Procurement vehicles for a streamlined process

Government procurement, also known as government purchasing, is the procurement of goods and services by government agencies. Acquisition personnel determine their agency’s requirements in the procurement process and post a solicitation on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website. Interested companies prepare their offers in response to the solicitation, and, following applicable provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), agency personnel evaluate the offers.

Combined, U.S. government agencies represent the largest customer in the world. The Federal government spends over $4 trillion per year, while State and local agencies spend over $3 trillion. Government spending is the largest industry in the United States, representing over 13% of the U.S. GDP[1].

For companies unfamiliar with the government procurement process, selling to the government can seem daunting. “Too much red tape, the process is too confusing, it takes too long to win government business” are some common thoughts, and it is often thought of as a market that is just not worth the perceived headache.