GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS
There are 4 steps required for accepting government contracts:
1) File your Company Name with the Secretary of State
Find out whether the business name that you want to use is available
by calling the Business Services Bureau of the Secretary of State’s
Office, 406-444-3665.
If you are not yet prepared to file the organizational documents
discussed below, you may reserve a name for 120 days by filing
an Application for Reservation of a Business Name and a $10 filing
fee to the Secretary of State’s Office.
If you are ready to submit your documents of organization, you
do not need to submit an Application for Reservation of
a Business Name. You can simply list your business name on your organizational
documents.
Depending on the type of organizational structure you have chosen,
you will need to file:
- An Application for Registration of an Assumed Business
Name. File
this form with the Secretary of State if you plan to start a sole
proprietorship, general partnership, or association. Once approval
is given, your business name will be registered with the state
for five years.
- A Certificate of Limited Partnership. Both domestic and foreign
limited partnerships must file in order to do business in
Montana.
- Registration of Limited Liability Partnership.
- Articles of
Incorporation. These are required of corporations or individuals
who wish to do business in Montana through
a corporation.
Nonprofit corporations must also file Articles of Incorporation.
- Articles of Organization. File these with the Secretary of
State’s
Office if you want to form a limited liability company.
Click here for more information.
2) Establish an Employer Identification Number
The Internal Revenue Service requires every business to have a
federal tax identification number. To obtain one, call the IRS
toll-free at 1-866-816-2065. To apply for a state withholding and
unemployment insurance tax ID number, contact the Montana Department
of Revenue at 406-444-6900.
3) Establish a Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS)
Number
The Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number is a unique
nine-digit number that identifies a specific business. If you do
not have a DUNS number, you can get one free by calling 1-800-333-0505
or by registering
online. The online application takes approximately
1 week to appear on the Dun & Bradstreet website. Registering
by phone is usually faster.
4) Register in the CCR Database
Central Contractor Registration (CCR) is the Federal Government's
single collection point for vendor information. CCR collects, validates,
stores and disseminates vendor data to authorized Government entities.
For CCR registration help or to find out the status of your registration
call DLIS Customer Service 1-(888)-227-2423 or 269 961-4725. Have
your Dun & Bradstreet number available if known. Click
here for more information.
FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING
Accept Government Service Agency (GSA)
Credit Cards
In Fiscal Year 2002, the government spent $18.8 billion through
credit card purchases. Every government office uses the GSA SmartPay® credit
card for almost everything it needs! The program provides the federal
government and its contractors with numerous benefits including:
- A streamlined purchasing process that eliminates the use of
purchase orders and reduces administrative costs;
- An improved payment process that allows fully automated invoicing
and payment processing;
- Performance based refunds for agencies based on net charge
volume; and
- Electronic access systems that allow for streamlined financial
operations and allocation methods.
Click
here for a Quick Guide to Accepting the GSA SmartPay Card.
Establish a QA Program
You should have a documented Quality Assurance/Quality Control
Plan in place that complies with a recognized commercial quality
standard, a government standard, or the international ISO standard
for your industry. You must be organized, maintain accurate records,
document relevant transactions and meetings, and know where everything
is!
Use Electronic Commerce (e-commerce)
The government now uses electronic means to issue and award contracts
between $2,500 and $100,000. Consequently, you must have a personal
computer, a modem of 56K or better, a dedicated phone line, and
connection to the internet.
Know the Federal Acquisition Regulations
(FAR)
The Federal Acquisition Regulations System was established for
the codification and publication of uniform policies and procedures
for acquisition by all executive agencies. The Federal Acquisition
Regulation (FAR) is the primary document. It is supplemented by
agency acquisition regulations. The FAR governs administrative
matters, competition and acquisition planning, contracting methods
and contract types, socioeconomic programs including small business
programs, general contracting requirements and contract management.
The “FAR News” newsletter can keep you in the know
about the FAR, new FACs (Federal Acquisition Circulars), proposed
rules, public meetings, and other FAR-related issues of interest.
Click here
for the current FAR and other FAR-related documents, or to subscribe
to the FAR News.
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