The Federal Emergency Management Agency is perhaps the most visible of potential customers for disaster recovery and cleanup services, but how do you get your company on their radar for the next inevitable event? 

Fortunately, their website has some very specific instructions for disaster recovery contractors who want to work with them. We’ll give an overview of highlights here.

According to its website, whenever FEMA responds to a disaster, its goal is to contract with local businesses in the affected area, whenever practical and feasible. These procurements are all conducted under the Robert T. Stafford Act of 1988, which defines official types of disasters and constitutes the statutory authority for most Federal disaster response activities, especially as they pertain to FEMA and FEMA programs. 

The agency has established a four-step process your company or organization can follow to do business with them.

1. Contact your Local Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Center 

Government contracting can be complex, especially for small businesses getting involved for the first time. Fortunately, there are offices ready to help you: Procurement Technical Assistance Centers. There are PTAC counselors in more than 300 locations, who will work with you to understand the steps to getting a government contract. The APTAC also provides business guidance and tips for registering with sam.gov, the government’s online system through which you can register your business as a potential emergency recovery and cleanup services vendor.

2. Register as a service provider in the System for Award Management

Once you grasp the process explained by the PTAC counselor, you must register to do business with the federal government through the System for Award Management. Registration is free.

You’ll need a Unique Entity ID and your Tax Identification Number (which you may request by visiting www.irs.gov) if your principal business is located in the United States or U.S. territories. 

The UEI is a 12-character, alphanumeric ID assigned to an entity by sam.gov. Those who have used the system before should note that this new type of ID replaces the Dun & Bradstreet “DUNS” ID previously used for new sam.gov registrations.

During the registration process, you’ll need to indicate your desire to participate in the Disaster Response Registry. This allows contracting officers to quickly and easily locate your company through a digital Disaster Response Registry Search.

3. Understand FEMA’s Mission and Goals

FEMA’s mission is to help people before, during and after disasters, making this the top focus of everyone working for or with FEMA in the field. Once a president officially declares a major disaster or emergency, FEMA coordinates and collaborates with federal, state, local and tribal agencies to get assistance to survivors as quickly, safely and effectively as possible. 

If your company offers goods or services useful in the following situations, you’ll want to proceed to the next step.

• Emergency Support Functions — ESFs may be selectively activated for both Stafford Act and non-Stafford Act incidents. Resources coordinated though ESFs are assigned where needed within the response structure. Regardless of where ESFs may be assigned, they coordinate closely with one another to accomplish their missions.
• Mission Assignments — Federal agencies may provide disaster assistance under their own authorities or through mission assignments from FEMA. FEMA issues mission assignments in anticipation of, or in response to, a presidential declaration of an emergency or major disaster. Mission assignments allow for deployment, employment and assistance from the full range of federal resources to support disaster needs.
• State Emergency Management Agencies — During emergencies, each state coordinates the activation and use of resources needed to support their local governments in responding to and recovering from emergencies and disasters.
• National Response Framework — This framework guides how the nation responds to all types of disasters and emergencies.

4. Monitor Contracting Opportunity Sites

Contract opportunities are available for people who make, receive and manage federal awards. This is where organizations within the federal government publish notices on proposed contract actions, valued at more than $25,000. 

For those who may have used the system before, FedBid is now called Unison Marketplace, a fully managed online marketplace connecting sellers to federal and commercial opportunities. 

The Department of Homeland Security Acquisition Planning Forecast System is a portal for small business vendors to view anticipated contract actions above $250,000.

These are the basic steps to getting started as a FEMA vendor. It takes some administrative effort up front, but a small amount compared to the revenue you stand to generate on an ongoing basis — a pretty good return on investment from any angle.