Each year, federal, state and local governments buy billions of dollars worth of goods and services through prime and subcontract awards. The total spending for federal, state and local governments is approximately $6 trillion. Almost 3 million public procurement opportunities from federal, state and local governments are made available annually. That's approximately 5,000 to 8,000 new bid opportunities daily.
The U.S. Federal Government is the single largest buyer of goods and services in the world and about 25% goes to small businesses. For years, the state has benefited from its proximity to the nations capital. Since FY2000, Maryland has continued to rank 4th among states in per-capita federal procurement spending.
Because increased competition benefits both the public and private sectors, government buyers are constantly seeking to add new sources to their supplier base. To gain an edge when bidding contracts, small businesses can be certified though a number of state and federal programs.
The SBDC manages the Maryland Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP) , now called APEX , that provides marketing, contractual and technical assistance to existing Maryland small businesses interested in selling their products and services to government agencies. Maryland PTAP offers training and no-cost counseling to companies to help them identify, bid, and perform on government prime and sub contracts at the federal, state, and local levels.
Below are the first 5 steps for Federal Contracting that an MDSBTDC consultant will assist you with to get you ready for more targeted PTAP Federal government contracting guidance.
Some County and Municipality procurement opportunities can be found at eMarylandMarketplace. But others are accessible only at each jurisdiction's website. In addition, minority certifications can sometimes be obtained from Maryland's counties and cities, each with different criteria set by those levels of government. These certifications allow the business owner to appreciate special benefits and access to resources provided by the specific agency. The MDSBTDC can assist small businesses in preparing for those certifications. Review any jurisdiction's website for information on how to do business with it:
If you are planning to start or even thinking of starting this will assess your readiness.
Smart Start AssessmentIf you are already in business this assessment will help us determine your needs.
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