Opportunities. Solicitations for lower dollar value items may be advertised on the agency’s web site. The
Federal Acquisition Jumpstation provides direct links to federal acquisitions on the Internet.
Visit the
NC PTAC Technical Library for more resources on federal government contracting.
