It takes tenacity to succeed in government sales or to sell your products or services to “Uncle Sam”. Establishing a small business in the federal marketplace can be frustrating. Yet small business preference programs along with knowledge of how procurements are conducted can cause a small business to grow to over $1 million dollars in revenue in a few short years. A General Services Administration (GSA) Contract or Multiple Award Schedule is a pre-approved contract to do business with the government. Becoming a GSA Schedule holder deems you worthy of federal business, your prices have been determined to be fair and reasonable, and your competency in your field has been given a stamp of approval. Government buyers know you are not a risky prospect and can make purchases from you directly with you or through GSA Advantage (the government's online shopping mall) or with any government purchase card (GSA contracts permits the use of government credit card purchases). Billions of dollars are spent each fiscal year through GSA contracts by civilian and military agencies. A GSA Schedule contract is attractive to both buyer and seller; it's a win - win situation.

1. You Can Sell to Uncle
Sam: Getting Government
Contracts
Presented by:
Calvin Stevens, President
TACADA Marketing Consultants, LLC

2. TACADA Marketing…
“Your Partner for Success!”
404.275.2386
tacadamarketing.com
© 2015 TACADA Marketing

3. SBA Procurement Goals
 50 % of prime contracts - small
businesses
 12 % of prime & subcontracts – SDB
 5 % of prime & subcontracts – WOSB
 3 % of prime & subcontracts - HUBZone
 3 % of prime & subcontracts - VOSB
 3 % of prime & subcontracts – SDVOSB
(Source: FAR 19.702 and Small Bus Admin)

4. Getting Started – Basic Questions
1. Which government agencies buy my
products and services?
2. How do I get in touch with them?
3. How do I market to them?

5. Getting Started – Basic Answers
Answer to Question # 1 –
 Information technology, every federal
agency buys it!
 Office supplies, hand tools, etc. -
look at websites of your targeted
market, such as DoD, NASA, NAVY, etc.

6. Getting Started – Basic Answers
Answer to Question # 1 continued–
 Go to: www.fedbizopps.gov
 Forecast of Procurement/Contracting
Opportunities--Related Link: “Federal
Agency Business Forecasts
 Subcontracting Directory—-
Related Link: “Sub-Net”
 Business Partner Network (BPN)
 Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS)

7. Getting Started – Basic Answers
Answer to Question # 2 – Getting in Touch
 Check out these websites:
- www.fpdc.gov Identify who buys your product
or service (hint: know your NAICS code-
www.census.gov/epcd/naics02 )
- www.fedbizopps.gov Register with BPN get
notices of govt requirements for your
NAICS code –Related Link: “Vendor
Notification Service”
– www.fedbid.com Register - Compete on-line
for govt requirements in your NAICS code

8. Getting Started – Basic Answers
Answer to Question # 2 – Getting in Touch
 MORE WEBSITES: Can be found on
fedbizopps
- www.mbda.gov Register – Phoenix Database to
get free contract referrals.
– www.web.sba.gov/subnet/search
Prime Contractors post subcontracting
opportunities here.
– www.sam.gov Register – You have to be
registered to get paid!

9. Getting Started – Basic Answers
Answer to Question # 3 – How do I Market to them?
 Targeted Outreach Activities
 Local Conferences/Trade Shows
 Participate in those Outreach and Networking
opportunities.
 Note: Use your Key Sources of Assistance to
get this info.

10. Getting Started – Basic Answers
Answer to Question # 3 – How do I Market to them?
 Remember the Government is decentralized.
– Dept Homeland Security has 22 former agencies that
buy things!!!
– TSA, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and
Customs Enforcement, FLETC, FEMA, Coast Guard, and
Secret Service
– GSA has 2 Business Lines:
Public Building Service and Federal Acquisition
Service
 Learn what each targeted agency bureau does and
how they spend their money! Market Research!!!

11. Marketing Strategy
Other Federal Agency One-One-
One Counseling Sessions
 Department of Justice Monthly Counseling Sessions
http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/osdbu
 U.S. Department of Agriculture Vendor Outreach
Program http://www.usda.gov/da/smallbus.html
 U.S. Department of Labor
http://www.dol.gov/osbp/regs/procurement.htm
 U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
http://www.hhs.gov
 Department of Veterans Affairs
http://www.va.gov/osdbu/conference/register.htm
 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
http://www.hud.gov/offices/osdbu/index.cfm

12. Marketing Strategy
 Focus on 3-5 Agencies & allow 18-24
months for relationship building.
 Develop Marketing Plan/Strategy
-Teaming Arrangements
-Joint Ventures
- Prime Contracts
- Subcontracts
- Pre-existing
Contract Vehicles
- Mentor Protégé
Agreements

