https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE Expo
    • Calendar of Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Administration


Article

Contractors: Leave no stone unturned as the end of the federal fiscal year approaches

Contractors: Leave no stone unturned as the end of the federal fiscal year approaches

GPN reached out to Lourdes Martin-Rosa, American Express OPEN Advisor for Government Contracting, to get her views on the federal marketplace in 2017.
  • Written by mikekeat
  • 2nd August 2017

Editor’s note: There’s no shortage of tools that can help firms land more federal contracts. Here is another in GPN’s series on selling strategies as the end of federal fiscal year 2017 approaches on Sept. 30. GPN reached out to Lourdes Martin-Rosa, American Express OPEN Advisor for Government Contracting, to get her views on the federal marketplace in 2017. Below are Martin-Rosa’s views.

GPN: Are there any agencies or product/service categories that offer special opportunities this federal fiscal year-end?

Lourdes Martin-Rosa: The federal acquisition budget was approved late this year due to a new administration, but funding is quickly starting to flow as agencies are trying to find small businesses with the capabilities to fulfill their contracting needs.

The end of the fiscal year is approaching (Sept. 30th) and all agencies need to meet their small business contracting goals. Access to good viable small business contractors is not as easy as you may think. An agency may view a small business as a high risk if they’ve never done business with the federal government.  What can you do to behave as an experienced government contractor?  Learn the federal language. For example, Department of Homeland Security calls their sub-agencies “Components,” whereas the Department of Interior calls them “Bureaus.”

We predict that the agencies that will receive a boost in funding this year are the Department of Defense, Nuclear Security Administration and those related to the defense or military industries, including the Department of Homeland Security.

GPN: What tactics should buyers and sellers try as the end of the federal fiscal year approaches?

LM-R: To have an edge in government contracting, small businesses should take the following steps:

a    Ensure your SAM, Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) or SBA Profile is active and is fully undated with your information. These portals are utilized by most contracting officials as a search vehicle.

b    Research agency procurement forecasts and understand their particular buying methods. If you see a viable procurement match for your firm, begin to research the agency’s missions and goals and explore opportunities to team to strengthen your bid. For example, if the upcoming contract opportunity is a set aside for 8(a) and you are not 8(a)-certified, team with a business that is 8(a)-certified.  How do you find them? You can use the DSBS profile to find 8(a) firms within your area or identify companies with the technical expertise you need to help you win that contact.

c    Schedule a visit with your local SBA office. Many SBA local offices have Procurement Contract Representatives (PCR) whose responsibility is to identify local opportunities to help boost small business contract engagement within their geographic communities. These officials sometimes have trouble finding small businesses to complete agency requests so you’ll want to be on their radar.

GPN: Is there anything special about the 2017 federal fiscal year-end?

LM-R: We anticipate that the trends we saw throughout 2017 will stay through the end of the fiscal year. Which means that like in 2017, IT and Professional Services may continue to dominate in the small business contracting spectrum.  To prepare for the end of the fiscal year, visit federal agency websites to find the schedule of their Vendor or Industry Days. You can also explore events like ChallengeHER, hosted by the SBA, WIPP and American Express OPEN, which provide resources for women involved or looking to get involved in government contracting. Both of these events are free and allow you to speak with contracting officials as well as other small businesses that could make strong partners.

In addition, as a small business owner myself, I know that there is a lot of opportunity at the end of the fiscal year to secure contracts. Before jumping in, be sure to examine the requirements, payment methods, profit margins and weigh if you are able to complete the tasks. You never want to make a bad impression entering the federal sector. By pursuing opportunities you know you could fulfill with your requirements and those of your teaming partners, you’ll be setting your business up for contracting success.

Editor’s note: GPN will be spotlighting government buying and selling opportunities as the end of the federal fiscal year approaches. The topic will be discussed in a series of four Use It or Lose It e-newsletters that will be deployed in July and August before the end of the federal fiscal year on Sept 30, 2017.

Please email [email protected] if you’d like to submit a commentary on what federal buyers and contractors need to do before the end of the federal fiscal year, the federal marketplace or similar topic. Go here for a sample issue of the free Use It or Lose It e-newsletter.

_____________

To get connected and stay up-to-date with similar content from American City & County:
Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
Watch us on Youtube

Tags: Administration Economy Procurement Smart Cities & Technology Article

Most Recent


  • technology
    To ensure success when buying tech, local governments need to do their homework
    Municipal officials need to analyze their agency’s current IT setup as they consider upgrades, says Lauren Powalisz, principal, state, local higher education leader, Deloitte Consulting, a global management consultancy that provides technology, strategy and operations and human capital consulting for many industries, including the public sector. “Performing a current IT landscape assessment is an integral, […]
  • Detroit roadway with embedded wireless vehicle charging technology is the nation's first
    After two years of construction, Detroit has unveiled the first stretch of public roadway in the United States to feature an embedded wireless in-road charging system, letting innovators test their vehicle charging technologies in a real world environment. A Ford E-Transit electric commercial van equipped with a receiver is expected to begin testing the system […]
  • Detroit's new climate strategy includes policy benchmarks for energy, water usage in buildings
    A novel efficiency benchmarking policy for building energy and water usage is a cornerstone of Detroit’s new climate strategy, which sets out a plan to reduce municipal greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent by 2034 and completely by 2050. “I am proud to have supported this ordinance, which was initiated by Detroit’s Green Task Force, […]
  • Energy department announces $31M for local, state energy efficiency and conservation efforts
    In support of the nation’s push toward clean energy, the U.S. Department of Energy announced this month the recipients of more than $31 million in investments through the Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant Program, which is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The money will support projects in 19 states and local communities, and is […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Lessons from your friendly neighborhood public service employees
  • Harris County deploys next-generation security in 150 public buildings
  • How local governments can get ahead of the infrastructure wave: Strategies to mitigate risk
  • Prioritizing rapid restore leads to stronger ransomware attack recovery

White papers


Best Practices for Grantees and Grantors: Grant Compliance

5th December 2023

The Four Key Components of Successful Digital Transformation

22nd November 2023

Navigating Today’s Greatest Workplace Challenges

3rd October 2023
view all

Webinars


Grant Preparedness: Unlocking Funding Opportunities for Your Success

10th August 2023

2023 State of Public Sourcing: Taking Local Governments into a Bright Future

1st August 2023

Stop Playing with Fire: How to Manage Infrastructure Asset Risk So You Know You’re Covered

20th June 2023
view all

PODCAST


Podcast: Disaster Management Symposium preview

13th October 2023

Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


Gallery: Top 10 domestic city travel destinations this Thanksgiving season

22nd November 2023

Gallery: 10 American cities that have seen substantial population growth in the last five years

6th November 2023

Gallery: 10 of America’s greenest large cities

24th October 2023
view all

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.