Winning Government Contracts: The First Steps Seminar provides increased networking opportunities with government agencies and other businesses.
By Donna Leonard
A 3-hour introductory seminar through the Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) offers entrepreneurs an overview of the critical first steps associated with winning government contracts.
The PTACs were created by Congress in 1984 and are partially funded by the Department of Defense to generate employment and improve the general economy of their geographic area. The role of PTACs is to work with small businesses to help them obtain and perform federal, state and local government contracts.
The University of Missouri-Kansas City is unique in that it hosts two PTACs. The Missouri PTAC assists Missouri-based small businesses with government contracting issues, while the Heartland PTAC assists Kansas-based businesses. PTACs offer one-on-one consulting as well as seminars on current government contracting topics.
Mastering the Maze The Missouri and Heartland PTACs are now offering a weekly seminar called Winning Government Contracts: The First Steps.
Government contracting is controlled by a complex and voluminous set of laws, regulations, policies and procedures, all interpreted by contracting officials. The ever-changing government contracting maze can be daunting to newcomers and challenging even for those with extensive experience.
The approach throughout the First Steps seminar is practical—how to do it, where to get it and what to expect. The seminar teaches how to get started in the government-contracting arena, including the different acquisition regulations government agencies must comply with depending on the dollar value of the products or services purchased. The seminar also explains where federal, state and local agencies publicize their purchases.
Codes and Standards Two important areas a business should be aware of in government contracting are industry codes and business size standards. Every industry is categorized by North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes, and business size standards are based on these NAICS codes.
Some industries are determined by a company’s annual revenue, while other industries are based on the number of full-time employees. For example, if you are an environmental consulting firm, your NAICS code would be 541620, “Environmental Consulting Services,” and to be considered a small business your annual revenue must be less than $6 million.
But, if you’re a computer manufacturer, your NAICS code would be 334111, “Electronic Computer Manufacturing,” and to be considered a small business you would have to employ fewer than 1,000 full-time employees.
PTAC seminar instructors can help you determine your NAICS code(s) as well as your business size at the end of each First Steps seminar.
It is important to know if the agency you want to sell your product or service to requires you to be a registered vendor directly with them, or through some central registration process such as the Central Contractors Registration (CCR) or PRO-Net.
Getting Certified There is time at the end of each seminar for participants to complete the CCR and PRO-Net registrations. Starting next month, to conduct business with any federal agency, you’ll be required to register with the CCR.
The First Steps seminars also cover the different certifications that federal, state and local government agencies offer and will help you determine if your business is eligible for these certifications, which might offer contract bidding benefits. You will learn how each certification and registration could benefit your business.
Lastly, the seminar provides an overview of the PTAC services available to assist small businesses in all aspects of government contracting, including:
Developing a marketing strategy for government agencies
Providing bidding/contracting opportunities
Bid preparation assistance
Access to military specs and standards
Access to price histories
Federal, state and local registrations assistance
Federal, state and local certifications assistance
Electronic commerce assistance
The Missouri PTAC seminar is available to Missouri-based businesses the first and third Thursday of every month.
The Heartland PTAC seminar is available to Kansas-based businesses on the second and fourth Thursday of every month.
For more information about each seminar, please see the accompanying box. After attending the Winning Government Contracts: The First Steps seminar, businesses may sign up to receive services from their local PTAC.
Donna Leonard is director of the Western Region of the Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Center (MOPTAC). She can be reached at (816) 235-2891 or by e-mail at .
Sidebar (Renee—maybe you can run this as a double column in a box)
Winning Government Contracts: The First Steps
Missouri PTAC Seminar
Available to Missouri-based businesses
When: 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month
Instructor: Donna Leonard
Cost: $10
Location: 4747 Troost Bldg, Room 202 in the iStrategy Studio Kansas City, MO 64110
Heartland PTAC seminar
Available to Kansas-based businesses
When: 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month
Instructor: Jesse James III
Cost: $10
Location: 4747 Troost Bldg, Room 202 in the iStrategy Studio Kansas City, MO 64110
To register for either seminar, call (816) 235-6071, (816) 236-6075 or (816) 235-2891
