Government Contracting
The U.S. government is the world’s largest buyer of products and services. Purchases by military and civilian installations amount to nearly $200 billion a year, and include everything from complex space vehicles to janitorial services to cancer research. In short, the government buys just about every category of commodity and service available. Selling goods and services to the government can be interesting and lucrative work.
Doing Business with the City of Riverside
Business Contracting and Procurement
951.826.5561
3900 Main Street, 6th Floor
Riverside, CA 92522
www.riversideca.gov/finance/purchase.asp
Contact: Art Torres, Purchasing Services/ Risk Manager
The City processes nearly $75 million ($25 million in goods and services and $50 million in Public Works projects) in orders and contracts annually. Services utilized include but are not limited to janitorial services, security services, landscape maintenance, printing, temporary staff services, air travel services and courier services. Public projects include street repairs, special studies and construction of buildings, engineering, geo-technical and environmental services. To be part of the competitive bidding process the City has easy electronic access to the official Bidders List.
Doing Business with the County of Riverside
951.955.4937
2980 Washington Street
Riverside, CA 92504
www.purchasing.co.riverside.ca.us
Contact: Lisa Boerner, Senior Procurement Contract Specialist
The County of Riverside is constantly looking for suppliers of varied goods and services it procures. In order to bid on County jobs, your company must become a registered vendor. Your company can become a registered vendor and view current bidding opportunities through the County of Riverside’s Purchasing Division website.
Doing Business with the State of California
916.375.4400
Department of General Services
707 3rd Street
West Sacramento, CA 95605
www.dgs.ca.gov
EProcurement is the new portal for the California State Contracts Register (CSCR), the State Contracting and Procurement Registration System (SCPRS), and the statewide Leveraged Procurement Agreements (LPAs). It is your one-stop information source for State of California contracting opportunities. The CSCR connects business to government, providing an easy-to-use, online publication which lists services and construction contract over $5,000, commodity contact over $50,000 and IT goods contacts over $100,000.
California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)
916.322.0694
1400 10th Street, 2nd Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
www.business.ca.gov
GO-Biz is a comprehensive information resource tailored to answer questions regarding working with the state of California. They provide the answers to those difficult questions that arise when you’re starting a business, looking to expand, or need to navigate through the permit and regulatory channels of government. They offer personal assistance through business specialists, and offer a CalGOLD database to assist in the locating of permits you need.
Contracting Programs to assist Small Businesses
U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) Procurement Center
818.552.3297
330 North Brand Blvd., Suite 1200
Glendale, CA 91203
www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/contracting
Contact: Aaron Parra, Jr., SBA Procurement Center Representative (PCR)
Through the Prime Contracts Program, the SBA helps to increase small business’ share of government contracts. SBA Procurement Center Representatives (PCRs) work to expand contracting opportunities for small businesses by reviewing contracting strategies and actions, reviewing prime contractors’ subcontracting plans, recommending contracting sources, and providing one-to-one counseling and training to small businesses seeking to do business with the federal government.
The federal government sells large quantities of natural resources and surplus real and personal property authorized for sale in accordance with public law. SBA cooperates with other federal agencies to channel a fair share of the property and resources to small businesses.
The U.S. Small Business Administration has implemented the Woman-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program to increase federal contracting opportunities for women-owned small businesses (WOSB) and economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses (EDWOSB) to successfully compete in the federal marketplace.
Website: www.businessmatchmaking.com
The SBA, Hewlett-Packard’s HP Small Business Foundation, and SCORE have joined together to offer a highly successful Business Matchmaking Initiative that includes an innovative, nationwide 24-7 online business matchmaking and counseling component.
Business Matchmaking, a public-private sector contracting initiative, offers a forum for small businesses to meet face-to-face with purchasing representatives from federal, state and local government agencies along with some of the country’s largest corporations to discuss potential contracting opportunities. Business Matchmaking empowers small businesses to grow and succeed through training and one-to-one counseling. These events are conducted in key cities across the country; bringing together approximately 5,000 small business owners with hundreds of public and private sector buyers.
