By Trisha Ferrand
Senior Procurement Specialist
San Diego Contracting Opportunities Center
What is a PTAC?
Our San Diego Contracting Opportunities Center is one in a network of over 300 PTAC locations, Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, across the U.S., all funded by the Department of Defense, Defense Logistics Agency, with matching dollars by local sponsors. PTACs provide free and low cost services to small businesses in all types of industries, to help them learn about how to do business with local, state and federal government agencies, public agencies, and their prime contractors. To find a PTAC near you, go to: www.aptac-us.org.
Our services include electronic bid notifications, workshops, and individual counseling on all types of topics related to government contracting, including small business certifications and registrations, crafting your Capabilities Statement, market research on customers, competitors and potential teaming partners; finding, analyzing and responding to Requests for Bids, Proposals, Qualifications; understanding prevailing wage requirements, online bidding and payment systems, and other topics unique to government contracting.
Avoid Common Mistakes in Certifying Your Business as a WOSB
When completing your registration in the federal System for Award Management (SAM), you can check the box to be recognized as a woman-owned business (WOB), and SAM can determine that you are also a small business, but this does not make you a Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB). The WOSB acronym specifically relates to the federal program launched in February 4, 2011, to allow contracts to be set aside for Women Owned Small Businesses to provide goods and services in the 83 designated four digit NAICS (North American Industrial Classification System) Industry Group codes.
When you check the WOSB box in SAM you are certifying that you have uploaded a self-certification questionnaire, business documents, such as articles of incorporation and bylaws, and your birth certificate or certificate of naturalization to SBA’s WOSB Repository. These documents are intended to show that your company is at least 51% independently owned and controlled by one or more women, and primarily managed by one or more women.
Ownership is a straightforward concept, but SBA’s view of “controlled” can be quite complex. Don’t wait for a random SBA audit or bid protest to be sure you are eligible for the WOSB. You should carefully review this excellent article on SBA’s website, “An Overview on Affiliation.”
Your Top Tips for the FY 2015 Federal Buying Season
Position yourself to respond to solicitations before they are out to bid. Federal agencies are required to publish annual procurement forecasts outlining upcoming contract opportunities. Conduct research on the federal market by reviewing the forecasts of your target agencies.
Not sure which federal agencies are a fit for your business? Work with your local PTAC to find out! Your local PTAC can walk you through how to gather business intelligence on the federal market by utilizing resources, such as FPSD.gov and USASpending.gov.
Respond to “Sources Sought” at fbo.gov, and market your qualifications first, not your certifications; however, along with submitting your Capabilities Statement, do inform the contracting staff in writing, that you would like them to consider setting that opportunity aside for WOSB competition, because you are ready to bid on it as an eligible and qualified WOSB firm.
www.wipp.org
Give Me 5: Working with Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC)
Course Instructor: Mike Schremmer, Program Manager, Norcal PTAC