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Question:
 I’ve been to the Government Websites about selling to the Federal Government, but it was confusing.  I think there’s a market for what I do.  So how do I get started?

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Grant SearchAnswer:
 It can be very confusing. In fact, in doing the research for this article, I spent several hours doing research, and I came away a little confused from it all.  (Which of course, led to more research! I was determined to figure out how to make the process simple and painless for you!)  Now, rather than give you all the government information and risk you getting confused – or worse, bored ;-), I’ve put together the most important information into an easy-to-understand format!  However, there’s a lot of it, so stay tuned to the next couple of Digital Women newsletters to get find out exactly how you can become successful in bidding – and landing – a contract with the government!  (By the way, if you really LIKE reading all the government pages, you can start here: 
http://pro-net.sba.gov/

And if you want to know “just the facts” here we go:
The Central Contractor Registration (CCR) is the primary vendor database for the U.S. Federal Government.  If you want to sell your products and services, that’s where you have to start.  (Which means that you don’t have to register in multiple locations like at CCR and Pronet any longer.)

A vendor (that’s you) must fill out a one-time registration that provides basic information about your business and financial transactions.  (This doesn’t mean they want to know how much money you’ve got in the bank, or get your credit card numbers, by the way). But, before you can be awarded a contract; basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchase agreement; you must be registered.  Then, you have to update or renew your registration every year, to maintain an active status. 

CCR validates your information, and then shares it electronically with the federal agencies’ finance officers.  (By the way, all of your information is encrypted, so it’s safe).  In case you were wondering what happens to your information, once you’ve registered, the information is shared with government procurement and electronic business systems and other authorized government offices – because they use a paperless payment system – electronic funds transfer. 

Special Note: Registration alone does not guarantee that your business will be chosen.  You will still have to go through the process.  (More about the process and how to write winning proposals in upcoming newsletters!) 

By the way, if you’re registering as a “Prime Contractor” and you’re going to be using subcontractors, you don’t have to have them register in CCR.  If you’re a subcontractor, and you want to bid directly for contracts, then you should be register your business. 

Not ALL government grant programs are advertised

That's why some of the grant packages and programs are very valuable. They have found those resources that you will have a hard time finding on your own. The grant packages listed below have done all the work for you.
A few are:
 

Mathew Lesko
Mathew Lesko Grants
Free Government Money
Free Government Grants
American Grant Provider
American Grant Provider

Although billions of dollars are given away annually by Government Agencies and 30,000 + grant-making Foundations in the United States, Most Americans do not even know these Agencies and Foundations exist, or how to contact them!

How to Register:
Because the easiest way to register is online (after all, we’re women with our modems running, right?) it’s important that you gather all the information together before you begin the registration process.

So, in a nutshell, here’s what you’re going to need, and I’ve also included the basic instructions for filling out the application line by line:
1. *Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number: The Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number is a unique nine character identification number provided by the commercial company Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). Call D&B at 1-866-705-5711 or 610-882-7000 if you do not have a DUNS number. The process to request a DUNS number takes about 10 minutes and is free of charge. 
If you already have a DUNS number, the D&B representative will advise you over the phone. You must have a different 9 digit DUNS for each physical location/different address in your company as well as each legal division that may be co-located. When entering your DUNS number, enter only the numbers; do not include dashes. Special Note: As a result of obtaining a DUNS number you may be included on D&B's marketing list that is sold to other companies. If you do not want your name/company included on this marketing list, D&B has asked that you contact them at any time, at the same numbers noted above to request your removal.
2. *DUNS +4: The use of DUNS+4 numbers to identify vendors is limited to identifying different CCR records for the same vendor at the same physical location. For example a vendor could have two records for themselves at the same physical location to identify two separate bank accounts. Vendors wishing to register their subsidiaries and other entities, should ensure that each additional location obtains a separate DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet at 1-866-705-5711. If you have questions regarding the use of DUNS +4 please contact the CCR Assistance Center at 1-888-227-2423.

3. *CAGE Code - The Commercial And Government Entity (CAGE) Code is a five character ID number used extensively within the Department of Defense and NASA. Vendors with a U.S. address may submit the application without a CAGE Code if they do not have one. 

If you don’t have one, they’ll assign one to you. You must have a separate CAGE Code for each physical location and separate division at the same physical location. Each separate CCR registration must have its own CAGE Code. (Part of the registration process verifies existing CAGE Codes, to make sure there are no duplications, in case you’ve lost or forgotten it.)  But, if you’ve got one already, it will speed up the process if you include it.  If you think you have a CAGE Code, but can’t find it, you can search the DLIS CAGE web at http://www.dlis.dla.mil/cage_welcome.asp

Foreign vendors must include an NCAGE Code on the registration or it will be considered incomplete.

