If your business is in the market for $25,000+ contracts, then one of the first places you check out should be the Federal Business Opportunities website. In fact, even if your company is not quite ready to tackle contracts of this size on its own, FedBizOpps.gov is a great place to find subcontracting and teaming opportunities. FedBizOpps is the single government point-of-entry for federal government procurement opportunities over $25,000. In this and future posts, we’ll cover the basics of using FedBizOpps to find both prime and subcontracting opportunities, starting with how to register.
While you do not necessarily need to register to perform a search on FedBizOpps, there are several advantages to registering. First, you can set up search agents and a watch list (which we’ll go over later). Second, some information will be off limits to unregistered viewers, such as documentation accompanying a solicitation. Finally, you can’t submit an electronic bid if you are unregistered. You don’t want to miss out on a great opportunity just because you didn’t register and log in! Registration is fairly simple and straightforward.
1. Load up the website http://www.fedbizopps.gov in your browser and scroll to the middle of the page where it says “Vendors / Citizens”. Click the “Register Now” link to navigate to the registration page.
2. First, you’ll need to enter your company’s 9 digit DUNS number near the bottom of the page and click “Proceed”.
3. On the next page, you’ll probably see that your “Company Information” has been filled in automatically. If any of the information needs to be updated, make corrections as necessary. If your information was not automatically filled in, just type it in manually. When you’re finished, press the “Proceed” button again.
4. Now you’ll be asked for “Personal Information”. Enter your contact information and select a username and password. Keep in mind that your password must be between 8 and 14 characters and will need to contain at least one of each of the following:
lower case letter
upper case letter
number
special character (!$, %, ^, etc.)
Once you’ve finished, click the “Proceed and Review” button.
5. Carefully review your registration information to be sure there are no errors. If correct, click the “Submit” button at the bottom of the page. If not, click “Go Back” to return to previous pages and correct the information.
After completing registration, you’ll receive a validation email to confirm your email address. Follow the directions in the email to complete this final step and then you’re ready to log in!