Stuart R Check out The Federal Contractor Network 'TFCN' This is a free network of individuals with a common goal, to win Government contracts.  I think you will find this site to be a useful resource to lead you to unlimited information from people just like us struggling to find our way through the system.   Best wishes for your success!   Brenda

Awesome information, this website is bringing a large number of bright lights to the surface for me and making it much easier to find great government resources. I thought they were non-existent, but I was incorrect. Addison Pre-Settlement Funding

Is CCR registration really hard? Because they are basically the ones that say you are qualified to work with the gov or not.... no?

There are numerous resources out there. The government site https://www.fbo.gov/ is one of the best resources to start. There are numerous other tools you can use should you want to look in particular niches. You can see where the stimilus contract money is going at: jwsuretybonds.com/info/tool_stimulus.php Be sure to make use of local search features built in, as the bonding companies that you will need to guarantee your work usually won't approve bonds if you have to travel too far. From their point of view, distance creates issues such as managers being on the job less, increased costs, and the question that is hardest to defend...Why can you do the job so much cheaper than a local guy when you have to travel? This usually raises red flags that your bid has not been prepared properly. --- This post was edited to remove a commercial link. Read our discussion policies for more Community best practices.

I would like to share what I have leaned over 20 years of federal contracting that might help some of you just getting in the water. CCR. Registering with Central Contract Registration is both critical and required. Today, you cannot be a federal contract without CCR registration. It is also where people go to look you up. The most important part of CCR is registering each and every NAICS code that might apply to your business (present and future). Linked-in and Facebook. Getting known is part of the process. I recommend setting up a Linked-in and Facebook presence solely on a business level with no personal information or cute pictures. A corporate facebook presence gets your name and your company to show up on a Google search very easily. Finding Opportunities (Part I). You should go to FBO.gov (known as federal bizopps) and register. In addition, you should set up a customized search engine (free) within FBO that will look throughout the federal system for all opportunities in your NAICS code area. This is important because what you want to do is learn, over time, how the feds ask for business in your field and the federal terminology that you need to learn in order to be successful. When an opportunity comes in that fits in your area of expertise, test yourself by trying to prepare a formal technical proposal so that you can 'feel' how this process works. It takes a long time to know how to write a successful technical proposal and cost proposal. Finding Opportunities (Part II). Every agency is required to post a forecast of all opportunities coming up within the coming fiscal year. Look to see what your target agency is requesting. Speak to the listed officer and see if he/she will share any insight. Then, be on the lookout through fedbizopps. If this is interesting to you, post a question and I will rattle on with more information. If your question is specific and private, send me a note at jrivera@riverasierra.com. Jos A. Rivera, JD President & CEO Rivera, Sierra & Company, Inc.

Can you explain what you mean by agency and the listed oficer of that agency, as stated in your business opportunities part II.

Please see the following free article through SCORE: smalltofeds.com/2009/09/what-small-business-should-know-about.html -- This post was edited to remove a commercial link. Read our discussion policies for more Community best practices.

The best place to start is at www.fbo.gov. This is a central point of entry where the feds post their sources sought and pre-solicitation notices, solicitations, modifications, awards, and special notices. You can search using a variety of fields including NAICS codes, place of performance, buying organizations, etc. You don't have to register to be able to search the database.

www.fbo.gov is a good place to start. All federal procurements over $25k are suppose to be posted on this site. Developing federal business is developing a new market, so the things you did to become succesful commercially, will apply to the feds, with some additional hoops to jump through. You may also want to look into the GSA Schedules Program, www.gsa.gov/schedules. Good Luck, Peter

FedBizOpps is by default the place to start. Unfortunately the majority of opportunities are already wired and are only listed as a legal requirement. It all depends on your industry and if you are serious about getting into the government sales sector a GSA contract is a necessity. You can get your own contract or place your products on another company's GSA schedule....this might help http://gmpgov.com/t-tech-gsa-info.aspx