As a business owner, you may be interested in contracting with the Department of Defense (DoD). The DoD is one of the largest consumers of goods and services in the world, so there are plenty of opportunities for businesses of all sizes to get involved. However, before you apply for a DoD contract, there are some things you need to know. In this blog post, we will discuss ten things every business should know before applying for a DoD contract.
Understand the Acquisition Process
The first thing you need to know is how the DoD acquires the goods and services it needs. The DoD acquisition process is governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which is a set of regulations that all federal agencies must follow when procuring goods and services. The FAR can be found here: https://www.acquisition.gov/content/federal-acquisition-regulation-far. You might also need to adhere to the dfars, which are the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations.
Know Your Capabilities
Before you can sell your goods or services to the DoD, you need to make sure that your business can actually meet their needs. The best way to do this is to complete a capability statement, which is a document that outlines your company’s capabilities. You can find more information about capability statements here: https://www.sba.gov/content/what-capability-statement.
Get Registered in SAM
All businesses that want to do business with the federal government, including the DoD, must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM). SAM is a free online registration system that allows businesses to register their company information, update their contact information, and view opportunities for contracting with the federal government. You can learn more about SAM here.
Find Out What the DoD Is Buying
The next step is to find out what goods and services the DoD is actually buying. The best way to do this is to search the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website. The FBO is a website that contains all of the latest contracting opportunities for the federal government, including the DoD. You can learn more about the FBO here: https://www.fbo.gov/.
Determine If You Meet the Eligibility Requirements
Once you’ve found a contracting opportunity that you’re interested in, you need to make sure that your business meets all of the eligibility requirements. These requirements can vary depending on the type of contract, but they may include things like having a certain amount of experience or being certified in a particular area.
Review the Contract Documents
Once you’ve determined that your business is eligible for the contract, you need to review all of the contract documents. These documents will include things like the Statement of Work (SOW), which outlines the work that needs to be performed, and the Contract Pricing Schedule, which outlines the pricing for the goods or services being procured.
Submit a Bid
After reviewing the contract documents, you will need to submit a bid if you’re interested in being considered for the contract. The bid will outline your company’s proposed price for performing the work outlined in the SOW.
Expect a Site Visit
If your bid is selected, you can expect a site visit from a contracting officer. This visit is an opportunity for the contracting officer to learn more about your company and to make sure that you have the capability to perform the work outlined in the SOW.
Negotiate the Contract
Once the site visit has been completed, the contracting officer will negotiate the contract with you. This negotiation will determine the final price of the contract as well as any other terms and conditions that need to be met.
Perform the Work
After the contract has been awarded, it’s time to start performing the work. Be sure to deliver on all of the requirements outlined in the SOW and meet all of the deadlines set forth in the contract.
Following these 10 steps will help ensure that you have a successful experience contracting with the DoD. Good luck!