Registration Process for Vendors Doing Business with The Government

Are you a small business? Want to do business with the government? Local, state and federal governments offer a great opportunity for small businesses to sell their services and products worth billions of dollars. For doing business with the federal government, you just need to register your business. Once you register, you will be able to bid government proposals and win contracts. In fact, federal contracting opens the door to ample of opportunities for small businesses.

 Here are some easy steps, which you need to take for registering your small business.

• The very first thing, which you need to do, is obtain a Data Universal Numbering System from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). It is a 9 digit number for identifying the locality of your small business. As a small company wanting to do business with the federal government, you do not need to spend anything to get this number. You just need to visit D-U-N-S Request Service for registration.

• Registering your business with the SAM or System of Award Management is a must. The SAM is the main database of vendors that do business with the government. The FAR or Federal Acquisitions Regulations require all the potential vendors to register in SAM before winning a government contract, blanket purchase agreement, basic agreement or basic ordering agreement. SAM is a marketing tool for the businesses. It allows contractors and government agencies to look for your form based on your size, ability, experience, ownership, location and more. By using SAM you can also register your social and economic status as well as your business size while completing the much needed certification and solicitation clauses. Completing this means, you certify that all information given about your business activities and your company is accurate.

• Find NAICS or North American Industry Classification System code for your firm. The NAICS code is needed for tax, government contracting and administrative purposes. It classifies the country, industry and economic sector of your small business. You are needed to identify all NAICS codes, which are related to your small business in SAM for contracting purpose.

• As a small business that wants to get on the GSA Schedule for government contracting, you should get a Past Performance Evaluation from an Open Ratings. Opens Ratings is a D&B company that specializes in conducting an inspection of customer references and gives a rating depending on the statistical examination of survey responses and several performance data. Although you may find few GSA Schedule solicitations that contain the request form of Open Ratings Past Performance Evaluation many vendors also request the Open Ratings directly online.