13. Business Performance –
Top 8 Federal Agencies for FY 2015
Rank/Agency Dollars
.1. Department of Defense $269,312,039,976
2. Department of Energy $22,803,051,156
3. Department of Health & Human Svcs. $13,580,806,353
4. National Aeronautics and Space $12,811,828,250
5. Department of Veterans Affairs $11,735,408,740
6. Department of Homeland Security $10,703,910,556
7. Department of Justice $ 6,763,711,433
8. General Services Administration $ 4,892,095,303
Source: Federal Procurement Data System FY 2015

14. Selected Socioeconomic
Statistics
Category # of Actions Net Dollars
Small Business Set-Aside 1,040,384 $2,137,967
Small Business Concerns 5,591,403 5,939,576
8(a) Contract Awards 60,746 91,385
Small Disadv Business 16,003 14,551
Small Disadv Bus Concerns 332,907 439,467
HBCU/MI 1,673 4,899
HUBZone Program 5,799 15,767
HUBZone Small Bus Concerns 32,862 65,919
Women-Owned Small Business 525,217 585,513
SDVOSB 27,908 24,294
Veteran Owned Small Business 217,459 178,882
Source: Federal Procurement Data System FY 2014

15. Getting Started -
Key Sources of Assistance
 SBA – Locate your Business
Opportunity Specialist (BOS) in
your area: www.sba.gov
 Procurement Technical Asst CTRS:
www.sellingtothegovernment.net
 GSA – www.gsa.gov
 SDBC – www.sbtdc.org

16. Basic Information
There are two types of contracting
opportunities:
 Prime Contracting – you hold the
contract.
 Subcontracting – a larger company
holds the contract and you get to
work on a piece of it.

17. Basic Information – cont’d
After consideration of required
sources (read FAR Part 8-
www.arnet.gov/far/), the
contracting officer has 2
choices:
1. use a pre-existing contract
(FSS, GWAC, Dept.-wide contract).
2. use open market procedures.

18. Basic Information – cont’d
Key Tip:
If what you provide is listed on a
Multiple Award Schedule, then get on the
schedule! Why? Because it is faster!!!
Research, find out what pre-existing
vehicles are used by the agencies you
have targeted.

19. Basic Information – con’d
 Subscribe to trade magazines and
professional journals:
-- www.fedtimes.com (Fed Times
Newspaper)
-- www.govexec.com (Government
Executive Magazine)
-- www.govpro.com (Government
Procurement Magazine)

20. Basic Information – cont’d
$ Amounts you should know & methods of Procurement:
 Up to $3,000 – Micro-purchase (credit card)
 $3000-$100,000 – Simplified Acquisition Procedures
(SAP)
 Over $100,000 – Formal Contracting Procedures
Note: under commercial items test – $5,000,000 can be
considered SAP

21. Small Business Procurement
Programs
 8(a) Program set-aside
 HUBZone Program set-aside
 Traditional Small Business set-aside
 Mentor-Protégé Programs
 Full & Open competition tools
– SDB evaluation factor-prime proposes SDB targets
– Subcontracting
– HUBZone Price Evaluation Preference (10%)
– SDB Price Evaluation Adjustment (10%)

22. Small Business Procurement
Programs
There are NO direct set-asides for:
 Woman Owned Small Business
 Small Disabled Business
 Veteran Owned Small Business

23. The “Model” Small Business Firm
Working in the Federal Marketplace
Understands:
 Core Competencies
 Marketing and Relationship building
 Schedules/Multiple Award Contracts
 Open Market Procurement (FEDBIZOPPS)
 Prime Contracting
 Subcontracting

24. The “Model” Small Business Firm
Equipped to do Business with the
Government:
 Accept the Govt Purchase Card
 Has Good Marketing Materials
 Has a Niche (What’s Yours?)
 Has Resources (People, Equipment)
 Is Web/Internet Savvy (important)
 Is registered in Govt pre-existing
databases (SAM)

25. In Summary
What Really Works...
 Relationships
 Networking
 Multiple
Contracting
Vehicles
 Continuous
Marketing
 Being Prepared
 Get Involved
 Past Performance
 Share Information
 Patience
 Persistence
Home work always comes before success in the
dictionary & Small Business Procurement!

26. Taken from the book ”You Can Sell to
Uncle Sam: Getting Government
Contracts” ISBN: 978-1-4917-5135-0

27. Questions???© 2015 by Cal Stevens