Federal Contracting Made Easy's Podcast

A Debriefing is your opportunity to understand the basis for the selection decision made by the agency.  During the debriefing you will have a chance to hear from the agency regarding:  evaluation process; how your proposal related to the evaluation criteria; deficiencies in your proposal; successful parts of your proposal; and reasonable responses to relevant questions about whether source selection procedures. The Government offers Debriefings to businesses as a way to eliminate protests. Another reason for debriefings is to instill confidence in the Government selection process.  Lastly, the government provides debriefing as a way to help businesses understand the selection process and improve their bidding processes.

  Congratulations on your acceptance into the 8(a) Business Development set-aside program. That can be quite a feat but is well worth the wait. Now that you are 8(a) certified it is time to educate you on the program. Remember the more you know the better prepared you are to make the best educated decisions for your business. Think of this article as a brief overview of just one small segment of the set-aside 8(a) program, the 8(a) Orientation.

  Set-aside Site Visits Required for 8(a) Businesses   Welcome to the wonderful world of government contracting. This is episode number 036 and today’s topic is “Set-aside Site Visits Required for 8(a) Businesses?” Before we get started with our topic today you need to stop, provide a review of the podcast, and don’t forget to subscribe so you are kept up to date when new episodes are released. Also, be sure to check out today’s show notes for more information on today’s topic. Do you have a topic that you would like discussed on this podcast? Then email our host and she will ensure that we not only cover the topic but let you know when the topic is released. Congratulations on your acceptance into the 8(a) Business Development set-aside program. That can be quite a feat but is well worth the wait. Now that you are 8(a) certified it is time to educate you on the program. Remember the more you know the better prepared you are to make the best educated decisions for your business. Think of this article as a bri

It has been a couple of years since you took the first steps to adventure into government contracting.  Your business is HUBZone certified and the business has won HUBZone contracts.  Things are going well when suddenly a visitor walks in stating that they are from the Government and you need to answer a few questions. Before you panic, stop and take a deep breath.  Let the air out slowly.  Now go and talk to the Government Official.  More than likely the Government Official is from the U.S. Small Business Administration and he or she is performing a HUBZone site visit. HUBZone Site Visit Nancy, why does the Government need to visit my office when they already declare the business is HUBZone certified? That is a great question.  SBA is responsible for ensuring that only qualified small businesses receive the HUBZone certification.  They visit firms to ensure that they are still HUBZone qualified.  Since SBA does not have the resources available to visit every firm when they apply for the HUBZone certification

The better informed you are about their responsibilities the better decisions you can make during your tenure in the program. Regulations First let’s start with where this information is obtained from. Every Agency has regulations that tell them what their responsibilities and obligations are. The Small Business Administration is no different. Their regulations are called Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and are available to download from their website. I would suggest that you download the SOP and keep it on hand during your time in the program. 8(a) Business Development - https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/files/SOP_80_05_5__1.pdf Federal Contracting Made Easy - www.FederalContractingMadeEasy.com Byerly Enterprises - www.ByerlyEnterprises.com Contact-Nancy@ByerlyEnterprises.com

Have you ever lost sight into why you are doing something? That is why today's podcast is about doing business with the federal government. For the last six months, we have been discussing topics related to government contracting and the steps you need to take to become a government contractor. We have been concentrating on developing our business strategy for competing in the federal marketplace. However, as we work on this business strategy it is easy to lose sight of the original reasons, we started this process in the first place. That is the goal for today’s topic is to remind you “why” we are doing this. Websites: Federal Contracting Made Easy - www.FederalContractingMadeEasy.com Byerly Enterprises - www.byerlyenterprises.com Want Nancy to discuss a topic? Contact her at Nancy@byerlyenterprises.com

SBA guarantees the surety bonds for approved surety companies which allows these companies to offer surety bonds to small businesses that might not meet the eligibility criteria for other sureties. Many small businesses first starting government contracting utilizing the SBA Surety Bond program. Websites: SBA Surety Bond Program - https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/surety-bonds SBA www.sba.gov FAR Part 28 Bonding http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vmfara.htm Federal Contracting Made Easy - www.federalcontractingmadeeasy.com Byerly Enterprises www.byerlyenterprises.com Contact Nancy - Nancy@byerlyenterprises.com

