Ten Steps to Success for Doing Business with

Ten Steps to Success for Doing Business with TACOM LCMC Office of Small Business Programs US Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command 1

Step 1: Identify Your Product or Service Match your product(s) or service(s) to the classifications the Government uses to define its current and future procurement requirements • Federal Supply Classification (FSC) Codes - www. acquisition. gov/service_product_codes. pdf • North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Codes www. census. gov/naics Enter your firm’s applicable FSC and NAICS codes • when registering as a vendor for Federal contracts (Step 2) • and when searching for opportunities online (Step 3) 2

Step 2: Register Your Company Websites for Government Contractor Registration • Central Contractor Registry (CCR) - www. ccr. gov • Online Representations and Certifications (ORCA) – www. orca. bpn. gov • Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) Database - www. dsbs. sba. gov/dsbs Does your firm qualify as a small business? • For all Federal Size Regulations refer to 13 C. F. R. Part 121. 105 üPart 1 - Be a business entity that is: organized for profit, with a place of business located in the United States, and which either operates primarily within the United States or makes a significant contribution to the U. S. economy either through the payment of taxes or use of American products, material, or labor. 3

Step 2: Register Your Company (Continued) üPart 2 – Meet Size Standards for your NAICS Codes SBA determines size standard (i. e. , ceiling) for every NAICS code www. sba. gov/contractingopportunities/officials/size - Product codes: Based on number of employees - Service codes: Based on avg. annual sales receipts • Check Rules of Affiliation in 13 C. F. R. Part 121. 103 Does your firm fall under one or more socioeconomic subcategories? Visit www. sba. gov for more information. • Small Disadvantaged Business • “ 8(a)” Business Development Program enrollee (SBA certification required) • Woman-Owned Small Business • HUBZone Small Business (SBA certification required) • Veteran-Owned Small Business • Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Double check both your CCR and DSBS records for completeness. • Include key words, capabilities description, and references. • Buyers use key words and descriptions to do Market Research! 4

Step 3: Locate Contracting Opportunities TACOM LCMC may be right in your backyard, but… • It does not mean that TACOM can buy your products or services. • Each organization has a different mission and a different list of items and services it is allowed to buy. Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) – https: //www. fpds. gov. Determine who buys what you sell by searching in FPDS: • Decades of information on purchases by all agencies • What agency buys your NAICS codes • Who is getting the contracts • How much is spent 5

Step 3: Locate Contracting Opportunities (Continued) Contracting Opportunity Websites • • Federal Business Opportunities - www. fbo. gov Defense Department Opportunities üArmy Single Face to Industry (ASFI) - https: //acquisition. army. mil/asfi/ ü Navy Electronic Commerce Online (NECO) - https: //www. neco. navy. mil ü Air Force Opportunities - http: //airforcesmallbiz. org/opportunities ü DLA Opportunities - http: //www. dla. mil/Business. Ops. aspx • Command sites üTACOM LCMC Procurement Network (Proc. Net) - contracting. tacom. army. mil • To find local Command or Organizations sites, drill down from: ü USA. gov – http: //www. usa. gov ü Do. D OSBP site’s links – http: //www. acq. osd. mil/osbp 6

Step 3: Locte Contracting Opportunities Step 3: Locate Contracting Opportunities (Continued) Common Online Search Criteria • FSC or NAICS Code NOTE: Each Federal procurement solicitation is assigned a NAICS code by the contracting officer releasing the solicitation. Result: Your firm may be small under one solicitation but not under another! • • Solicitation Type (e. g. , set-aside for small businesses) Keyword (use Government terminology, and experiment to find out what words and word combinations yield the best results) 7

Step 4: Zero-In on Target Markets After pinpointing who buys what you sell, make maximum use of each targeted agency’s procurement website… for example… US Army TACOM LCMC Proc. Net – contracting. tacom. army. mil (Shown on next five slides) 8

