Uncovering Federal Procurement Opportunities

Key Takeaways: 2023 Federal Procurement ShareGroup

Approximately one of every ten dollars of federal government spending – estimated at $600 billion per year – goes to private sector contractors hired by the government to provide public sector goods and services. And it’s not just large businesses making bids: The Biden administration has set a goal of awarding 15% of federal contracts to small disadvantaged businesses (SBDs) by 2025.

These contracting opportunities apply directly to the medical supply chain. According to HIDA’s 2022 Federal Procurement Report, the U.S. federal government spend for medical supplies in fiscal year 2021 was $8.2 billion.

To help members capitalize on these opportunities, HIDA recently convened a ShareGroup discussion on federal procurement, moderated by Pete Junge, Optimal Healthcare Solutions, and Tim Driver, MedPro Associates. Among the takeaways:

• Begin at SAM.gov, the official U.S. government system for contract opportunities.
• When competing with the Buy American Act – which established a preference for all of the iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in infrastructure projects be produced in the United States – show product benefits and their country of origin.
• Remember that people in charge of decision-making change over time; you may need to restate the value of your products.
• Tailor Capability Statements, which introduce your business and its capabilities and skills and advertises who you are and what you do, to be specific to individual opportunities and include procurement language; this will better position your business in searches.
• Use networking to meet potential partners and potentially collaborate as subcontractors.
• Maximize “small business set-asides,” in which the government limits competition for certain contracts to small businesses. SBA.gov has more information on policies and requirements.

Moderator Tim Driver offered this last bit of advice: “While getting set up to do business with the government, using SAM.gov and being on the right contracts – FSS, DAPA, Formulary – doesn’t guarantee you anything. You need a sales strategy with the right resources in place to get in front of the clinical decision-makers, buyers, and prime vendor channels to elevate awareness and value of your offering.”