With stimulus money starting to flow for a wide variety of "shovel-ready" government projects, many small businesses want to know how they can take advantage of forthcoming opportunities. One good way to start: Central Contractor Registration (CCR).
Businesses must be registered in CCR to bid on the vast majority of federal contracts. Registering through CCR also allows a business to provide its information to a central federal database accessible to a multitude of government agencies.
To register in CCR, a business must have a Federal Tax Identification Number and a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number. DUNS numbers are provided by Dun & Bradstreet and can be obtained online, or by calling 1-866-705-5711.
Here is what you'll need to get a DUNS number if your business doesn't already have one:
- Legal Name
- Name and headquarters address for your organization
- Doing business as (dba), or other names by which your business is commonly known
- Physical address
- Mailing address (if different from Headquarters and physical address)
- Telephone number
- Contact name and title
- Number of employees at your physical location
- CCR FAQ
- CCR and Small Businesses
- Claiming their slice of federal contracts (NJBiz.ccom)
- Employer ID Numbers- EINs (IRS)
- Business Formation Q&A (provided by The Adams Law Offices, LLC)
- Bidding on Public versus Private Contracts (FindLaw)
