Among the potential governments, you might reach out to:
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The Federal Government of the United States or any other country
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The various branches of the US military or other militaries
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The base exchanges of the US military
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State governments in the US and other countries
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Country governments
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City governments
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Regional agencies (cities or Counties that work together)
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Quasi-governmental businesses such as USPS, Fannie May, utilities, prisons.
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School districts, state owned colleges and hospitals
GOVERNMENT SALES
Often overlooked by companies at all levels of distribution, sales to governments large and small can be a huge contributor to almost any business. Fraught with all kinds of negatives though they may be, the government contract can often be a very steady source of profitable business over years of decades.
BIDDING FOR CONTRACTS
The vast majority of contracts offered by all government agencies are done through a bidding process. These bids are posted publicly online and sometimes in print publications.
It is a very tedious and mostly, time-consuming job to find bids for work or products that your company would be qualified to bid on. The bids can also be complex and require careful reading in order to place bids properly. At some point, you will need to apply to the specific entity in order to qualify as a bidder. This might be prior to bidding or after winning the bid.
Because of all this complexity, there are companies that help government suppliers find, win, and execute contracts. It is very likely that your company would be well-served to employ these specialists to help you unless your government work is so extensive that it makes sense to train an employee to do this job.
Bidding is further confused by set-asides. Many companies are given preference on bids based on the owners or employees being disabled, veterans, women, minorities, revenues under a certain amount, location, American made, union, and others. Unsurprisingly, companies manipulate their status in ways legal and not so much, in order to win bids.
Some contracts with government are no-bid. These are often under a certain dollar amount, for procurement of patented products or those having other protection, or unique situations where there is only one supplier that can do the work.
Many government procurement deals are done at trade shows for specific groups.
Things to keep in mind with Government Contracts:
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Many governments are slow to pay. Be prepared to follow the paperwork and keep it after the process.
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Bidding is an art. It requires study and practice
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Many products or service bids have been written with a specific company in mind. There are ways to get bids changed, though it is often very political.
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You can challenge the awards. Often the set-asides are fraudulent
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Be careful regarding penalties for failing on even small requirements of the bid.
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It is very possible to work with procurement people (buyers) or the end-users to incorporate new products or services into the government agency they work for. Then the bid can be written to favor your goods or services.
We would be very happy to hear from experts in this area in order to expand the information.
Please email RandyKirk77@gmail.com
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