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If you’re wondering how to secure state bids, you’ve come to the right place. This blog will detail some helpful tips that can help you win your next state and local bids.
The U.S government spends billions of dollars annually on the solicitation of goods, products, and services. This is a great opportunity as a small business owner and one you should tap into.
It may seem daunting at first. You may even be wondering if you stand a chance as a small business compared to the big conglomerates. You might be surprised to hear that 23% of all government contracts are set aside especially for small businesses. These are set aside by the government in accordance with the Small Business Associated (SBA).
Both the local and state governments have a need to solicit a broad range of products and services. They will issue a solicitation notice in order to procure these. There are various solicitation notices which are as follows:
An RFI stands for Request for Information. It’s commonly used by procurement teams as an initial research stage before issuing an RFP. It can also be referred to as Sources Sought. An RFI allows a buyer to carry out market research before issuing a solicitation.
An RFP stands for Request for Proposal and it’s the most common form of solicitation for government bids. For this, buyers are looking for high-quality responses to their questions. They’ll be expecting you to demonstrate how you will deliver then contract and why you’re the best for the job.
If you struggle to convey your excellence on paper, an RFP Writer can help. They’re experts in writing winning bids for businesses. They know how best to convey your organization to buyers in line with the specification. A Government Contracts Consultant can help optimize your success when bidding on public sector RFPs.
RFQ stands for Request for Quote and is a type of solicitation focused primarily on pricing. Here, the contracting authority may require you to answer questions about your business experience. You should have competitive pricing as that is typically the focus of an RFQ.
IFB means Information for Bid. If this is issued, the commissioner knows how they want the contract to be delivered. Therefore, they don’t need quality responses and only require suggestions. Vendors can’t negotiate the contract and it’s often awarded to the lowest priced bidder that meets the minimum requirements.
Who makes the purchasing decisions for local, state and federal governments varies from municipality to municipality. However, there are two general models used for procurement, and they are as follows:
Centralized Purchasing is when the government has one purchasing department making all of the purchasing decisions This type of procurement is usually preferred because it’s more of a standardized procedure. It normally accompanies the purchasing decisions that are made. For this, there will be a centralized record of all purchases made by that government.
You are able to access these figures for the federal government online via their website. Here you will be able to find all the stats and facts surrounding their procurement, including price and sector.
If you’re wanting to step up from state and local bids, you can go for the federal contract bids too. It’s worth noting that they spend two-thirds of their budget in July and August according to sources. Although procurement notices are released year-round, this can help you plan time for your responses in advance.
Decentralized Purchasing is when individual departments make their own procuring decisions. This means each department can purchase goods or services for their needs. This system is more likely to be used for state and local bids.
As a vendor, you will first need to register with the government before you can start bidding on contracts. You will need your:
Your DUNS number is a nine-digit identification number for the physical location of your organization. This can be found on the Duns and Bradstreet website.
The NAICS code stands for the North American Industry Classification System. Your company will have a primary NAICS code or multiple, depending on if they have multiple services or products. You’ll need to match your commodities to a NAICS code. To find your NAICS code, you can refer to the U.S Census Bureau.
To do business with the government, you must be registered with SAM. SAM is the government’s System of Award Management (SAM). Your registration as a vendor will eliminate the need to enter the same details over and over. This improves efficiency when doing business with the government. You will need both your NAICS code and DUNS number to register.
When applying to be a vendor for a state government, the information needed will vary. Each state and local government will have its own online system to solicit goods, products, or services.
The state government in Florida, for example, uses its own MyFloridaMarketPlace (MFMP) eProcurement system. This system provides tools to:
Here, vendors can:
Any vendor that wants to provide sell to the State of Florida must register in the Vendor Registration System. To complete registration, you will need the following information:
Once this is completed, you can then register for MFMP Vendor Information Portal (VIP).
To register for the MFMP VIP, you will need:
Of course, if you are in a different state, you’ll need to see the information on the state government’s website. If you’re selling your commodities to multiple states, you’ll need to register with multiple state government websites. It’s important to keep track of your sign-in and registration details for each. They will be particularly important when doing local and state bids as a vendor.
There’s no point in beginning an RFP response to a state bid if you aren’t eligible to bid. Read the solicitations documents carefully and thoroughly. Double-check there’s no accreditations or certifications you need that you don’t have before applying. Even if it’s a 70-page document, make sure you meet all pre-requisites before proceeding.
Question whether you:
A winning bid response is all in the planning. You must manage you and your team’s time in order to formulate a winning response submitted on time. Do not leave it until the last minute. Submission portals and technology always find a way of failing at the most pivotal moment.
You should aim to have your response for state bids ready for submission a couple of days before the deadline. Factor in delays for unexpected issues and reviews, edits, and final review too. Setting internal deadlines can help you and your team with their time management.
Having a bank of contract examples to turn to will save you time when formulating your response. These contract examples should demonstrate your experience in delivering similar contracts. This demonstrates to the buyer that you have successfully completed contracts before, raising their confidence in you.
Your contract examples should be detailed and should not go over the word/character count. You will likely be asked for 2 – 3 past contract examples from within the last 3 – 5 years. Demonstrating how you overcame challenges allows you to show your problem-solving skills and flexibility. This can really strengthen your state and local bids.
Remember to:
Buyers will always want you to demonstrate your added value. They want to get the most bang for their buck. What else are you bringing to the table? Are you offering an environmentally friendly solution?
The contracting office will want innovative solutions to their needs. Do your research and see if there are any targets or objectives they’re trying to meet outside this contract. Are you able to offer/cater to this?
There’s no denying that the quality of your written response for your state bid matters. The contracting office will have high expectations, even if the price section is weighted higher. You should be persuading the buyer why you’re the best organization for the job. What’s you’re unique selling point that stands you out from your competitors? Remember to:
So, hopefully, you now have a better grasp on state bids. State and local bids are a great way to grow your business as a vendor to the government. Our tips can help your get on the path to success, giving you a helping hand.
Our RFP Writing service is the perfect solution to ensure that you submit a high-quality bid, even when you’re busy. Our writers will break down the solicitation documents, allowing you to see what the bid and the contract involves. This will help to ensure that you have all the specified evidence and meet the requirements of the contracting authority. Our RFP Writers will then craft persuasive, high-quality responses, attach supporting evidence and even submit the bid on your behalf. Upload the solicitation documents for a free quote.
Have you already written a bid but need a second pair of eyes to review your work? Our RFP Mentor service will do just that. Simply send over your bid responses and the solicitation documents. Our writers will then assess your work, ensuring that your responses are in line with the specification. They will also check for any spelling or grammar errors. You can then submit your bid with confidence. Upload your work for a free quote.
Do you need help with preparing a bid proposal? Proposal Ready can help businesses that are new to bidding for contracts or those in need of rejuvenating their content. Our Bid Consultants can offer you proposal writing services, creating:
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Because the information on this blog is based on Hudson Outsourcing LLC’s own opinion and experience, it should not be considered professional financial investment advice. The ideas and bidding strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional. Hudson Outsourcing LLC’s thoughts and opinions will also change from time to time as the market changes and as Hudson Outsourcing LLC develops.
