Experience selling to the US Department of Defense (DoD)?
First off, I apologize if I posted in the incorrect forum, I wasn't quite sure what to nest this under.
I work for a small bakery manufacturer. Recently we were approached by a new broker, hoping to land us a contract with the US DoD, specifically with having our products in military barracks (not retail commissaries). Currently we are not certified by a GFSI auditing scheme, which the broker states would not be a problem. He also stated we would not need to be audited by them since the food is "going directly to the troops and not base commissaries for retail purchase" - his exact words, which I found a bit odd.
Does anyone have any experience or insight when it comes to the requirements of selling to the US DoD? As a smaller manufacturer, I want to be sure we would not be biting off more than we can chew.
Many Thanks!
4. As a small business, explore programs with the Small Business Administration (SBA). DoD Small Business Specialists are located at each DoD buying activity to provide assistance on how to market to the DoD. See http://www.acq.osd.mil/osbp and click one of the following “Links”, “for Small Business - Doing Business with DoD”, or “DoD Small Business Offices” The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers assistance and certification in preference programs to small business concerns, go to https://www.sba.gov/. Procurement Technical Assistance Centers are located in most states and partially funded by DoD to provide small business concerns with information on how to do business with the DoD. See http://www.aptac-us.org/new/. They provide training and counseling on marketing, financial, and contracting issues at minimal or no cost. Government Services Administration (GSA) helps small businesses stay competitive in the federal market. Online and onsite federal experts offer small businesses the training tools to succeed, go to http://www.gsa.gov/p...category/21983.
https://www.acq.osd....D_(16Nov16).pdf
hope these help...............I wouldn't take the brokers word for it either
Thanks Scampi - I will certainly check all of those links out!
Ahhh, the broker is not being fully honest here.
More like 50/50.
The option is there for a government agency to commission an audit or not.
Don't trust the broker.
We sell under DoD contracts. They audit us every fall using USDA GHP and a USDA agent. We weren't GFSI the last couple times they came in and it wasn't an issue though being GFSI this time I feel more prepared. A lot of our business rests with DoD.