Government Stimulus Project Contracts: Step 1- Central Contractor Registration

With stimulus money starting to flow for a wide variety of "shovel-ready" government projects, many small businesses want to know how they can take advantage of forthcoming opportunities. One good way to start: Central Contractor Registration (CCR).

Businesses must be registered in CCR to bid on the vast majority of federal contracts. Registering through CCR also allows a business to provide its information to a central federal database accessible to a multitude of government agencies.

To register in CCR, a business must have a Federal Tax Identification Number and a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number. DUNS numbers are provided by Dun & Bradstreet and can be obtained online, or by calling 1-866-705-5711.

Here is what you'll need to get a DUNS number if your business doesn't already have one:

• Legal Name
• Name and headquarters address for your organization
• Doing business as (dba), or other names by which your business is commonly known
• Physical address
• Mailing address (if different from Headquarters and physical address)
• Telephone number
• Contact name and title
  
• Number of employees at your physical location
  

As for resources to help identify and win government contracts once your business is registered with CCR, the Wall Street Journal's Independent Street recommends the annual OSDBU Procurement Conference (which concentrates on government contracting), the FedBizOpps.gov site (which lists federal contracting opportunities over $25,000) and the nationwide network of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers.

• CCR FAQ
  
• CCR and Small Businesses
• Claiming their slice of federal contracts (NJBiz.ccom)
• Employer ID Numbers- EINs (IRS)
• Business Formation Q&A (provided by The Adams Law Offices, LLC)
  
• Bidding on Public versus Private Contracts (FindLaw)