SBA's "RFP-EZ" Pilot Program

Here's some interesting news that should be of interest to small businesses who have been thinking about entering the Government contracting arena but haven't quite gotten around to it.

The SBA (Small Business Administration) just announced a beta version of "RFP-EZ", a new online marketplace that streamlines the government contracting process, making it simpler for small businesses to find and bid on low dollar contracts from federal agencies. The maximum value for contracts under this new program will be limited to $150 thousand.

Currently, the requirements showing up under this new pilot program are geared toward web-based digital professional services - services like web design and development, social media, digital video, and the like. The SBA intends to grow the platform to include other categories, as they learn more through the pilot program.

The Government procurement process can be complicated and intimidating. "RFP-EZ" represents a unique opportunity for innovative startups to easily access the federal government marketplace and, in turn, help fuel job growth throughout the country. It should also help the Government as well by allowing it to secure better and less expensive products and services.

The streamlined process will help save significant amounts of time. By creating a company profile on the beta site, each small business can search and bid for contracts relevant to its skill set. A small business can search for an opportunity, see a statement of work, and bid - all within the RFP-EZ web interface.

To register, learn more about the pilot program, and to start bidding, go here.