Federal Guidance
Federal Guidance
If you’ve already started your business and are more established, you may be considering taking the plunge into contracts available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. After all, this is a once in a generation opportunity for businesses to access major, multi-year contracts and you won’t want to miss out.
Before you can bid for contracting opportunities through the federal government, your business must meet some basic requirements:
- Register with
(SAM): To participate in government contracting, you must register your business in the federal government’s System for Award Management (SAM). SAM is a database that government agencies search to find contractors.
Your small business’ profile in SAM is like a résumé. Creating a profile that’s accurate and appealing is important to winning a government contract.
- Proper Registration and ID Numbers: Before you can bid on government proposals, you need to get a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). A UEI is a unique 12-character, alpha-numeric value. You will receive a UEI when you register with SAM at
SAM.gov. Entities doing business with the federal government must use the UEI created by the system.
- Match Your Business/services with a NAICS Code: You’ll also need to match your products and services to a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. NAICS codes classify businesses based on the particular product or service they supply. A business will generally have a primary NAICS code, but it can also have multiple NAICS codes if it sells multiple products and services. For example, if you primarily fix cars, but also sell retail through your business, you may have more than one NAICS code. To find your NAICS code, view the NAICS code list in the U.S. Census Bureau.
- Meet Size Standards: To be eligible for government contracts reserved for small businesses, your business must meet size requirements set by the SBA. These size standards define the maximum size that a business — and its affiliates — can qualify as a small business for a particular contract. To determine if your business qualifies as "small" for government contracting purposes, use the
SBA’s Size Standards Tool (you will need a NAICS code to use this tool). You can also learn more about size standards by reviewing the
SBA’s Table of Size Standards and by reviewing the
SBA’s size standards webpage.
- Maintain Compliance: In order to participate in government contracting, you must comply with all laws and regulations. The federal government's purchasing process is governed by the
Federal Acquisition Regulation. Regulations covering government contracting programs for small businesses are listed in
13 CFR 125.
- Meet Cybersecurity Requirements: If you want to contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), you’ll need to show the ability to safeguard their systems and data. Each DoD request for proposal will list a Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) level required to bid the work. DoD has developed a tool, Project Spectrum to help small businesses with this process.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 13, 2023 FACT SHEET: White House Releases New Technical Assistance Resources to Help Communities Unlock Opportunities from President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda
The U.S. Department of Transportation is now taking applications for the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) Program , an unprecedented effort to build good transportation infrastructure to reconnect communities to economic opportunities. The streamlined program, which combines two different programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, will make it easier to submit an application and increase opportunity for communities that are seeking funding for projects that address harm from past infrastructure planning decisions, accelerate equitable community revitalization, and improve access to everyday destinations. “Transportation should never divide communities – its purpose is to connect people to jobs, schools, housing, groceries, family, and more. That’s what the Reconnecting Communities program and the Neighborhood Access and Equity program are designed to ensure,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “By combining these two grant programs into a single application, we are making it easier for communities to seek and receive the funding they need to build better, safer, inclusive infrastructure for the future.” The Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program was established in President Biden’s infrastructure law to help fund community-led projects that mitigate physical barriers to mobility and access, such as train tracks or highways. The Inflation Reduction Act established the Neighborhood Access and Equity Program that similarly funds projects that remove physical barriers as well as projects to improve walkability, safety, and affordable transportation access, particularly in low-income and disadvantaged communities. Available funding includes: $198 million for the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program which includes: $148 million for Capital Construction Grant funds $50 million for Community Planning Grants, including funding for technical assistance. $3.155 billion for the Neighborhood Access and Equity Program which includes: $135 million to Community Planning Grants $2.57 billion to Capital Construction Grants $450 million to Regional Partnerships Challenge Grants, designed to incentivize regions to come together to leverage both federal, state, and regional funding and policies to tackle problems. The Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program will be hosting five webinars throughout July and August. Details are below. Interested in Applying? Reconnecting Communities Grant Program Overview for Prospective Applicants Tuesday, July 11, 2023 from 1:30 – 3:30PM ET Zoom webinar Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods – Tribal focus Thursday, July 27, 2023 from 1:30 – 3:30PM ET Zoom webinar Interested in Applying? Reconnecting Communities Grant Program Overview for Prospective Applicants - Encore Wednesday, August 9, 2023 from 1:30 – 3:30PM ET (Zoom details forthcoming) Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods – Rural/Nonprofit focus Tuesday, August 15, 2023 from 1:30 – 3:30PM ET (Zoom details forthcoming) Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods – Capital Construction Thursday, August 24, 2023 from 1:30 – 3:30PM ET (Zoom details forthcoming) The deadline for applications is 11:59 pm EDT on September 28th, 2023, Applicants may find the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods NOFO, Frequently Asked Questions, and other helpful resources here . If you wish to receive updates about the program, sign up for email updates . You may send questions to ReconnectingCommunities@dot.gov .
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