Procurement: Doing Business with the Government

Small Business Resources

Procurement: Doing Business with the Government

The government buys goods and services at the local government level, the state government level and the federal government level. Your business must qualify to do business with the government. Each government level and each buying agency has specific requirements that must be met before a contract will be awarded. Be sure to review the requirements of each agency to increase your chances of winning a bid.

The “Other Opportunities” link below offers information on services available to assist your business in winning a government contract. These services (most of which are free) may provide the competitive edge your business needs to successfully win a government contract. Be sure to take full advantage of the services that are available.

Local Opportunities

Shelby County Government
Doing Business with Shelby County
This website explains the Shelby County procurement system and assists your business in getting on the bidding list to sell your products and services.
City of Memphis
Business with the City
By selecting “Business” and then selecting “Doing Business with the City”, this website will outline the materials usually purchased by the City of Memphis. It provides useful information to the potential bidder on what requirements must be met in order to qualify to do business with the City.
City of Germantown
City of Germantown Purchasing Division
The Purchasing Division explains purchasing practices and provides the information needed to qualify to do business with the City of Germantown.
Town of Collierville
Collierville.Com Purchasing Department
This website provides the necessary information to qualify to do business with the Town of Collierville. See Collierville Business Manual on the right side of the page.
City of Bartlett
City of Bartlett Finance Department
Primary information regarding the purchasing procedures of the City of Bartlett is available through the Purchasing Department. Specifically, purchasing information may be obtained by calling (901) 385-6400.
Memphis/Shelby County Airport Authority (“MSCAA”)
Doing Business
The MSCAA provides information on this website regarding contract compliance, vendor registration and current bids and requests for proposals.
Memphis Area Transit Authority (“MATA”)
MATA “Doing Business” Procurement Opportunities
The MATA vendor application is available here; it qualifies your business to be placed on the MATA vendor list. A frequently asked questions section, along with program, certification and compliance sections further explain the contracting opportunities available with MATA.
Memphis Light Gas & Water (“MLG&W”)
Doing Business with Us
The MLG&W website offers information and contacts in their Purchasing Department and their Contract Management Department to assist the business owner. A list of major commodity and services categories is provided. Requirements to qualify to do business with MLG&W are also available at this website.
Shelby County Schools
Shelby County Schools Business
Purchasing and warehousing contacts, broken by areas of responsibility, are provided at this website. Email addresses for the contacts are also available.
Southwest Tennessee Community College
Purchasing and Auxiliary Services
Contacts, office hours, location, vendor information and bidder’s application can be found at this Southwest Tennessee Community College website.
University of Memphis
How to Do Business with the University of Memphis
The University of Memphis website explains the application and registration process. Forms are available online at this website.
University of Tennessee Procurement Services
Procurement Services assists departments and units throughout the University of Tennessee with the purchase of goods and services. We are committed to providing exemplary service to the University and to our suppliers, and to conducting the University’s purchasing initiatives in an ethical and sustainable manner.

Tennessee Opportunities

State of Tennessee
To Do Business with the State of Tennessee
Explains how to do business with the state of Tennessee, provides information on registering as a vendor and guidelines for completing invitations to bid. In addition, the website provides access to a list of current invitations to bid. Adobe Acrobat software is required to view certain parts of this site.
State of Tennessee
A-Z Directory – Departments and Agencies
An A-Z Directory of all State of Tennessee Departments and Agencies. The directory listing includes addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses and, by clicking on a department or agency name, a quick link to its webpage.
Tennessee Lottery
Procurement – Direct Opportunities
The Tennessee Lottery directly purchases the goods and services necessary for its operations. The agency strives to purchase the majority of the goods and services from vendors in Tennessee. Requests for Proposal, qualifications and bids for the Tennessee Lottery appear on this website only.
Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (“TEMA”)
Doing Business with TEMA
While the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency purchases goods and services through the State of Tennessee’s Department of General Services, Purchasing Division, it also purchases directly from vendors during times of emergency. Vendors who supply goods and services during times of emergency MUST be registered according to the rules and regulations of the State of Tennessee’s Department of General Services, Purchasing Division.
State of Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (“DCS”)
How to Subcontract with the Department of Children’s Services
This website provides the information necessary to do business with the State of Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services. The DCS Provider Policy Manual may also be accessed from this website.

