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Are you looking for federal cleaning contracts? Do you need support to ensure you win? You’re in the right place! Here at Hudson Succeed, we strive to help organizations do just that – SUCCEED!
In this blog, we will share some tips and tricks for finding and winning federal cleaning contracts. Keep reading to learn more!
A federal cleaning contract can serve as a steppingstone to success for any business. The United States government is the largest consumer in the world, investing billions annually. Thus, a government contractor can expect to be well paid for their services. Awarded contractors can also anticipate timely payments.
Contracting with the federal government can also guarantee stable employment. Many contracts have a duration of three years at a minimum. Additionally, a contract may be renewed once the initial contract is complete. Working with the federal government gets a business’ foot in the door through networking. These contacts can prove invaluable for future business ventures.
People often associate federal contracting with construction work. However, there are tons of federal cleaning contracts posted throughout the year. Bidding for one of these contracts may feel overwhelming. Don’t worry—we’ll cover a few tips and tricks for securing your next federal cleaning contract.
Before we get into finding a federal cleaning contract, we’ll need to get registrations taken care of. Assuming you’ve already created your business, you’ll next need to register it. Registering your business is a multi-step process. There are several agencies you need to register through. Thankfully, registration can now be completed online. For most RFPs, you’ll be required to provide the following:
The IRS provides you with your organization’s Employee Identification Number (EIN). Also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number, your EIN is a number used to identify your business. You can register for your EIN online on the IRS website. Your principal business must be in the United States or U.S. territories to be eligible for registration. A responsible party, not an entity, can apply. This must be an individual person. This person must have a valid Taxpayer Identification Number. A SSN, ITIN, or EIN can serve as a Taxpayer Identification Number.
Your DUNS number is a nine-digit identifier unique to your business. The credit bureau Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) generates your DUNS number. Your DUNS number is another way to identify your business. However, your DUNS number is distinctly different from your EIN.
Your EIN is used for tax identification purposes. Your DUNS number is used for business credit reporting. D&B creates a business credit profile, which your DUNS number is connected to. Having a DUNS number establishes your business’ credit worthiness and safeguards it. Additionally, a business with good credit worthiness is more likely to secure longer terms with suppliers. You can register online on the D&B website.
The North American Industry System (NAICS) is the standard business classification system for North America. Federal agencies use the NAICS to collect information on North American businesses.
The classification, collection and analysis of businesses is made possible by the NAICS. Data about the U.S. economy is then recorded and published. The NAICS is a self-assigned system—you choose the code, not the system. Business owners select a code that best describes their business from a compiled list.
The code for janitorial services is 561720. However, you should still consult the list of codes as not all cleaning services fall under this code. Some, like carpet cleaning, have more specified codes. If you offer multiple services, you may have multiple NAICS codes. You can find a list of codes and register with the NAICS online.
Your NAICS code isn’t only used to identify your type of business. If you own a small business, you’ll need an NAICS code to register as one. The government has a set goal to award 23% of all contracts to small businesses. Only businesses verified as small businesses on SAM will be eligible to bid for these contracts. This relieves a small business owner of massive corporate competition. Your NAICS code can also be used for incentive programs or tax and insurance purposes. Try to take note of what NAICS codes your business’ clients are using. Focus your energy on marketing to and contracting for these codes.
The System for Award Management (SAM) is a database of entities registered to do business with the United States federal government. Federal government agencies use this database to find contractors. When you register with the SAM, you receive a Unique Entity ID. Your Unique Entity ID is your business’ identifier for the United States federal government.
Through the SAM, you can verify that you own a small business. Once this has been completed, your business will be eligible to bid for contracts reserved for small businesses. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has a Size Standards Tool available on their website. You can use this tool to determine if your business classifies as a small business. You may be eligible for other reserved contracts. The federal government reserves contracts for women or veteran owned businesses, for example. An exhaustive list of reserved contracts and their required qualifications can be found on the SBA website.
Now that you have all of your registrations in order, it’s time to find you a federal cleaning contract. There are multiple sources for finding the perfect contract for your business.
All government contracts valuing over $25,000 must be advertised on the SAM website. For small business opportunities, there’s the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS). The DSBS is maintained by the SBA. Your SAM registration information is used to populate the DSBS.