Public Information Website: www. tacom. army. mil Proc. Net (Business Opportunities) 9

Procurement Network Website (Proc. Net): contracting. tacom. army. mil 10

Proc. Net - Warren Business Opportunities contracting. tacom. army. mil/opportunity. ht m Quick links to Acquisition Information, such as Vendor Registration Important Notices Links to Opportunities are here 11

Step 4: Zero-In on Target Markets (continued) Links on US Army TACOM LCMC Procnet - Warren Business Opportunities page http: //contracting. tacom. army. mil/opportunity. htm - Open and On-The-Street Solicitations - Major Systems - Commercial Vehicles and Items - Service Contracting and Acquisition Support - Research and Development - Market Surveys and Sources Sought Notices - Broad Agency and Research Announcements - Future and Potential Buys - Awarded Contracts, Orders, and Modifications - TACOM Qualified Supplier Lists (QSLs) 12

Step 4: Zero-In on Target Markets (continued) “Small Business Info” link at bottom of Business Opportunities Page takes you to the page for the Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) http: //contracting. tacom. army. mil/sbo. htm where you will find: - Doing business with TACOM LCMC instructions - Tips Sheets for small businesses (coming soon) - Lists of prime contractors (manufacturers, services, construction) - Registration tool for available subcontractors - Conference and event notices If Agency-specific questions arise, contact Small Business Specialists • Federal Gov’t - http: //www. osdbu. gov/offices. html • Army - http: //sellingtoarmy. com/User/Misc/Search. ASBS. aspx • TACOM LCMC – 7 sites – TACOM LCMC Small Business Selling Guide http: //contracting. tacom. army. mil/sbo/publications. htm • TACOM LCMC Warren site – DAMI Small Business Office@conus. army. mil 13

Step 5: Investigate Special Programs Federal Program Websites • General Services Administration (GSA) Schedules Program - www. gsa. gov • Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program - www. sbir. gov Defense and Army Program Websites • Do. D Emall Program - www. dscc. dla. mil/programs/emall • Mentor-Protégé Program - www. acq. osd. mil/osbp/mentor_protege • Field and Installation Readiness Support Team (FIRST) Services Program - http: //www. bragg. army. mil/rccfb/First/first. htm • Computer Hardware, Enterprise Software and Solutions (CHESS) Program https: //chess. army. mil/ TACOM LCMC Program Websites • Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) Program - www. dmsms-tardec-army. com • Manufacturing Technical Assistance Production Program (MTAPP) - http: //armymtapp. us/ • Ground Vehicle Gateway for Innovations - tardec. groundvehiclegateway. com • Expedited Modernization Initiative Procedure (EMIP) Program http: //peocscss. tacom. army. mil/EMIP/home. html 14

Step 6: Pursue Subcontracting Opportunities Subcontracting Opportunity Websites • SBA Sub-Net - www. sba. gov/subnet • Do. D Subcontracting Directory - www. acq. osd. mil/osbp/doing_business/ • Do. D Prime Contract Descriptions - www. defense. gov/contracts • TACOM LCMC Prime Contractor Lists http: //contracting. tacom. army. mil/sbo. htm After targeting a prime contractor, make maximum use of its supplier website…highlighted below are those of Oshkosh and General Dynamics Land Systems Oshkosh Corporate Purchasing www. oskgpsc. net • Supplier development information • Purchasing contacts by commodity • Online supplier registration • Small Business Liaison Officer (SBLO) contact information GDLS Supply Chain Management www. gdls. com/suppliersoverview • Supplier manual • “i. Supplier” instructions for online quoting • Online supplier registration • Small Business Liaison Officer (SBLO) contact Information 15

Step 7: Learn the Rules of Gov’t Contracting Be aware of what sets Gov’t contracting apart from commercial contracting: 16

