If you haven’t seen this yet, the federal government is in the process of creating a gigantic, once-in-a-decade piece of legislation in their new infrastructure bill. Vendors and contractors will want to keep updated not only on the development progress and what’s in the bill but on how to best position their businesses to secure contracts for these funds. With $1 trillion up for grabs, government contractors will need to be optimizing eBidding platforms to stay competitive.
What’s in the bill?
While the bill is still in the works and a final spend total hasn’t been decided, it’s fair to guess that the main areas of spending will likely stay the same even if amounts change. According to The Washington Post, infrastructure spending is “expected to include $400 billion in spending to combat climate change, including $60 billion for infrastructure related to green transit and $46 billion for climate-related research and development. The plan also would aim to make electric-vehicle charging stations available across the country. The measure would also include $200 billion for housing infrastructure, including $100 billion to expand the supply of housing for low-income Americans.” This means that government contractors that focus on solar power, transit, engineering, green power, housing development and construction, and raw materials providers all need to be paying attention and preparing to develop bids.
Stay competitive with eBidding
Government vendors that want to get in on this massive spending can stay competitive with eBidding. Here are some features offered by eBidding platforms like DemandStar that can help:
RFP instant notifications – Once you set up your profile, you can opt to get emails sent directly to you that notify you of RFPs that fit your services. No more hunting for work, the opportunities get sent to you.
Connect with government agents outside your area – If you’re a materials supplier or provide other services that don’t necessarily require that you’re on-site, you can use eBidding to connect with government agents across America, not just in your county or state.
Reply online – All the forms and documents that need to be returned are all in one, easy-to-navigate spot. Also, since the documents are digital, you can look through your previous bids to select one that’s close to the job you want and update it to fit the new RFP.
Competitive intelligence – See which other vendors have downloaded the bid documents and submitted a bid. If you know your competition, you can put your best foot forward.
Bulk supplemental supplier upload – This is perfect for small businesses or those new to government contracts. You can see which general contractors have received big projects, and then apply to them as a subcontractor.
Get started now
If you’re looking to nab some of that $2 trillion new infrastructure bill, you’ll want to start prepping now. Even though the bill isn’t finalized, government contractors will need to be ready to go once that does happen. By creating an online eBidding profile for your business in advance, you can get acclimated to the online marketplace and be prepared to receive notifications and bid on projects right away.
Are you already a vendor on DemandStar? How will you use the online marketplace to connect with government agents with new infrastructure bill dollars to spend?