McGraw-Hill Construction: Construction Stimulus Special Section

For general information on the federal government as customer, see Business.gov.

These articles from Construction Business Owner.com offer some practical advise on preparing to go after government contracts:

• 3 Key Steps for Shifting to Public Works Projects 
• Claim Your Share of Rising Federal Construction Spending

 

All companies doing business with the federal government must be registered

First stop: Central Contractor Registration (CCR) the primary registrant database for the federal government, CCR collects, validates, stores and disseminates data in support of agency acquisition missions.

• Start by reviewing the CCR User Account Guide.
• Get the numbers you need to identify your business: Guide to codes used in CCR (D-U-N-S Number, NAIC number).
• Also look at the FAQs about CCR.

*Note: Even if you already have a CCR record, login procedures have changed. You have until December 21, 2009, to create a new user account.

Next, you’ll want to register at Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA). This is where you will file the additional documents required in responding to federal agency solicitations (for example, disclosures of lobbying activities). Note that your CCR information will be automatically entered in ORCA when you register.

Check in with Acquisition Central, designed to pool resources for buyers (and sellers) across the federal enterprise. In addition to links to the two registration site (CCR and ORCA), you’ll find …

• Additional registration opportunities: Most notably, Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System.
• More resources on regulation, including the OMB’s Office of Federal Procurement Management.
• There’s a link to Wage Determinations Online, used by contracting officers to make prevailing wage determinations required by Bacon-Davis.

Don’t neglect the links to opportunities:

The main site for all government opportunities is FedBizOps.gov. Note that this page offers you the option of searching ARRA-related opportunities.

• You can also access reports on federal contract actions over $2,500 (registration required); and find business opportunities valued over $25,000 and receive email notifications on relevant opportunities.

SBA's Business Matchmaking page also offers information on business opportunities with the government.

Also see Federal Agency Business Forecasts.