Step 7: Learn the Rules of Gov’t Contracting (continued) Regulatory and Policy Websites • Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) - www. acquisition. gov/far • Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy (DPAP) - www. acq. osd. mil/dpap Other Web Resources • Defense Acquisition University (DAU) - www. dau. mil • Defense Life Cycle Management Chart - https: //acc. dau. mil/ifc/ • National Stock Number (NSN) Booklet - www. dlis. dla. mil/PDFs/NSN. pdf • Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) Handbook - www. dcaa. mil/dcaap 7641. 90. pdf • Do. D Small Business Teaming Guide - http: //www. acq. osd. mil/osbp/resources/teaming. pdf • Office of Small Business Programs at all levels: ü Federal (http: //www. osdbu. gov/offices. html) ü Do. D (http: //www. acq. osd. mil/osbp) – Quick Reference Guides ü Army (http: //www. sellingtoarmy. info) ü Army Materiel Command (http: //www. amc. army. mil/pa/smallbusiness. asp) ü TACOM LCMC (http: //contracting. tacom. army. mil/sbo. htm) 17

Step 8: Know the Players in Gov’t Contracting Routine Participants • PROCURING CONTRACTING OFFICER (PCO) …issues solicitations and awards contracts • PROGRAM MANAGER …develops acquisition plans and manages acquisitions • SMALL BUSINESS SPECIALIST …screens all upcoming RFPs as set-aside candidates • SBA PROCUREMENT CENTER REPRESENTATIVE …also reviews RFPs for set-aside suitability • COMPETITION ADVOCATE …promotes competition and challenges barriers to it • ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACTING OFFICER (ACO) …monitors contract performance Small Business Specialist - Your initial go-to person for contracting advice and guidance at any Federal procurement agency What SB Specialists can do for you What SB Specialists cannot do • Discuss the extent that your capabilities match the agency’s opportunities • Suggest avenues to pursue, tailored to your specific product or service line • Record your company as an available contracting source • Be available for follow-up questions • Act on your direct behalf in a manner even marginally resembling that of an agent • Respond to a question regarding a specific solicitation or contract (such matters are the province of the buyer and PCO) 18

Step 9: Seek Advice, Assistance and Insights General Assistance and Information Websites • Assoc. of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) - www. aptac-us. org • Assoc. of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) - www. asbdc-us. org • Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) - www. score. org • SBA Financial Assistance Program - www. sba. gov/financialassistance • Federal Business Gateway - www. business. gov • Senate Small Business Committee - sbc. senate. gov • House Small Business Committee - www. house. gov/smbiz/ Organization Websites • National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) - www. ndia. org • Institute for Defense and Government Advancement (IDGA) - www. idga. org • SAE International - www. sae. org 19

Step 10: Market Your Firm Develop three levels of marketing materials - long version, very short “elevator speech”, and a “resume” of one to two pages, customized to your targeted Government market(s) • Make clear what your firm’s size and socioeconomic status is • Focus on product over process; define the specific items or services your company can provide, and identify applicable FSC and NAICS codes • Cite the GSA schedules your firm is an approved contractor under • List your current major customers and describe any notable business successes and accomplishments Be proactive…respond to market surveys, and take any additional action (Steps 4 through 6) that better positions your company for contracts 20

Step 10: Market Your Firm (continued) Attend conferences and forums to engage in face-to-face marketing • Visit the websites of organizations like NDIA for schedules of events across the U. S. in which key Gov’t and prime contractor personnel are present • Visit Federal procurement agency websites (Step 4) for notices about Small Business Fairs, “Industry Days” and other agency-specific events Make sure your CCR, DSBS, and ORCA records are up to date • Include key words for items, materials, processes, services • Include general words as well as specifics 21

Summary 1. Identify Your Product or Service 2. Register Your Company 3. Locate Contracting Opportunities 4. Zero in on Target Markets 5. Investigate Special Programs 6. Pursue Subcontracting Opportunities 7. Learn the Rules of Government Contracting 8. Know the Players in Government Contracting 9. Seek Advice, Assistance and Insights 10. Market Your Firm 22