Getting Started in Federal Contracting: A Guide Through the Federal Procurement Maze

Each year the Federal Government contracts for $500 billion worth of supplies and services from 650,000 contractors. To acquire all those supplies and services, the Federal Government and its contractors must comply with thousands of pages of regulations. Those regulations can be daunting for anyone: large businesses seeking to expand by entering the Federal market; employees new to Federal contracting; the Federal Government itself.

Small businesses without dedicated staffs of contract experts find comprehending and complying with the Federal acquisition regulation particularly vexing. However, the rewards are great for those small businesses that master the "Federal procurement maze" - the Federal Government has set annual goals for awarding $100 billion in contracts to small businesses, $25 billion to women-owned businesses, $25 billion to minority-owned businesses, $15 billion to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and $15 billion to small businesses in areas of high unemployment.

For more than 30 years, GETTING STARTED IN FEDERAL CONTRACTING has been the standard reference for government contract information, guidance, and advice. Now, with this revised and expanded sixth edition, contracting professionals have the help, knowledge, and information they need to maneuver through the Federal procurement maze skillfully and successfully:

An explanation of the key officials and what they do

How to locate contracting opportunities

Special "set-aside" programs for different types of small businesses

Small business subcontracting goals for large businesses

"Micro-purchase" procedures for purchases under $3,500 ($5,000 for the Department of Defense)

Simplified procedures for purchases under $150,000

Invitations for Bids (IFB) and Requests for Proposals (RFP)

Reverse auctions

Different types of fixed-price and cost-reimbursement contracts

Indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts

Federal Supply Schedules

Selling commercial supplies and services

Selling foreign products

Unique procedures for architect-engineering and construction contracts

Labor laws

Protests against contract awards

Contract administration

Filing claims

Integrity and ethics rules

Records retention requirements

In addition, GETTING STARTED IN FEDERAL CONTRACTING includes a ample solicitation, forms, examples, key websites, abbreviations, glossary, and a detailed index.