4. *Legal Business Name and Doing Business As (DBA) - Enter the legal name by which you are incorporated and pay taxes. If you commonly use another name, such as a franchise or licensee name, then include that in the DBA space below the Legal Business Name. Your legal business name as entered on the CCR registration MUST match the legal business name at Dun & Bradstreet. If the information does not match, your registration may be rejected during processing. Special Note: Do not type “same” or “as shown above” in the DBA field.

5. *US Federal TIN – The Tax Identification Number (TIN) is the nine-digit number companies use for income tax purposes. If you do not know your TIN, contact the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at 1-800-829-1040. If you operate as an individual sole proprietorship, you may use your Social Security Number if you do not have a TIN/EIN. If you are located outside the United States and do not pay employees within the U.S., you are not required to provide a TIN. When entering your TIN or SSN on the web site, enter only the numbers; do not include the dashes (Example: 123456789 not 123-45-6789)

6. *Division and Branch Name and Number: If you do business as a division or branch of a larger company, use this space to indicate the proper name for your division or branch. If some other identifier commonly distinguishes your division or branch, enter that in the space on the right. Otherwise, leave blank.

7. * *Physical Street Address 1: PO Box and c/o MAY NOT BE USED IN THIS SPACE. You must include a valid street address where your business is located. If you use a PO Box for correspondence, this may be included in the space allocated for “mailing address” under the tab “Address Info”. Your street address, as entered on the CCR registration, MUST match the street address for which Dun & Bradstreet has you registered. If the information does not match, your registration may be rejected during processing. You may not register a branch of the business with the branch address and the headquarters DUNS number.

Physical Street Address 2: Use this space to continue your physical street address, if needed. *City, State, Zip: The 9-digit zip code is mandatory. When entering the nine-digit zip code on the web, enter numbers only; do not include the dash. (Example 123456789 not 12345-6789) *Country: Choose the appropriate country code abbreviation from the list provided. Mailing Address Information: If you are unable to receive mail at your physical address enter a proper mailing address here. A Post Office Box is permissible. Any address used here will receive all CCR correspondence. If the Point of Contact is in a different location than the legal business address and you want to receive the mail directly, enter the appropriate address here.

8. * Date Business Started: Enter the date your business was started in its present form. This may be used to distinguish you from others with similar names. When entering the information on the web site, you must enter as mm/dd/yyyy. (Example: 01/01/1995)

9. * Fiscal Year End Close Date: Enter the day on which you close your fiscal year. For example, if you use the calendar year, this would be 12/31. When entering the information on the web site, you must enter as mm/dd.

10. * Average # of Employees and Average Annual Receipts - Be sure to provide accurate information about the number of employees and 3-year average annual receipts for your business, as these values can determine your business size classification. The calculation must include the employees and receipts of all affiliates. For more information see: http://www.sba.gov/siz/part121sects.html

Special Note: Average Annual Receipts cannot be zero. You must enter a number. When entering revenue in the web site, enter numbers only, no dollar signs or commas.

11. * Company Security Level: If applicable, choose the correct level of security for the facility. 

Highest Employee security Level: If applicable, choose the highest level of security for an employee located at that facility.

12. * Corporate Web Page URL: If applicable, provide a desired URL for your company. Both upper and lower cases are acceptable.

Corporate Information: This section contains mandatory fields. 

13. *Type of Relationship with the U.S. Federal Government: 
Contracts: This option is for those who plan to respond to government contracts. Business Grants: This option is for those who plan to respond to government grants. 
Both Contracts and Business Grants: This option is for those who plan to respond to both government contracts and business grants.

14. * Type of Organization: You must choose one of the boxes to indicate the legal form of your business. 

Sole Proprietorship
*Owner Information: Mandatory if you have checked “Sole Proprietorship” as business type. You must provide the name and phone number of the owner of the business. 

Corporate Entity (Not Tax-Exempt): If you choose Corporation as your status, you must enter the state of incorporation if incorporated in the USA. If you are incorporated outside the USA, you must provide Country of incorporation and check foreign supplier under business types. 

Corporate Entity (Tax-Exempt): If you choose Corporation as your status, you must enter the state of incorporation if incorporated in the USA. If you are incorporated outside the USA, you must provide Country of incorporation and check foreign supplier under business types.

Partnership 

U.S. Government Entity – 
Federal - State - Local Foreign Government

International Organization: Defined in the Code of Federal Regulations (26 CFR 1.6049-4) found at http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/cfr-table-search.html

Special Note: If you are a Limited Liability Partners Company or S-Corporation, choose Corporation

15. *Business Types 
Check all the descriptions that apply to your business (you must choose at least one). If you are unsure of whether you qualify under a category, contact your local Small Business Administration (SBA) office for the appropriate guidelines. 