Businesses have to abide by the set rules and regulations especially when it comes to contract work. Bonds protect the parties if the job fails to meet the contract.  That is why bonds exist. Most contractors¸  do not think about bonding until a time comes when the projects they seek require bonding. Consequently, businesses willing to enter into a contract with corporations or the government should understand the workings of bonds. Learn more about bonds by listening to this podcast.  Websites: FAR Part 28. http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vmfara.htm FederalContractingMadeEasy.com ByerlyEnterprises.com Contact Nancy - nancy@byerlyenterprises.com Phone: 801-440-8006

Learn how market research is performed by government officials.   Have a question or topic you would like discussed?  Submit it to nancy@byerlyenterprises.com Federal Contracting Made Easy - www.federalcontractingmadeeasy.com Byerly Enterprises-www.byerlyenterprises.com

Did you know that if you that if you are a small business and a contracting officer determines that your business is non-responsible that the contracting officer has to refer the matter to SBA?  Learn more about this program and how you can ask to have a Certificate of Competency performed on your business. Websites: Federal Contracting Made Easy -www.federalcontractingmadeeasy.com Byerly Enterprises - www.byerlyenterprises.com Contact Nancy at nancy@byerlyenterprises.com  

Now before we get into today’s topic it is time for you to act and subscribe and rate our podcast. This is important as you will find new episodes will be automatically downloaded. You will not want to miss our newest releases. What can you expect to learn today? Which part of the FAR covers responsible contractor, factors that the contracting officer must consider besides cost, what resources they will look at in your business as well as what steps you can take if you are found to be non-responsible. Federal Acquisition Register (FAR) 9.1 and 19.6 http://farsite.hill.af.mil/ Federal Contracting Made Easy www.FederalContractingMadeEasy.com Contact Nancy - Nancy@byerlyenterprises.com

As you continue your business strategy to enter into the government contracting marketplace, it is essential to understand the databases where the government officials post solicitations.  Today, we will be discussing the most popular database in government contracting, called FedBizOps or FBO for short. Contracting officers will post opportunities to this site valued at or above $25,000.  FedBizOps does more than keep track of upcoming opportunities. It also can search for pre-solicitation or sources sought.  Websites: Federal Business Opportunities - https://www.fbo.gov/ Federal Contracting Made Easy – https://www.FederalContractingMadeEasy.com Byerly Enterprises – https://www.ByerlyEnterprises.com Contact Nancy – Nancy@ByerlyEnterprises.com Phone:  (385) 244-0134

When establishing your business development strategy, it is best to consider all contracting avenues. So let's discuss today's topic of Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs).  BPAs is for buying supplies or services on a routine basis. The contracts are short in nature and usually for one year. The contracting officer can issue another BPA after the first BPA has expired if needed.  The Federal Acquisition Regulation states that best value is a need on BPAs. See FAR 13.303 for more information.

SAP procedures are also known as small purchases.  These small purchases are the easiest way for a small business to get started in government contracting.  Since these purchases are at the lower threshold, the government requires less paperwork making it ideal for micro or businesses.  Some businesses will even specialize just in this area and never venture into contracts above this threshold.  Your business strategy can be as simple as bidding on contracts within the Simplified Acquisition Threshold or more complex by adding contracts above the threshold.   Considering the acquisitions in this range is essential.  It is one of the most common ways that small businesses obtain their first contract. Since small companies will want to limit the amount of risk associated with government contracting the Simplified Acquisition Threshold is a great way to limit the risk while still venturing into this marketplace.   Websites: FAR:  http://farsite.hill.af.mil/ Federal Contracting Made Easy https://www.FederalContra

