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The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) and the SPAWAR Systems Center San Diego (SSC San Diego) have active small business programs to help ensure that their mission–to provide the best technology for the nation’s military–is successful.
What do the small business offices do? The SPAWAR programs are designed to ensure that small businesses are proportionally represented in all of the commands’ acquisitions. The offices have been tasked with counseling potential small and large contractors and assisting them with the statutory and regulatory policy related to government contracting. They also provide training and participate in numerous outreach events to help stimulate as much participation as possible.
Although the task may sometimes seem daunting, small businesses may successfully participate in the government marketplace by understanding a few definitions, some simple procedures and basic information about the contracting process. To prepare for federal contracting:
1) Identify the product or service code. The Federal Supply Classification Code (FSC) and Product Service Code (PSC) may be found at http://www.dlis. dla.mil/h2 and are used governmentwide to advertise procurements.
2) The Small Business Administration has established small business size standards using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes to define a small business. Check the table of small business size standards at http://www.sba.gov/size/indexsize. html to determine if the business fits these criteria.
3) Register and obtain necessary identification numbers online: obtain a number from the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS), register in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) System and obtain a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code.
Dun and Bradstreet maintain the DUNS company identifier system used by government and industry to research background information on companies. Visit http://www.dnb.com and click on “Get a D&B D-U-N-S Number.”
A small business must be registered in the CCR to be awarded a Department of Defense contract. CCR is a single electronic repository of accurate and current vendor data. Registration in this database is required in order to receive a prime contract award and to receive electronic payment of invoices. Businesses may register at http://www. ccr.gov and must renew registration annually to stay in the CCR database. Registration is free.
The Contractor and Government Entity (CAGE) Code is assigned by the Defense Logistics Information Service (DLIS) and identifies contractors doing business with the federal government and foreign governments. Upon activation of a CCR, a business will be automatically assigned a CAGE Code. Getting Started
The SBA’s Web site (http://www. sba.gov) includes numerous valuable resources, such as small businesses development centers, Service Corps of Retired Executive (SCORE), Minority Enterprise Development/8(a) Business Development Program and small disadvantaged business (SDB) certification procedures. Businesses located in a historically underutilized business zone (HUBZone) may participate in the HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program. For businesses owned and managed by women, the office of women’s business ownership has links to many services designed to help women succeed in business.
The handbook “Selling to the Military” provides an introduction to the Department of Defense contracting principles and practices, and provides lists of products and services keyed to particular buying offices. The handbook is an introduction to the broad subject of contracting within DoD and may be found at http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/by clicking on “Publications.”
Small businesses should familiarize themselves with federal, DoD and Navy contracting procedures through the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) http://www.arnet.gov/far or the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) http://www.acq. osd.mil/dp/dars. A FAR/DFARS comparison tool is available at http://www. abm.rda.hq.navy.mil/far_tool.cfm. Finding Opportunities
Businesses may locate Navy and Marine Corps buying activities that purchase particular products and/or services by checking the Department of the Navy Marketing Information Service at http://www.hq.navy.mil/sadbu/ marketinfo.htm. This is a searchable database organized by federal supply codes/product service codes. All procurement actions for a particular code are included if 10 or more procurement actions were completed for that code or the total dollar value of those actions was at least $10 million during the current fiscal year. A search will result in a list of contracting activities that purchase that product/service, as well as the contact information for the small business specialist assigned to those activities.