The following blog is from Media Sciences/Katun

The federal government spends more money than any other organization in the country. Sure, they buy cool stuff like tanks and fighter jets, but they also buy things that most other organizations need, like office equipment and supplies. They have a lot of money, but how do you position yourself to sell to them?  Here are a few pointers to get you started.

The GSA

unc sam

The General Services Administration (GSA) oversees most of the business operations of the federal government. The first thing you need to do is register for the System for Award Management (SAM). SAM consolidates multiple contractor registration functions.  In order to register, you first need to obtain a Dun & Bradstreet D-U-N-S number. For more information, and to set up a user account, check out www.sam.gov.

The FBO

Federal Business Opportunities, or FedBizOps (FBO) is a web portal where companies can search for opportunities by agency, keyword, location, and other categories.  There is a lot of information here, so I would strongly recommend checking out the aids in the Getting Started section of the site.  You can find the FBO at www.fbo.gov.

Subcontractor Directory

Subcontracting can be a smart way to crack a government account. Companies that hold large government contracts are often required to develop a subcontracting plan with goals for including small businesses. The GSA maintains a Subcontracting Directory at http://www.gsa.gov/subdirectory to help small businesses find subcontracting opportunities.

The OSBU

Of course I had to get in one more acronym! The Office of Small Business Utilization (OSBU) is a department of the GSA that makes sure government mandates for small business involvement are met. The OSBU provides training, counseling, networking opportunities, marketing workshops, and more. Learn more about how you can benefit from working with the Office of Small Business Utilization.

The government is a big elephant! Remember to eat it just one bite at a time.

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