Things every defense contractor should know

Since there are quite a few folks here just learning about our industry, I thought I'd post a list of things every defense contractor should know. Not an exhaustive list by any means so please contribute your thoughts.

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• Always, always submit bids on time
• Read the entire solicitation
• If two of more small businesses are bidding, solicitations can be set-aside as small business only (FAR 19.502-2)
• Most buying agencies have small business representatives
• Search multiple fields for solicitations: FSC, keywords, CAGE code, item name. DOD often mis-categorizes items
• Have a basic understanding of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR)
• Before bidding:
  • Check order history for sufficient demand; Gov't only buys a few, skip it
  • Make sure there is sufficient markup
  • Make sure it's not too competitive or margins will suffer
  • Thousands of bids are posted daily; If it's not right, skip it
• It takes weeks to obtain source approval. If SAR is required, make sure there is enough time
• Identify which activities (buying agencies) purchase the type of items you supply
• DIBBS / SAM is only part of the picture; Gov't buys through Fedmall, GSA, credit cards, and off-the-shelf