There are many types of government contracts.  Today we will discuss the most common types of contracts that the federal government uses. Types of Contracts -Firm Fixed Price (FFP) FAR Part 16.2 -Cost-Reimbursement and Cost-Plus Contracts FAR Part 16.3 -Time and Materials Contracts Far Part 16.6 -Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity Contracts (IDIQ)FAR Part 16.5 -Sealed Bidding Contracts FAR Part 14 -Negotiated Contracts FAR Part 15 -Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT) FAR Part 13     Websites:   Federal Acquisition Regulation: http://farsite.hill.af.mil/ Federal Contracting Made Easy: https://www.federalcontractingmadeeasy.com Byerly Enterprises:  https://www.byerlyenterprises.com Contact Nancy:  nancy@byerlyenterprises.com  

Congratulations, You have decided to enter the world of government contracting. Because you are going to be a federal contractor you need to look at the rules regarding Government and business relationships.  Do you know how Government Ethics can impact your business?  Do you have an Ethics program in place as part of your business strategy?  If not, then please consider adding business ethics to your business strategy immediately.  Some contractors will be required to have a business ethics program in place to perform federal work.  Besides that, every business should have a ethics policy in place before completing any commercial or federal contracts. References:  FAR Part 3 - http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vmfara.htm Federal Contracting Made Easy - www.FederalContractingMadeEasy.com Contact:  nancy@byerlyenterprises.com

Small Businesses will want to consider contracting options that are available as part of your business strategy.  One of those options is a Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) otherwise known as a BOA.  No, a BOA in this instance is not a snake. A Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) is a written agreement of understanding, negotiated between the government and a contractor.  This agreement includes terms and clauses applicable to future task orders awards as well as a statement of work or products needed.  In addition, this document will also contain the methods for pricing, issuing and delivering of future task orders.  A BOA is NOT a contract. Websites FAR 16.703. Basic Ordering Agreements  Federal Contracting Made Easy www.federalcontractingmadeeasy.com Byerly Enterprises www.byerlyenterprises.com Byerly Enterprises Blog www.byerlyenterprises.com/blog Federal Contracting Made Easy Podcast www.byerlyenterprises.com/podcast Contact Nancy:  nancy@byerlyenterprises.com  

When establishing your business development strategy, you should consider all the costs that are involved with implementing the plan. These costs can make a difference on your Return on Investment, otherwise known as ROI.  However, there are free resources or low-cost resources that you should also consider and PTAC is one of those resources. PTAC is a free resource (not really free as it is partially paid by your tax dollars) available to assist you through the federal procurement process.  There are ninety-four Procurement Technical Assistance Centers with over 300 local offices nationwide.  Find your nearest PTAC: http://www.aptac-us.org/ Websites: www.federalContractingMadeEasy.com www.ByerlyEnterprises.com Email: Nancy@byerlyenterprises.com Phone: 385-244-0134  

It is crucial for small businesses to educate themselves about a topic before they develop a business strategy.  Learning the rules and regulations is just a tiny part of this process.  In government contracting, the Federal Acquisition Regulation otherwise known as the FAR is the government's bible.    Federal agencies and small businesses awarded contracts must follow the procurement rules and policies set forth within the FAR.  One of the items contained within the FAR is called the Past Performance Questionnaire otherwise known as PPQ.    Websites: FAR http://farsite.hill.af.mil/ Federal Contracting Made Easy federalcontractingmadeeasy.com Byerly Enterprises byerlyenterprises.com email:  nancy@byerlyenterprises.com

Welcome to the wonderful world of government contracting.  This is episode 20 and today’s topic is on the Federal Acquisition Regulation. We would greatly appreciate it if you would take a moment to subscribe and rate our podcast.  Your feedback is important to us and your suggestions help us improves our podcast.  While developing your business strategy it is important to get familiar with the rules and regulations associated with government contracting.  That is why today's topic is about the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).  The FAR is what contracting officers use to create the contracts that you as a small business owner will sign.  Since it is a binding document what better way to prepare to expand into government contracting then learn about the FAR. Congress created the Federal Acquisition Regulation otherwise known as the FAR on April 1, 1984.  To created standardize policies and procedures across agencies.  The FAR is the primary document and agency acquisition regulations implement or suppleme