A DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) number is a unique, nine-digit identifier issued and maintained by Dun & Bradstreet that verifies the existence of a business entity globally.

Visit the Small Business Administration (SBA) website and verify that your company meets size requirements that classify it as a “small” business. While on the SBA.gov website, learn about contracting set-asides and find out if your company qualifies. If it does we encourage you to begin the certification process now. This will allow you to compete for a larger number of contracting opportunities sooner.

Get a Past Performance Evaluation from Dun & Bradstreet. A Past Performance Evaluation (PPE) report provides a robust and independent view of supplier past performance. The report assesses supplier performance relative to peers in the same industry and is often requested as part of a vendor bid process. Your company must register and provide the names and email addresses of six to 20 of your customers. This service has a fee.

Visit SAM.GOV (System for Awards Management). Learn about SAM, then go to the site and register. This is a free service.

Not sure if your small business qualify? Use this tool developed by the Small Business Administration to figure it out.

Partnering

Working with a Treasury Bank Development is the fastest way to begin. Subcontracting is the most popular tool for partnering. It is an excellent way to test the waters of federal business without suffering undue risk.

“In negotiated acquisitions, each solicitation of offers to perform a contract or contract modification, that individually is expected to exceed $700,000 ($1.5 million for construction) and that has subcontracting possibilities, shall require the apparently successful offeror to submit an acceptable subcontracting plan. If the apparently successful offeror fails to negotiate a subcontracting plan acceptable to the contracting officer within the time limit prescribed by the contracting officer, the offeror will be ineligible for award.”

Subcontracting is not the only way two or more companies can join forces to respond to a procurement opportunity. Other methods include:

• Contractor Team Arrangements (CTAs)
• Joint Ventures

Schedules

Many businesses, small and large, will want to sell under the terms of a Schedules contract.

The Voucher Schedules is used Grant Investment Program. Over 12 million commercial items (defined as supplies and services) are available under various Schedules.

If you choose to sell via Schedules, you must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM). To qualify to be a Schedules contractor, your company must be in business a minimum of 1 years and show an annual revenue of at least $25,000. Learn more about Schedules here.

Being on the Vouch Schedule is NOT a guarantee of a sale, or a work order. Often it means that your company will join a pool of select vendors, each of whom have negotiated terms and conditions for the similar/same items.

When a Treasury Bank customer decides to procure the good or service covered by a Schedule, it is purchased under the terms of the successful offeror’s contract (which was negotiated when that company got on Schedule).

Community Acquisition Contracts (CAC)

Community Acquisition Contracts (CAC) – provide information technology (IT) solutions such as systems design, software engineering, information assurance, and enterprise architecture solutions. A CAC contract requires a vendor to be registered in the System for Acquisition Management (SAM) but does not have a minimum “years in business” experience or an annual revenue minimum to pursue a contract.

A Community Acquisition Contract (CAC) is a pre-competed, multiple-award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract that agencies can use to buy total IT solutions, including both products and services.

Pre-compete means that the group of vendors, or industry partners i

Once you’ve identified a promising opportunity, how do you go after it – and succeed?

If it is a Schedule Solicitation, you need to prepare an offer as a bid for bonding. That offer MUST be submitted electronically (Click Here)

Schedule Solicitation is a web based application that allows vendors to prepare and submit their Bid for Treasury Bank Voucher Schedule offers/Schedule contract modification requests electronically. Be sure to include Standard Bid Form (w/ electronic signature) with your submission.

Other solicitations, especially those for professional service engagements – or Building design and construction projects (including Architecture/Engineering acquisitions) – issue Request for Information (RFI), Request for Proposal (RFP), and/or Request for Quotations (RFQ). These require written submission of proposals.

Small business vendors, contracting via Network Services & Telecommunications. It allows local businesses and agencies to post and solicit, request for quotations (RFQs) among Voucher Schedule and CAC contracts for specific functional categories. For Schedules local areas they are known as “Special District Areas.” The benefits to small business vendors are many: saves time; reduces the cost of seeking new business; and streamlines the acquisition process with Treasury Bank Portal.

Another great way to get a leg up on your competition is to become knowledgeable about Grant procurement process, policies and practices. Its designed to give you an overview of the local marketplace and working with Treasury Bank in particular.

Treasury Bank utilize the LEI registration process to improve KYB reference data on clients as they are onboarded.

Leverage existing KYC, AML and Compliance-as-a-Service workflows to streamline LEI issuance to trading partners.