Small businesses might feel in over their heads while competing for government contracts through the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program. However, to ensure that small businesses receive a portion of government contracting dollars, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has established several contracting assistance programs such as the 8(a) Business Development Program. The 8(a) Program aids small, disadvantaged businesses, and the SBA works with federal agencies to promote equitable access to contracting opportunities in the federal marketplace. In this article, we’ll define the SBA's (8a) Business Development Program, who is eligible to participate in the program, and the benefits for small, disadvantaged businesses.

When you are looking for contracting opportunities, you can run into a lot of different acronyms. At first glance, your head might swim trying to figure out the difference between Requests for Information (RFI), Requests for Quotes (RFQ), and Requests for Proposal (RFP). While all three are involved in the solicitation process, each one has its own role in shaping the government’s procurement process. In this article, we will break down the difference between RFQs, RFPs, and RFIs, provide tips on creating an effective response that stands out from the crowd, and how to avoid the easy mistakes that get your proposal in a Contracting Officer’s waste bin.

If you have ever tried to sell to the federal government, then you have come across SAM.gov. The System for Award Management (SAM, SAM.gov) is the official website for people who make, receive, and manage federal awards. GSA teamed up and integrated with partner sites to curate a powerful tool to register, report, search opportunities, and sector data. On SAM.gov, you can search contract opportunities and entity registration, access data reports, check assistance listings, and connect with resources to help your business of any size succeed.

Selling to the government with your GSA Schedule contract is more than showing up at events and finding new opportunities. To successfully sell to the federal government, you need to understand your targeted government customers and their unique needs. Each branch of the government influences the spending choices of the other, so it’s important to understand how each branch affects your company’s ability to sell to agencies. Focusing on a few best practices will shape your company’s public sector efforts and make you stand out in the government marketplace.