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Get to Know How the Government Buys

Government contracting officials conform to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to purchase goods and services.  The FAR is a standardized set of regulations used by all federal agencies in making purchases. It provides procedures for every step in the procurement process, from the time someone in the government discovers a need for a product or service to the time the purchase is complete.

As of October 1, 2001, the government transitioned from Commerce Business Daily (CBD) to Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) to "post" all procurement opportunities expected to exceed $25,000. FedBizOpps is a web-based application and is the government-wide point of entry to communicate its buying requirements to potential suppliers. This very important website can be accessed at http://www.FedBizOpps.gov.

One of the first decisions made by the contracting officer is whether a sealed bidding or negotiated procurement method will be used.  The distinction between these two methods does not relate to the manner in which they are publicly announced or to the extent of competition for contract awards.  The primary difference between sealed bidding and negotiated procurements is the way in which the responses to the solicitation from prospective contractors are evaluated.

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