Federal Opportunities

U.S. General Services Administration (“GSA”)The GSA contracts for many goods and services for other federal departments and agencies. Like a general store, federal departments and agencies buy many goods and services from the GSA instead of contracting directly with vendors. Register your business with the U.S. government to begin the process. Various business models can be found on the GSA website which highlight the most common ways small businesses become federal marketplace vendors. Contract Opportunities is a system that allows you to search for procurement notices from federal contracting offices; a video embedded on the site will teach you how best to use the search features. Opportunities include pre-solicitation notices, solicitation notices, award notices, and sole source notices. Although federal departments and agencies buy goods and supplies through the U.S. General Services Administration (“GSA”), they also buy directly from vendors. The websites below link to some of the Federal departments and agencies that buy direct from vendors:
U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”)
This website connects you to the USDA’s Procurement Homepage. Information on how to do business the USDA, as well as their procurement forecasts, is available on this website. The USDA offers free subscription to their electronic mailing list that will automatically email notify subscribers of business opportunities.
U.S. Department of Commerce
By reviewing this website you can learn how to sell to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The information available includes many frequently asked questions, tips as well as available opportunities.
Department of Defense (“DOD”)
Through the Office of Small Business Programs the DOD takes a step-by-step approach in explaining how to do business with them. This guide includes information on how to successfully target and market your goods and services. It also provides information on procurement opportunities available with the DOD.
U.S. Department of Education (“ED.gov”)
The Department of Education offers basic information on doing business with them, including information on how to successfully market your goods and services.
Department of Energy (“DOE”)
The website of the DOE supplies links to procurement and contract opportunities, a semi-annual procurement forecast, and a small business database. It also presents information about the DOE’s Mentor-Protege program and provides contact information for guidance, counseling and referral services to small businesses.
Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”)
DHS centralizes information to assist the business community. The website includes links to contracts, small business opportunities, research and development and contacts.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”)
This website explains HUD’s responsibilities and its need for top-quality suppliers and service providers. HUD seeks goods and service providers in the areas of information technology and systems, financial management, property management and marketing, technical assistance, as well as a host of other professional services.
Department of Justice (“DOJ”)
The DOJ’s website focuses on providing information useful to people seeking business opportunities. It includes procurement opportunities, points of contact, the Justice Acquisition Regulations (“JAR”) and other valuable information.
Department of Labor (“DOL”)
In addition to contracting opportunities, contact information and registration requirements, the website of the DOL also provides procurement initiatives and other valuable resources.
Department of State
This website provides you with a full, detailed menu from the Department of State’s Office of the Procurement Executive. The detailed menu includes contact information, registration requirements, contract opportunities, programs and policies.
Department of Transportation (“DOT”)
This website provides information for vendors and business opportunities. Additionally, points of contact and procurement forecasts are provided.
U.S. Department of Treasury
The Department of Treasury provides basic contracting principles, procurement procedures, contacts and opportunities on this website.
Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”)
This website outlines how to do business with the VA. See if a VA FSS contract is right for your business and if you qualify to do business and be awarded a contract. The office of acquisition and logistics explains what is needed.
U.S. Agency for International Development (“USAID”)
By linking to the USAID website, users can determine what goods and supplies are purchased. Many different forms of purchasing are used by the USAID and often include transportation services, equipment, construction and commodities.
Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”)
The EPA’s Office of Acquisition Management (“OAM”) handles the goods and services purchases for the agency. Points of contact, organizational information and business opportunities are included on this website.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”)
In addition to general information on how to do business with FEMA, this website offers tips on how to market your business’ goods and services directly to maximize your chances of winning a FEMA contract. It also includes a special section on doing business with FEMA during times of disaster.
National Aeronautics & Space Administration (“NASA”)
NASA has many programs and locations, with each requiring different goods and services. This website offers general information as well as links to NASA’s procurement office headquarters and to each of the other research centers and locations that purchase goods and services.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”)
The NRC posts notices of contract actions ranging in size from $10,000 and $25,000. This website will explain how to comply with requirements and how to find those contract requests posted directly by NRC.
Office of Personnel Management (“OPM”)
The purchasing procedures and purchase card contacts are listed along with OPM’s field offices.
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
In the middle of the Federal Assistance Manual is an entry on Procurement Guidelines. The FAM shows how it manages federal grants. For “Doing Business” with OSMRE, check the General Information list for contact info.
Social Security Administration (“SSA”)
The Social Security Online website offers contacts for purchase cardholders, active contracts, contractor performance statistics and other small business information.
Transportation Security Administration (“TSA”)
The “Business Opportunities” portion of the TSA website offers information on contracting with the TSA. Current announcements, Contractor Fact Sheets and a listing of Technology Ideas, Products and Services are included in the information.
United Nations
This link, which connects to the “United Nations Procurement Division”, offers information on registration requirements, the global marketplace, field procurement opportunities and much more.
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers
On the “Doing Business with Us” page of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website, contracting offices, small business offices and business opportunities are provided.
U. S. Government Printing Office (“GPO”)
In addition to general how-to-do business information, the GPO website offers contracting opportunities by location, contract-pricing abstracts, a list of points of contact and an organization chart.

