Growing Your Business with Government Contracting

It is not easy being a business owner. You are constantly reviewing your business sustainability and growth in the market area. What if you can grow your business with government contracts? Are you positioned to start doing business with the federal, state, and local government? What does it take?

One of your key goals is to develop an effective marketing strategy and keep track of metrics to ensure your business is moving in the right direction. But what does it take to do business with the government? How do you become contract-ready, identify the right opportunities, and position your business to win government contracts?

These are important questions and understanding the answers could open the door to a new and potentially significant source of revenue for your business. Norcal Apex Accelerator can help you grow your business with government contracting by providing assistance to eligible businesses. Our goal is to help businesses identify, pursue, and successfully perform on federal, state, local, tribal, and subcontracting opportunities.

Key services include:

• One-on-one procurement advising — individualized guidance on whether government contracting is right for your business and how to position your company.
• Market research — identifying government agencies that purchase your products or services and determining where your best opportunities may be.
• Custom Bid-Matching — customized daily notifications for federal, state, local, and subcontracting opportunities based on what you sell and where you operate.
• Bid and proposal assistance — help interpreting solicitations, reviewing bids, and provide guidance and feedback on proposals.
• Government registrations — assistance with procurement portals such as SAM.gov and other government registration systems.
• Certifications — guidance on state and local certifications such as SB, DVBE, DBE, MBE, and WBE, as well as federal certifications including 8(a), WOSB/EDWOSB, HUBZone, SDVOSB, and VOSB.
• Capability statements and marketing strategy — assistance with developing and optimizing your capabilities statement and aligning your marketing strategy with government buyers.
• Regulatory guidance — help understanding complex government procurement requirements and regulations.
• Public works and specialized contracting assistance — including areas such as cybersecurity and other procurement-specific topics.
• Training and webinars — workshops and online training covering federal, state, and local contracting, certifications, procurement skills, and related topics.
• Networking opportunities — opportunities to connect with representatives of government agencies and other organizations involved in procurement.
• Market intelligence tools — Norcal APEX specialists can use platforms such as GovSpend and Fedmine to conduct market research for clients.

Norcal APEX Accelerators Resource Partners include:

1. Norcal Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) provides expert, no-fee advise to help established businesses and new startups realize their full potential.
2. The California Women’s Business Centers Network (CA WBC) is a statewide economic infrastructure for women entrepreneurs, turning possibility into prosperity.
3. Pacific Northwest Regional Veterans Business Outreach Center helps veterans prepare for the mission of entrepreneurship.
4. Calmentor Program – District North Region (1,2,3) – Building Partnerships. Growing Business. The Calmentor Program connects small firms with established partners to expand opportunities in California’s North Region.

If you want to review your contract readiness, contact your counselor today. They can help you conduct a review and ensure that you are on track to compete for government contracts. If you are not a client, apply for services today!

Authored by: Liz Brazil, Norcal APEX Accelerator Procurement Specialist