Welcome To Vietnam Veterans of America

"Tips on Marketing to the Federal Government"

Marketing to the government requires essentially the same skills and techniques that are necessary for effective marketing to the private sector. Some of the questions you will need to answer in developing your marketing strategy include the following:

Does the government use the product or service that I provide?
If so, where is this product or service needed?
Will my product or service provide a unique resource that the government would use if it became aware of what I can offer?
How do I find the opportunities?
How can I effectively compete with other businesses?

A wide range of resources are available to assist you answer these questions. To take advantage of the annual $200 billion government market for private sector goods and services, small businesses need to understand basic government programs that can benefit them-and know where to look for these opportunities.

FedBizOpps.gov http://www.fedbizopps.gov/

FedBizOpps.gov is the single government point-of-entry (GPE) for Federal government procurement opportunities over $25,000. Government buyers are able to publicize their business opportunities by posting information directly to FedBizOpps via the Internet. Through one portal - FedBizOpps (FBO) - commercial vendors seeking Federal markets for their products and services can search, monitor and retrieve opportunities solicited by the entire Federal contracting community.

Annual Procurement Forecasts: The Small Business Act requires that agencies annually publish a list of their requirements for upcoming fiscal year. These listings may be accessed through individual agency websites or the SBA website.

Listing of Agency Procurement Forecasts

Air Force http://www.selltoairforce.org./Opportunities/short-query.asp

US Navy http://www.neco.navy.mil

US Army

Corps of Engineers http://www.usace.army.mil/business.html

(St. Paul District) http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/doingbus/default.asp?pageid=444

(Rock Island District) http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/Ebs/AdvertisedSolicitations.asp

(Detroit District) http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/index.cfm?chn_id=1081

US Army's Tank-automotive and Armaments Command http://contracting.tacom.army.mil/Default.asp

Ballistic Missile Defense Organization http://www.acq.osd.mil/mda/mdalink/html/mdalink.html

Department of Veterans Affairs http://www.osdbu.va.gov/cgi-bin/WebObjects/FcoPublic.woa/21/wo/F00000RN400aE1002/1.1.9.3.19.5

Education Department http://www.ed.gov/fund/contract/about/booklet1.html

Energy Department http://smallbusiness.doe.gov/contract.html

FAA http://www.sbo.faa.gov/sbo/prc_frc_lst.asp?rgn=1

Housing & Urban Development http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpo/4cast.cfm

Interior Department http://ideasec.nbc.gov/forecast

Justice Department http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/osdbu/forecast2005-1.pdf

Labor Department http://www.dol.gov/dol/business.htm

NASA http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/syn_search.cgi

Naval Research Office http://www.onr.navy.mil/onr/contracts.htm

Social Security http://www.ssa.gov/oag/acq/oagacq_smbus_forecast.htm

State Department https://state.monmouth.army.mil/ions

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/25945.doc

Transportation Department http://osdbu.dot.gov/osdbu_services/Procurement/proc_Cat_main.cfm

Treasury Department http://www.treas.gov/offices/management/dcfo/osdbu/marketing-publications/forecast.shtml

U.S. Department of Agriculture http://www.usda.gov/osdbu/

Finding Potential Customers

Contact the Office of Small Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) of the agency you wish to do business with. The staff can provide you with a directory of agency buying locations and advise you on the types of goods and services that the agency regularly purchases. Many agencies promote outreach programs and offer "how to" publications that provide assistance in understanding their procurement programs.
Register in PRO-Net (now through CCR) an SBA database of small business contractors and their areas of business. Agency contracting officers and prime contractors search the database to find small business sources and subcontractors. Firms can easily register from the SBA website.
Register in the US Department of Defense's Central Contractor Register (CCR) through the Internet.
Agency purchasing offices maintain source lists for the goods and services that they buy. Firms can be included on the agency's Solicitation Mailing List Application simply by completing a Standard Form 129 with the agency.
Wherever possible, arrange marketing visits to agency project and program personnel.
Provide catalogues and brochures to key personnel within the agencies.
Participate in agency market research by attending pre-solicitation conferences.
Many Federal agencies hold small business fairs that emphasize how to do business with the government and provide information regarding their program activities. Some have the added feature of making on-the-spot purchases from small business attendees.

Information provided by:

Joseph K. Rosner
Business Opportunity Specialist
SBA Wisconsin District Office
310 West Wisconsin Avenue Suite 400
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203
(414) 297-1178
(414) 297-1377 (fax)
(202) 481 - 2736 (direct fax)
joseph.rosner@sba.gov

VVA Guides

Featured Veteran-Owned Businesses:

"Tips on
Marketing to the Federal Government"

Dept. of Labor
Overtime Rules

Guide to Writing a Federal Resume

ETABO Committee

Policies and Procedures