Procurement

• Getting started in procurement
• Montgomery County Procurement
• Federal Procurement
• Private Sector Procurement
• Need help with procurement?

Getting started in procurement

Before getting started in procurement, you will need to know the basic codes which many agencies use to identify your company. The following codes are required for many procurement programs:

• North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the different industries or business activities in which your company will operate.
  • Look up your NAICS codes. You can select as many as you think will be necessary.
    • The NAICS code manual can also be found Montgomery County Business Information Center at the Rockville Library.
• This replaces the Standard Industry Classification (SIC) code
• DUNS Number from the Dun & Bradstreet Company
  • Obtain a DUNS Number from Dun & Bradstreet online or call 1-800-333-0505

Montgomery County Procurement

All Montgomery County procurements are managed by the Office of Procurement, except those purchases made for the Montgomery County School Board, and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. Please contact each organization directly regarding potential contract opportunities.

• Learn more about doing business with Montgomery County.
• About the County's Minority, Female, Disabled (MFD) Program and how to become MFD-certified
  • Montgomery County is committed to promoting increased procurement and contract awards to minority vendors and ensuring that minority vendors also participate as suppliers and contractors to private corporations and other jurisdictions.

Key Montgomery County Procurement Resources

• RAPID is an automated user-friendly subscription system that allows companies to review access and download information relating to contracting 24 hours /7days a week.  RAPID includes also other local governments and entities and links to other procurement sites.
  
• The Montgomery County Inter-Agency Central Vendor Registration System is a collaborative effort between Montgomery County Government, Montgomery College, Montgomery County Public Schools, and the Housing Opportunities Commission. It is the one-stop registration system for companies who are interested in providing goods and services to all 4 County agencies’ procurement offices. It allows potential vendors to create and maintain their subscriptions at no financial cost, ensuring County agencies always have up-to-date vendor information.
• Montgomery College Office of Procurement is a service unit within the Office of Business Services. It supports the educational mission of Montgomery College by acquiring quality goods and services at the right price, at the right time and from the right source, while reflecting the diverse business community of Montgomery County and consistent with laws, regulations and college policy. The procurement office is a centralized function meeting the diverse procurement needs of the college, ranging from office supplies, laboratory equipment, furniture, information technology hardware and software, to the construction and renovation of buildings. Purchasing agents are assigned specific categories of responsibilities. A listing of their commodity and service assignments is available online.
  
• The Local Small Business Reserve Program (LSBRP or Program) enhances the competitiveness of Montgomery County-based small businesses by creating separately-defined County procurement for local small businesses.

For more information about Montgomery County Office of Procurement, please visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/procurement or call 240-777-9900

Federal Procurement

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is charged with administering the federal government's minority certification program.  There are two programs; both require that the majority owner of the business be both socially and economically disadvantaged.

• The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Section 8(a) Business Development Program is designed to assist socially and economically disadvantaged business owners. Eligibility requirements are outlined in Title 13, Code of Federal Regulations, (CFR) Part 124.
• The Small Business Association’s Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) Program is a procurement tool designed to assist the Federal Government in identifying firms that are capable of providing needed goods and services. SDB is also designed to assist socially and economically disadvantaged business owners.

Key Federal Government Procurement Resources

• Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (ODSBU) under the U.S. Department of Commerce is responsible for promoting the use of small businesses in prime and subcontracting opportunities in accordance with Federal laws, regulations and policies.
  
  
• FedBizOpps.gov is the single government point-of-entry (GPE) for Federal government procurement opportunities over $25,000.
  
  
• Central Contractor Registration (CCR) is the primary vendor database for the Department of Defense (DOD) and an increasing number of Federal Agencies. Current and potential government vendors are required to register in CCR in order to be eligible for contract awards and payment.
  
  
• GSA's Federal Supply Schedules, also known as Multiple Award Schedules (MAS), are contracts that allow federal customers to acquire more than 4 million services and products directly from more than 8,600 commercial suppliers.  Under the schedules program, GSA enters into contracts with commercial firms to provide supplies and services at stated prices for given periods of time.
  
  
• The HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program is designed to encourage economic development through job creation by establishing preferences for award of Federal contracts to small businesses located in such areas.
  
  
• The Surety Bond Guaranteed (SBG) Program provides opportunities for small business contractors to pursue contracting opportunities from which they may be excluded.  The Small Business Administration can guarantee bid, performance and payment bonds for contracts up to $1.25 million.

Private Sector Procurement

Many quasi-government and large business organizations in the area have procurement programs or guidelines to do business with them.  Select the one(s) that best fit your service or product.  Check their websites, follow the process and find the procurement representative(s) to establish a direct contact and business relationship.

Need help with procurement?

• The Mario Loiederman Procurement Center (MLPC) is a non-profit program funded by the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development and the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development.  MLPC provides counseling to the small and minority business owner interested in government contracting.
  
  
• Maryland Procurement Technical Assistance Program (Maryland PTAP)
  The Maryland PTAP, a program managed by the Maryland SBDC Network, can help you identify, bid and perform on government prime and subcontracts. Expert staff, consultants and volunteers have experience in all aspects of government contracting.