The market for government contracting and public-private partnerships is expansive and far-reaching. Seasoned, experienced contractors from a variety of disciplines have been able to win big contracts, provide goods and services, and expand their businesses by getting in on the rich commerce of government contracting.
The market for newcomers, however, can be difficult to break in to. There are often limited opportunities for contractors with few experiences in government contracting. And agencies are often hesitant to contract with businesses that they have not contracted with before. But a newcomer can breakthrough and be successful by following a few simple guidelines:
One: Network with agency representatives and purchasers.
Networking with agency purchasers can be difficult, but fortunately, there are some opportunities to do just that. For instance, the Internal Services Department of Novia Scotia, Canada is hosting a Reverse Trade Show on Tuesday, October 27th from 1:00 to 4:00pm at the Canadian Museum of Immigration on Pier 21. The purpose of the reverse trade show is to network and build relationships among government purchasers and suppliers and also to create business opportunities for newcomers to the marketplace. Take advantage of these opportunities when they come.
Two: Focus more on your services and less on your price.
The bidding process on government contracts can be competitive, overwhelming, and intimidating. While it may seem that the bidder with the lowest price wins, that is not always the case. A bidder’s best chance for success is to clearly explain and articulate how their services are more exceptional and comprehensive as well as more cost-effective than that of another bidder.
Three: Take risks and don't give up.
Some contracts will seem to be too expensive or mostly out of the league of newcomers to government contracting, but that should not stop a contractor from bidding. If the RFP matches the skills, interests, and services of a business, there is no reason why that business should not take a risk and bid on the big contract. Having said that, not everyone wins and many bidders will be denied contracts, but that rejection should not stop businesses from trying again and again to successfully achieve, in many cases, their very first contract.
Finally, our FindRFP team is here to help customers find a broad range of RFPs from various industries catered to meet the specific needs of each of our clients. From a business’ capabilities to their geographic location, FindRFP can find opportunities of interest for businesses from an array of backgrounds and specialties.
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