Reading a federal construction solicitation before you register interest

Registering interest takes a minute. Knowing whether the job is worth pursuing takes ten. Read these fields first.

Set-aside

Is the notice total small business, a specific set-aside (8(a), WOSB, EDWOSB, SDVOSB, HUBZone), or unrestricted? A set-aside can decide, before you look at price, whether you are even eligible to win. If you are teaming on a set-aside award, your partner's certification may be the point.

NAICS and size standard

The NAICS code the agency assigned sets the size standard that applies. The same firm can be small under one code and large under another. Check the code on the notice, not the code you usually bid under.

Place of performance and period

Where is the work, and over what period? For construction, place of performance drives mobilisation, labour and the states your team needs to cover.

Response date and time zone

Deadlines are absolute and are stated in a time zone. A response due at 3:00 p.m. Eastern is not due at 3:00 p.m. Central. Register interest and build the team early rather than in the last 48 hours.

Bonding, licensing and site conditions

The Miller Act requires performance and payment bonds on federal construction above the threshold in FAR 28.102-1. Check the bond amounts, the licensing the jurisdiction requires, and whether the notice points to differing site conditions. These are the fields that turn a bid into a loss when they are skimmed.

Then decide: bid, team, or pass

Once you know the set-aside, the size standard, the place, the deadline and the bond, you can decide whether to bid alone, to find a partner from the interested-vendor list, or to pass and save the cost of a proposal.

Browse live federal construction solicitations Open the Demand Desk — $59 one-time By agency By NAICS