Alternatively, you can use a third-party portal. These portals are sometimes tailored to your sector specifically. This specification may make a third-party portal more appealing, as less filtering needs to be done. We understand at Hudson that sorting through hundreds of irrelevant bids can be frustrating and tedious. We’re in the process of launching a portal system for our U.S. clients. This sector specific portal gives a more streamlined experience and saves you time. Our experts do the filtering for you. You’ll be presented with several federal cleaning contracts, and only federal cleaning contracts. All you have to do is pick the contract. Our portals source private and public opportunities. Every opportunity is unique to our portals.
Once you know where to find your contracts, you’ll need to pick the best one for your business. you’re deciding on a federal cleaning contract, you’ll see several Requests for Proposals (RFPs). You want to carefully read these RFPs, especially the service specifications and scope. The last thing you want to do is waste your time writing a proposal for the wrong contract.
Federal cleaning contracts have very specific procedures and requirements. When choosing your contract, you need to consider these carefully. Does your business meet all the requirements? Your business needs to be able to fulfill the requested services. Most buyers will request examples of contracts completed within the last three to five years. These examples should be of services similar to those in the RFP. Buyers will more than likely request several examples, usually two or three. If you don’t have experience in the sector, you may have a harder time winning the bid. However, a good Bid Writer can still sell your potential to the buyer and secure you a contract.
With your contract selected, it’s time to write your proposal. This is the most crucial part in the procurement for federal cleaning contracts. As aforementioned, these contracts are usually very specific. The RFPs for these contracts are very technical and detailed.
First, you will want to break down your RFP. RFP documents are sometimes very long, and they are always full of information. Consuming all of this information can be difficult. Digesting it is even harder. You’ll want to highlight key points in the RFP in order to organize your questions. Take note of the exact questions being asked of you, then decide your approach. Sometimes, RFPs will request external documents. These documents may be attached to the RFP in appendices. Make sure that you’ve filled out and returned any required forms.
You now know how to approach your questions. Your next step is to answer them. Respond to your RFP the way it is written. If the RFP is very technical, your responses should reflect this. Buyers don’t want to sift through long proposals with irrelevant information. Your goal is to demonstrate your business’ capability to fulfill the contract. No question should be left unanswered; this may result in an uncompliant bid. Similarly, you cannot go over a listed word or page count. This, also, would result in incompliance. You’ll find that there are things that almost all RFPs request, like resumes or an organization structure. It’s a good idea to have this kind of information readily available.
Writing a proposal isn’t easy, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the bid and proposal process.
Outsourcing your bid writing is a good option if you’re not confident in your writing. At Hudson Outsourcing, our Succeed division offers bid writing services.
Our services range from bid consultancy (RFP Mentor) to writing your proposal for you (RFP Writing). A Senior Bid Writer will guide you in our end-to-end bid management. We believe that client engagement and communication is key to a cohesive response. You don’t want to be completely uninvolved in your proposal. Our method involves client input and verification at every step of the way. Nothing is submitted that you don’t approve first. You can focus on running your business while our experts write your federal cleaning contract bid.
You may want to write your proposals yourself but aren’t sure of how to approach them. There are thousands of resources pertaining to the procurement process. However, it can prove time consuming to sort through this information. Additionally, teaching yourself a new and complicated skill is no easy feat. That’s why we have developed a bid writing training program, Tender VLE.
After a successful test launch, we’ve updated Tender VLE for our U.S. clients. This online course provides expert training at your own speed. You’ll begin with introductory lessons, using workbooks to apply new knowledge. Proceeding through the workbook, lessons will become more complex. Don’t worry—you’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice. You’ll be a bid writing and management expert by the end of the course. Tender VLE launches August 11th in the United States. Register your interest to get notified once the full Tender VLE experience goes live!
We’ve covered all the basics for winning a federal cleaning contract. With your response submitted, all there’s left to do is wait. Thankfully, waiting is the easy part. Let’s sum up what we’ve covered for how to win you the federal cleaning contract of your dreams.
Summarized, it looks easy—at Hudson, we know this is deceiving. Bid writing is all about specifications, qualifications and clearly communicated ability. It takes time and effort to perfect the skill of writing RFP proposals. Don’t be discouraged; any and every failure is an opportunity to learn. If you find yourself struggling, our dedicated Succeed team are happy to help in your bidding process. We offer both short and long-term assistance, for all clients. We love to see our clients succeed. For more information regarding our services, feel free to leave a message on our website.
We wish you luck securing your federal cleaning contract!
Need help with the bidding process? Not got the time to write winning bid responses in-house? Don’t worry, our Bid Consultants can help. We provide three bid and RFP writing support services.
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 or those in need of rejuvenating their content.
Our Bid Consultants will create:
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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.
