Contracting
How to Do Business with the Forest Service - Pacific Southwest - Region 5/CA
Doing business with the Federal government, including the Forest Service, can be complicated. The following information is intended to provide a brief overview of the steps necessary to position a business concern to do business with the Forest Service and the Federal government. Also contacts are provided regarding additional resources that will assist a business concern in understanding the processes of doing business with the Forest Service and other Federal government agencies.
Step One: Be formed in a business like way
To successfully bid and perform Federal government and Forest Service contracts businesses are expected to follow applicable Federal, state and local laws. From a business perspective this includes being appropriately registered as a business under state and local rules, carrying adequate insurance including workers compensation if an employer, and in the case of construction contracts, having the ability to adequately bond projects under the Federal government’s surety bonding requirements, which are different than the state license bonding requirements required of some businesses. A computer, or computer access, is also needed and a valid email address as contracting in the Federal government is dependent in many cases on computer processes through “online” databases. When formed in a business like way a business is then ready to learn more about winning contracts with the Federal government.
What major products and services does the Forest Service purchase from vendors and contractors?
- Natural resource services and conservation service
- Construction of structures and facilities
- Maintenance, repair or alteration of real property (incl. restoration of roads and bridges)
- Lease or rental of facilities
- Janitorial services
- Transportation and charter services
- Professional, management and administrative support services
- Lease or rental of equipment
- Special studies and analyses
- A&E services
- Fire and aviation support services and equipment
- Information technology
Getting ready to do business with the Forest Service…
1. Obtain a UEI number
On April 4, 2022, the unique entity identifier used across the federal government changed from the DUNS Number to the Unique Entity ID (generated by SAM.gov). Please go to SAM.gov to acquire your UEI Number.
2. Register with 'System for Award Management'
You must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) to be awarded a government contract. Vendors must renew/update their data annually to keep their SAM registration active. Detailed information about SAM is available at www.sam.gov
Finding Contracting Opportunities
Once SAM registration has been completed, vendors may use this site which is specific to Region 5 (State of California) and shows only those projects being solicited by the Forest Service in that Region for the current fiscal year. The value of going to this website is that it will also show opportunities that are not expected to exceed $25,000 and, thus, will not be posted to FedBizOpps. The website address
Other Vendor Resources
There are many websites and resources to assist businesses in understanding doing business with the Federal government. There are many unique aspects such as the Federal Acquisition Regulations that govern how the Federal government issues solicitations for work and writes the contracts that result from the solicitations. The resources that can help in understanding doing business with the Federal government include –
Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) – Located in every state PTAC’s assist businesses in understanding how to prepare bids and proposals on Federal government contracts. To locate the appropriate state PTAC go www.aptac-us.org/new/ and under “Government Contracting Assistance” use the link to “Find a PTAC.”
Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) – Organized in association with the Small Business Administration, the SBDC’s provide general assistance on business structure, and how to obtain business loans and surety bonding. Some assistance is provided regarding Federal government contracting too. Find the nearest SBDC
Small Business Administration (SBA) – The SBA is the Federal Agency tasked with assisting small businesses to be successful. SBA’s general website is available as www.sba.gov. There is also an SBA website that deals specifically with Doing Business With the Federal Government
Incident Procurement Information
Information on Incident Procurement for Region 5 can be found at: www.fs.usda.gov/business/incident/
Please Note! Training is Required: Vendors (engines, water tenders, fallers, mechanics, pick-ups w/driver, crew busses, dozers, and excavators) seeking work during fire incidents must complete 8 hours fire refresher and fire shelter training annually. Upon completion, each individual will receive proof of their training. This is only good for the individual who actually took the training. Proof of completed training must be carried by each operator while under hire. Information on Region 5 Incident Procurement including the times, dates, and provider of this training will be posted at the above website.
Other helpful information
Small Disadvantaged Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) – Veteran Business Outreach Center (VBOC), Sacramento, CA email to: admin@vbocix.org 916-527-8400.
WO AQM has information at a national level.