Other Opportunities

Mid-South Minority Business Council
Uniform Certification Agency
Certification by the Uniform Certification Agency assures potential buyers of your companies minority/woman/local small business owned and controlled status. It eliminates the need for buyers to screen potential vendors to determine compliance.
Service Corps of Retired Executives (“SCORE”)
SCORE is the national, nonprofit association that has 12,400 volunteers and 389 chapters nationwide dedicated to helping anyone interested in starting a new business. Its official home page will allow you to locate your local chapter of SCORE, offers information about workshops and counseling, and contains many links to web sites that contain business information and tools helpful to entrepreneurs. A treasury of information and resources for the potential business owner is found on this site.
Memphis SCORE Chapter 68
The Service Corps of Retired Executives (“SCORE”) Chapter 68 is a locally chartered volunteer association and resource partner of the Small Business Administration. SCORE Memphis offers free and confidential counseling to start up businesses and existing small businesses that seek advice. SCORE Memphis serves the Tennessee counties of Shelby, Tipton, Fayette and adjoining counties in Arkansas and Mississippi.
Small Business Association (“SBA”)
SBA Office of Government Contracting
This site helps small business participate in government contracts awarded by the U.S. Government and subcontracts awarded by its large prime contractors. Questions about government contracting are answered, and special programs are explained. Links to opportunities for contracting are also provided. SBA also offers contracting assistance programs for women, veterans, or minority-owned businesses (among others).
Procurement Technical Assistance Center (“PTAC”)
The PTAC will give your business the resources it needs to be successful in government contracting. For example, PTAC’s service called Bid Match uncovers federal, state, and local bidding opportunities for your company. Every business day, PTAC identifies government contract opportunities that match your business capabilities and e-mails them directly to you. The Bid Match service can also disclose which prime contractors were awarded a contract so that you can pursue subcontracting opportunities. PTAC offers many more services such as reviewing your bid packet, guiding you through the necessary paperwork, clarifying your obligations, reviewing regulations, and helping you complete the necessary forms. All of PTAC’s services are delivered to you at no charge.
System for Award Management
The System for Award Management (SAM) is the Official U.S. Government system that consolidated the capabilities of CCR, ORCA, and EPLS. Use this site to register to do business with the U.S. government, update or renew your registration.
United States Business Registration
United States Business Registration now assigns a CRS (Certified Registration Specialist) to all organizations needing to file a new or renew an existing CCR Registration and/or ORCA Certification (now referred to as a SAM Registration and an organization’s Representation & Certification). This site has been updated to give information to help simplify the registration process for new filings, as well as annual renewals, enabling a business to bid on government contracts. This is NOT a government website.
Data Universal Numbering System (“DUNS”)
Dun & Bradstreet’s Data Universal Numbering System, or DUNS, is considered the standard for keeping track of the world’s businesses. It is a unique nine-digit code that helps identify companies worldwide. A DUNS number is required to complete the CCR registration.
North American Industry Classification System (“NAICS”)
The NAICS is a classification system that groups businesses according to the industry in which they are primarily active. The CCR registration requires a NAICS classification to determine the industry in which your business is active.
SBA.gov
The Stay Legally Compliant section is designed to provide a small business with information concerning the laws and regulations in their locale. This website also offers information on topics such as employees, finance, government contracts and much, much more. By accessing information by region, users find state specific information that “links to information, organizations, services, tools and transactions” on a variety of subjects of interest to the small business owner.
The Federal Marketplace
The main focus of the Federal Marketplace is subscription-based databases of federal contracts, but it also provides many free resources, including regulations, news, how-to advice, and links to other procurement sites and resources.
GovCon: A VertMarkets Marketplace for Industry Professionals
While some of the services offered are fee-based, the GovCon website also features government bid opportunities, teaming partners, products, services, educational resources, career services, industry news, and more at no charge.
GSA.gov: How to Sell to the Government
This website offers general information on how to sell goods and services to the government. It also provides links to websites that may match the particular needs of your business.
The Freedom of Information Act
The U.S. Department of Justice offers the Freedom of Information Act in full text on this website. It includes all the amendments to the statute made by the “FOIA Improvement Act of 2016,” and, for user convenience, new provisions are in bold.

Procurement Opportunities by State

The website links below connect to each state’s purchasing department. These websites will provide the information necessary for completing registration requirements in order to do business with a particular state.

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