Prepare to Win: Government Bid Basics

This beginner-friendly course introduces businesses to the basics of bidding on local, state, and federal government contracts. Participants will learn where to find government contracting opportunities, how to determine if an opportunity is a good fit for their business, and what to look for when reviewing a bid.

Key Topics

1. Finding Government Opportunities: Learn where to find federal, state, and local contracting opportunities using resources such as SAM.gov, NC eProcurement, city and county procurement websites, school systems, universities, and other government purchasing portals.
2. Understanding the Government Bid Process: Learn the basic steps involved in government contracting—from finding an opportunity and reviewing the requirements to preparing a response, submitting a bid, and understanding the award process.
3. Understanding Common Bid Types: Become familiar with common solicitation types, including RFPs, RFQs, and IFBs, and learn what each type means and how it is generally used.
4. Reading a Solicitation: Learn what to look for in a solicitation, including the scope of work, specifications, deadlines, required forms, certifications, insurance requirements, licenses, and submission instructions.
5. Deciding Whether to Bid: Learn how to determine whether an opportunity is a good fit by asking basic questions: Can my business perform the work? Do we meet the requirements? Do we have the staff, equipment, experience, and capacity to complete the project?
6. Preparing Your Bid: Learn the basic steps for putting together a complete response, following instructions, providing required documents, and submitting your bid or proposal on time.