Business Insights

In the United States, the Coronavirus pandemic is challenging public officials’ ability to source the supplies and services needed to provide critical care to patients and protect medical workers. Currently, state and local governments are facing the possibility of shortages of essential supplies and materials.  With many providers being depleted of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for front-line health care workers, as well as crucial cleaning and healthcare supplies, the need for these items has increased tremendously. For example, equipment and services that are being urgently requested include:

With a population of approximately 4.2 million people, Oregon is the 27^th most populous state in the U.S. Currently, Oregon has five target industry groups that provide the state with a competitive advantage in the fields of growth, high wage jobs, and innovation. These industry groups include:

The federal government’s main site for hosting government contracting opportunities, FedBizOpps.gov (FBO), is no more. The General Services Administration (GSA) announced in late 2019 that 10 government sites were to be merged to provide a central entry point for those who, make, manage and receive federal awards. The new site, beta.SAM.gov, replaces FedBizOpps.gov for federal government contract opportunities valued at $25,000 or more.

Colorado is a great state for any business looking to do business with the government. Vendors can find a number of bid opportunities for just about any product or service -- it’s just a matter of knowing what to do and how to get started.

There are several different types of solicitations that government agencies can create when they want to procure a product or service. The most common ones are RFPs (Requests for Proposal) and IFBs (Invitation for Bid, also called an ITB –Invitation to Bid). Both RFPs and IFBs require that a vendor submit a bid proposal in order to be considered for a contract; as well, both are subject to regulations that require that the contracting agency publish a public announcement about the bid to ensure that the community at large is aware of the pending contract.

A spate of ransomware attacks against U.S. city governments in December and January crippled the networks of some municipalities and forced the shutdown of others, causing major headaches for city employees and residents.

Michigan, aka the Mitten State, best known for being home to the auto industry, has become a popular destination for many types of businesses. It’s also a great place for businesses to find opportunities to work within the public sector. There are plenty of state and local bid opportunities throughout Michigan for businesses both big and small. Working with the public sector can deliver huge benefits for any business but navigating the government procurement process can be daunting, especially if a vendor is interested in bidding on all sorts of contracts for many different state agencies and city departments.

For public sector buying agencies in Ohio, finding qualified vendors to supply the vast spectrum of goods and services required by state and local governments can be challenging. Whether a state department requires a fleet of new vehicles, or a municipality is looking for someone to provide uniforms for city workers, all proposals submitted by potential vendors must be carefully scrutinized by purchasing professionals to ensure that buying agencies are receiving the expected value for taxpayers’ money.

Texas has a longstanding reputation as the home of the oil and gas industry in America and today, the designation still applies: in 2018, the state accounted for 40 percent of oil produced in the United States. Accordingly, major cities in Texas are also hubs for the operations of America’s fossil fuel industry. But few people are aware that Houston, the largest city in Texas, leads the country in the use of renewable energy: the City of Houston sources 92 percent of its power from wind and solar energy! Beyond using renewable sources of energy, more than half of Houston’s municipal vehicle fleet is made up of hybrid electric-powered cars or trucks, cementing Houston’s growing reputation as a leader in renewable energy.

In cities and states across the United States, fixing the country’s infrastructure has become a top priority. Many government officials, including the President, have taken action to begin work on large projects to rebuild roadways, bridges, tunnels and many other structures that are in dire need of repair. To help rebuild transportation infrastructure, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced in 2018, that $855.9 million in grants will be awarded through the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program. At the time of the announcement, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao stated that “INFRA discretionary grants support the Administration’s commitment to fixing our nation’s infrastructure by creating opportunities for all levels of government and the private sector to fund infrastructure, using innovative approaches to improve the processes for building significant projects, and increasing accountability for the projects that are built.”[i]