You may visit their web site at http://www.sba.gov  If you check 8(a) Program Participant, HUBZone, certified SDB, or DoT DBE, then you will be required to complete name and address of certifying party. 

Special Note: Select business types that reflect the current status of your business. The business types are not an indication of the business opportunities you hope to pursue. 

Type of Organization:
Corporate Entity, Not Tax Exempt 
Corporate Entity, Tax Exempt 
Partnership 
Sole Proprietorship 
U.S. Government Entity 
Federal Government 
Federal Agency 
Federally Funded Research and Development Corporation 
State Government
Local Government 
City 
County 
Inter-municipal 
Local Government Owned 
Municipality 
School District 
Township 
Foreign Government 
International Organization 
Other 

Other Government Entities:

Airport Authority 
Council of Governments 
Housing Authorities Public/Tribal 
Interstate Entity 
Planning Commission 
Port Authority 
Transit Authority 

Other Business/Organization Factors: 

Foreign Owned and Located 
Limited Liability Company 
S Corporation 

Types of Business: 
Architecture and Engineering (A&E) 
Community Development Corporation 
Construction Firm 
Domestic Shelter 
Educational Institution 
For Profit Organization 
Foundation 
Hispanic Servicing Institution 
Hospital 
JWOD Non-Profit Agency 
Manufacturer of Goods 
Nonprofit Organization 
Other Not for Profit Organization 
Research and Development 
Service Provider 
Veterinary Hospital 

Education Entities
1862 Land Grant College 
1890 Land Grant College 
1994 Land Grant College 
Historically Black College or University (HBCU) 
Minority Institutions 
Private University or College 
School of Forestry 
State Controlled Institution of Higher Learning 
Tribal College (other than 1994) 
Veterinary College 

16. *Socio-Economic Factors: 
Special Note: If you select “small business” a sub-set of your data will be sent to the Small Business Administration for size validation and inclusions in the Dynamic Small Business Search). 
Large Business 
Small Business Special Note: These categories require that the firm is 51% owned and controlled by one or members of the selected socio-economic group
Veteran Owned 
Service Disabled Veteran Owned 
Woman Owned 
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Owned 
Minority Owned 
Subcontinent Asian (Asian-Indian) American Owned 
Asian-Pacific American Owned 
Black American Owned 
Hispanic American Owned 
Native American Owned 
No Representation/None of the Above 

17. *Socio-Economic Certifications: 
SBA Certified Small Disadvantaged Business 
SBA Certified 8(a) Program Participant 
SBA Certified HUBZone Business 
DoT Certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise 
 

Federally Recognized Native American Entities:
Alaskan Native Corporation Owned Firm 
American Indian Owned 
Indian Tribe (Federally Recognized) 
Native Hawaiian Organization Owned Firm 
Tribal Government 
Tribally Owned Firm 

Other Socio-Economic Categories:
Community Developed Corporation Owned firm 
Labor Surplus Area Firm 

Goods/Services: This section contains mandatory fields. 

18. *North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Codes: NAICS Codes are a method for classifying business establishments. You must supply at least one for your registration to be complete. If you do not know your NAICS codes, you may search on the Internet at www.census.gov/epcd/naics02 You must use six-digit NAICS Codes in your registration. 
19. *Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Codes: 
Special Note: This section is where you get to list all the classification codes that apply to your products and services, so go through it carefully and list all that apply! 
SIC codes can be four or eight digits, all numeric. You must supply at least one valid SIC code for your registration to be complete. If you do not know your SIC codes, you can find them at this Website: www.osha.gov/oshstats/sicser.html 

20. *Product Service Codes (PSC Codes): PSC Codes are optional, 4 character, alphanumeric. Product Service Codes are similar to SIC Codes. PSC Codes are used only to identify services. You can find the PSC Codes that relate to your business at http://fpdcapp.gsa.gov/pls/fpdsweb/psc 

21. *Federal Supply Classification Codes (FSC Codes): FSC Codes are optional, 4- numeric digits. FSC Codes are similar to SIC Codes.  FSC Codes are used only to identify products. You may search for an FSC Code at: http://www.dlis.dla.mil/PDFs/h2.pdf 
When typing in your SIC’s, PSC’s, or FSC’s separate them with a comma - no spaces or list them. (Example: 1234,5231,9012)

Financial Information: This section contains mandatory fields 
Special Note: All registrants must complete this section except foreign vendors doing business outside the U.S, utility companies, and federal government agencies.  As I mentioned earlier, when you are a contractor with the US government, you’ll be paid through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).  If you don’t know the following information that you need, you can get it from your bank. 

