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Resources

Plain-language guides, in English and Spanish

Plain-language guides to the words, rules and programs you will meet in government contracting. Available in English and Spanish on request.

What's inside
Seven topics.
From registering in SAM.gov to getting paid.
Nine key words.
The terms that do the most work, defined.
Both languages.
In English and Spanish, on request.
Overview Opportunities Forecasts Get Contractor-Ready Bid Desk Prime Partners Market Data Resources
Start here

Seven things every new contractor has to learn.

Registering in SAM.gov

It is free. You need a Unique Entity ID (UEI), a CAGE code, your NAICS codes and your small-business self-certification. Register for "All Awards" if you may ever want contracts as well as grants.

sam.gov →

Certifications that move dollars

Federal: Small Business and SDB (self-certified in SAM), 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB. State and local: California DGS Small Business and Microbusiness, DVBE, San Francisco LBE, and DBE for transportation projects.

certify.sba.gov →

How much and how often

Purchases under the micro-purchase threshold are made on government purchase cards. Purchases under the simplified acquisition threshold follow a lighter process and are reserved for small business when two or more can perform. Everything over $25,000 is posted on SAM.gov.

Reading a solicitation

Invitation for Bid (price only), Request for Quotation (price and some qualifications), Request for Proposal (full proposal, past performance matters). Read the Instructions to Offerors first.

Pricing

Look up what the agency paid last time on USAspending.gov. Labor on service and construction contracts is governed by wage determinations. Build your price on them.

Getting paid

The Prompt Payment Act requires agencies to pay approved invoices promptly and to pay interest when late. SBA CAPLines finance contract performance. Many supplier accounts offer net-30 terms.

Teaming

Subcontracting, teaming agreements, joint ventures and the SBA Mentor-Protégé Program let small firms take on larger work. Large primes with subcontracting plans are required to reach out to small and minority business associations. We are one.

Glossary

The nine words that do the most work.

NAICS
The industry code that defines what you sell and your size standard.
PSC
The product or service code on a notice.
UEI
Your unique entity ID in SAM.gov.
CAGE
Your five-character government identifier.
Set-aside
A purchase reserved for a class of small business.
Sources Sought
Market research before a solicitation.
IDIQ and BPA
Multi-year ordering contracts.
FAR
The Federal Acquisition Regulation. The rule book.
CPARS
Your performance record after award.
Agency forecast pages

Every agency publishes what it plans to buy.

Governmentwide Forecast (GSA)→ Homeland Security→ Veterans Affairs→ Interior→ Agriculture→ Transportation→ Health and Human Services→ NASA→ Energy→ Justice→ Treasury→ All agencies (acquisition.gov)→
Official help

Free federal and state assistance.

The chamber's programs build on these free services with bilingual, Bay Area, trade-specific support.

SBA district offices→ APEX Accelerators→ Northern California SBDC→