What’s FPDS?The Federal Procurement Information System – Subsequent Era or FPDS is a authorities web site that provides unprecedented real-time entry to authorities spending patterns. The system is free to entry and solely requires you to create an account. The great thing about a system like that is that it permits contractors to have a look at previous contract actions to find out the propensity and viability of doing enterprise with the federal government. A fast search can let you know if the federal government is spending cash on what you promote, how a lot they’re spending on it, who the highest businesses are which can be shopping for what you promote, and who your competitors and finest teaming companions are.What will get reported to FPDS?Authorities contracts, BPA’s, IDIQ’s, and many others. which have an estimated worth of $3,000 or extra in addition to each modification to the contract. Hold this in thoughts if you find yourself looking the system as a result of you’ll typically discover a number of “actions” on a specific contract. This doesn’t imply a brand new contract has been issued. It merely implies that some type of contract “action” has occurred. Contracting actions are up to date each day to FPDS.FPDS doesn’t observe or have report information out there for the next: Grants, FEDSTRIP’s, MILSTRIP’s, GSA inventory and GSA consolidated buy applications, and authorities buy card purchases below the micro-purchase threshold.Three Methods FPDS will help you win authorities contracts.1. Decide if authorities contracting is a viable possibility to your firm. In case you are already in authorities contracting, this level just isn’t for you. However in case you are considering of pursuing authorities contracts, that is an important level for you. Earlier than you spend months pursuing authorities applications, certifications, or getting a GSA schedule, you want to do a little analysis. The very first thing you might want to analysis is the market viability of promoting what you provide to the federal government. Many instances individuals simply assume that the federal government does or doesn’t need what they need to promote. The one strategy to know that is to drag the experiences from FPDS. You’ll first want NAICS codes. NAICS codes are the North American Trade Classification System codes for each trade and repair. These are commonplace codes that the federal government makes use of to search for distributors who promote what you promote. If you do not know your NAICS code/s you may Google the phrase NAICS code and the time period you desire a code for. When you pull the report in FPDS, you’ll shortly have the ability to determine if the federal government is shopping for what you promote and the way a lot they’re spending on it yearly. This will provide you with lots of perception into whether or not you must pursue authorities contracting or not.2. Use FPDS to determine all businesses which can be shopping for what you promote. One of many best methods to go looking information within the system is by NAICS code. This lets you goal your particular services or products and to drag detailed experiences by what you promote. When you do a search in your NAICS code, you may obtain this information into an Excel spreadsheet and kind the info. After you have the info, you’ll want to take a look at the “Contracting Agency” discipline. That is the checklist of businesses which can be shopping for what you promote. When you determine who’s shopping for what you promote, now you can develop a method for the way you will method them in addition to begin to goal them on websites like Fed Biz Ops and different authorities procurement web sites.3. Formulate your technique. After you have all the info in gadgets 1-4, you can begin to type your technique. At RSM Federal, we suggest that you’ve an general technique for the way you’ll method the federal government generally after which micro methods for the way you method totally different businesses. Perceive that not all businesses purchase the identical method and that there are numerous alternatives that you simply want to pay attention to. For instance, the Protection Logistics Company or DLA, has a system referred to as DIBBS that it makes use of for a lot of purchases below 100Okay. These alternatives solely present up on the DIBBS system and are crucial to observe for anybody who’s servicing logistics kind gadgets corresponding to fasteners, cabling, instruments, and many others. In addition they have MRO contracts. These are Upkeep, Restore and Operations contracts which can be awarded by area periodically and one thing you’ll want to look ahead to if DLA is your goal buyer. Waiting for particular contracts and bid alternatives like this is able to fall below your micro technique.Whether or not you’re working in your predominant technique or micro methods, the FPDS system generally is a worthwhile software so that you can use to collect market intelligence. We suggest checking FPDS each Three to six months relying in your trade. This may assist you to keep on high of traits and assist you to make adjustments to your technique on an ongoing foundation.A phrase of warning. Numerous authorities watchdog teams and consulting companies have urged that FPDS may be off by as a lot as a billion {dollars} at any given time. What you actually need to know is that human beings are getting into the info and every so often make errors. The experiences that you simply pull are solely nearly as good as the info that was entered so simply perceive that the info may be off at any given time. That is likely one of the predominant causes we advise you examine the positioning often.Additionally beware that many authorities techniques and bi-matching providers pull their information from FPDS. In lots of instances, consultants cost 1000’s of {dollars} for a similar information that you could entry totally free through FPDS. So purchaser beware…To create an account or study extra about FPDS, take a look at https://www.fpds.gov.
