Small Business FAQs

Below you will find some of our frequently asked questions as well as guidance and resources to help answer them. If you have any further questions not answered by this site, please send them to: SBA@usace.army.mil

Frequently Asked Questions

 Does the Baltimore District hold monthly vendor outreach sessions for small businesses?
The Baltimore District currently does not hold monthly vendor outreach sessions. However, the North Atlantic Division hosts one fair a year. This fair is historically held in the April-May timeframe. 

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 How can I obtain assistance or training to help me put together good bid proposals?
The Small Business Administration provides valuable information on applicable programs and services. Small Business Learning Center.

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 How can I promote my business to the Baltimore District?

There are several things you can do to promote your business to the District.

Learn as much as you can about the different organizations within the Baltimore District. A good starting point is the website. Then identify how your company can offer value and assistance in helping the organization achieve its mission. This information is critical prior to contacting the small business specialist and program officials.

You can review the DOC 'Forecast of Opportunities' to determine anticipated procurements for the coming government fiscal year. Also, prepare a brief capability statement (i.e., brochure, flyer, email, etc.) that highlights your products or services. The capability statement can be sent to the DOC Acquisition Offices' Small Business Specialists.

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 How do I obtain a CAGE Code?

When registering in the Centralized Contractor Registration (CCR) System, a temporary confirmation number will be assigned to you so that your application can be saved in the event you are unable to complete it during your initial online session. It is important that you write down your temporary confirmation number, as you must have it, along with your D-U-N-S number, to resume your application. Clicking "validate/save" will save the incomplete registration. A list of information you are missing will appear on the "Show Errors" list. Registrations-in-process are saved for up to 120 days for your convenience . Once your complete registration is submitted, the confirmation number becomes invalid. A Trading Partner Identification Number (TPIN) will replace it when the registration is active.

Prior to accessing the CCR System, please have your DUNS Number from Dun & Bradstreet as well as your SIC Code and TPIN (Taxpayer Identification Number) handy.Call D&B at 1-800-333-0505 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. Please use the following instructions to navigate through the voice prompts:

  1. enter "3" to Register your business and obtain a DUNS #
  2. enter "2" for assistance. DO NOT PRESS "1" FOR eUPDATE
  3. enter "1" to create a new listing
  4. enter "1" for Federal Registration (Government Contractor Listing)
You can also register for your DUNS number at Dun & Bradstreet's web site. Please note that registeration via the web site may take a few days to complete.

 

You will need your SIC and NAICS Codes. You may look up that information here .

Go to the Central Contractor Registration Page and Click the link to "Start New Registration".

If your registration was submitted successfully then you will receive two letters via U.S. mail or E-mail. This first notice is to welcome you to CCR and will include a copy of your registration. Please make sure you review the registration for accuracy. The second notice contains your confidential Trading Partner Identification Number (TPIN). The TPIN is sent separately for security reasons. Receipt of your TPIN not only confirms that you are successfully registered in CCR, it is required to make or request any changes or updates to your active registration. The TPIN is your confidential password, to change your CCR information . The TPIN is not to be used on contracts or other government paperwork. In addition to receiving these letters, you can verify the status of your registration on-line by visiting CCR's homepage at www.ccr.gov and clicking on "Search CCR". When prompted, enter your DUNS number and click "Search". The registration status is located at the top of the page.

You may confirm your registration by calling the CCR Assistance Center at (888) 227-2423 or (269) 961-4725 internationally. The Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System for CCR Status allows a calling-party to check the status of their CCR registration based on entry of a DUNS number. Call 1-888-352-9333 - and select CCR from the Menu (Option 3).

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 Is it necessary to certify my company as a small, small disadvantaged, woman-owned, veteran-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned,  or HUBZone) business?
The HUBZone, Small Disadvantaged Business, and 8(a) programs require official certification from the Small Business Administration; you must apply for those directly. The remaining categories are self-certifying and no formal certification is required. Self-certification is not questioned until a competitor or other interested party protests.

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 Is there a size standard table?

Yes. The U.S. Small Business Administration provides this information.

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 How is a small business defined or categorized?

A small business concern is a business, including its affiliates, that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in the field of operation in which it is bidding on contracts and qualified as a small business under the applicable size standards in 13 CFR Part 121 (FAR 19.102).

The size standard is based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes and is currently figured by either dollar revenue or number of employees.

  1. So you will first need to identify the proper NAICS code(s) for your company. [Determine your company's NAICS code(s)]
  2. The SBA is responsible for establishing size standards for the different industries in the economy. [Determine your company's size standard].

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 My company provides IT services. How can I get business with Baltimore District?

In compliance with OMB Circular A-76: Department of Defense Public-Private Competition of Information Management/Information Technology (IM/IT) by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the US Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, will issue solicitation W912DR-05-R-0001 in November 2004. The commercial activities being competed in this solicitation are all USACE Information Management and Information Technology (IM/IT) services located in the Continental United States (CONUS) and Honolulu and Alaska Districts.

 

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 What are NAICS and SIC codes?

The United States has a new industry classification system . . . The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) replaces the U.S. Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system.

NAICS is the first-ever North American industry classification system. The system was developed by the United States, Canada, and Mexico to provide comparable statistics across the three countries. For the first time, government and business analysts are able to compare directly industrial production statistics collected and published in the three North American Free Trade Agreement countries.

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 What does the Baltimore District buy?

Baltimore District purchases many different products and services. There are several resources you can use to access procurement opportunity information, including FedBizOpps (https://www.fbo.gov/), or by directly contacting the Contracting Division and communicating with the Small Business Deputy.

The GSA's Federal Procurement Data Center is another valuable source to learn what each federal agency buys. 

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 Where can I find information on the Baltimore District's subcontracting opportunities?
Please review the OSDBU 'Subcontracting' webpage. Also go to the Baltimore District Prime Contractor Directory to see the list of current District prime contractors. These primes are a valuable resource which you can market your business to establish partnerships and/or identify subcontracting opportunities.

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