22. *Financial Institution: Name of the bank used for EFT/banking purposes. This field will be automatically filled from the ABA Routing Number provided below. 

23. *ABA Routing Number: ABA Routing number is the American Banking Association 9-digit routing transit number of your financial institution.  This number is the first nine digits on the lower left-hand corner of your check.  Special Note: You must fill in the EFT ABA Routing number in this space, Not the Wire Transfer ABA number. 

24. *Account Number, Type, & Lockbox Number - Enter the appropriate account number to which you want your EFT payments deposited and check the proper box to indicate whether it is checking or savings account.  (If your money is being deposited into your checking account, then use your checking account number.  If you want it deposited into you your savings account, use that number.  If you prefer to use a lockbox service, enter the appropriate account number in the space provided. If you use a lockbox for your banking purposes, you must also check “checking” under account type.)

25. *Automated Clearing House: ACH is the Automated Clearing House department of your bank.  Enter the appropriate contact information for the ACH coordinator at your bank. This information is necessary in case problems occur with your EFT transfer; payment offices must have a bank contact to call.  Special Note: e-mail addresses requested under the contact entries refer to Internet e-mail, not a local area network e-mail address within your office.  When entering the phone numbers on the web site, enter the numbers only; do not put in dashes or parentheses. (Example: 9995551212 not (999) 555-1212) 

26. *Remittance Information: This is the address where you would like a paper check mailed in the event an EFT transfer does not work. Please indicate on the name line the party to whom the check should be mailed and fill in the appropriate information. If you use a lockbox, and want checks mailed directly to the bank, put in the bank name and address here.

27. *Accounts Receivable: Provide contact information for the accounts receivable person at your company. An email address is required. This is the contact provided to Defense Finance and Accounting Service regarding EFT payments on your government contracts. Special Note: This contact is not authorized to receive and/or release information regarding the CCR registration to any Registration Assistance Center personnel. 

It may be beneficial to have the accounts receivable contact also act as the additional contact for the registration. 

28*Credit Card Information: Does your company accept credit cards for payment? This is a YES or NO question.

Point Of Contact: This section contains mandatory fields.

29. *Registrant Name: Also known as the CCR POC. List the name of the person that acknowledges that the information provided in the registration is current, accurate and complete. The person you list here will be the ONLY person within the registering company to receive the Trading Partner Identification Number (TPIN) via e-mail or U.S. Postal mail. 

The Registrant and the Alternate Contact are the only people authorized to share information with CCR Assistance Center personnel. So make sure that whoever you list here knows about the CCR registration.  An email address is required. Both upper and lower cases are acceptable for all email addresses. 

30. *Alternate Contact: Provide name and a phone number for another person at your company, in case questions arise when the primary contact is not available.

31. *Government Business POC: This POC is that person in the company responsible for marketing and sales with the government.  An email address is required. Both upper and lower cases are acceptable for all email addresses. This POC and contact information, if entered, will be publicly displayed on the CCR Search Page. All contact methods are mandatory. 

32. *Past Performance POC: This POC is that person in the company responsible for administering the company’s government past performance reports and response efforts. An email address is required. Both upper and lower cases are acceptable for all email addresses. This POC and contact information is optional and, if entered, will be publicly displayed on the CCR Inquiry web site.  All contact methods are mandatory. 

33. *Electronic Business POC: The EBPOC is the person in the company responsible for authorizing individual company personnel access into government electronic business systems (e.g., Electronic Document Access (EDA), Wide Area Workflow (WAWF)). POC and contact information is mandatory.  This information will be publicly displayed on the CCR Inquiry web site. All contact methods are mandatory. You can check out http://wawf.eb.mil  to get detailed information on EBPOC responsibilities for WAWF.

34. *Marketing Partner ID (MPIN): This is a self-defined access code that will be shared with authorized partner applications (e.g., Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS), Federal Technical Data Solutions (FedTeDS) etc.).  Special Note: The MPIN is your password in these other systems so write it down, and put it in a secure place!  The MPIN must be nine positions and contain at least one alpha character, one number and no spaces or special characters.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Special Note: This is an optional section for those doing business through EDI.  If you have questions about doing business through EDI you can contact your local Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) by visiting them at http://www.dla.mil/db/procurem.htm. 

35. *EDI Contact Information: If you are registering as an EDI-capable company, provide an EDI Point Of Contact here. 
 
 

SEE PAGE 1 of Grants for women Grant Faq's HERE
SEE PAGE 3 of Grants for women Grant Faq's HERE
SEE PAGE 2 of Grants for women Grant Faq's HERE
SEE PAGE 5 of Grants for women Grant Faq's HERE



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