Notice of available government contracts for bid are typically announced as a request for proposals (RFP) or a request for qualifications (RFQ). These are often available in official government publications, general circulation newspapers, or on government websites. Many jurisdictions maintain a multi-agency database of contracts for bid that can be accessed over the Internet and searched for appropriate opportunities.
The way an agency in a particular jurisdiction posts notices of government contracts for bid is typically standardized by law. This means that the law will require all government agencies at a certain level to post notices in at least one way that is easily accessible to the public. For example, all agencies with contract opportunities over a certain amount of money might be required by law to publish notices in the government newspaper or official record, or utilize some other standard method for public notification that is the same for all agencies. An agency can also choose to announce the opportunity in other ways, such as on a website, but the basic notification required by law must be completed.
Outside contracting is an important part of governmental administration, so it is not often difficult to find out its procedure for posting bid notices. There is usually a government agency that deals with small businesses and provides all of the information to navigate the government contracting process from start to finish. Alternatively, a trip to the main branch of the public library will likely net a series of books that compile information on government contracting at various jurisdictional levels.
The easiest way to learn about government contracts for bid is to identify government agencies that deal in a related field and to monitor their websites. Agencies typically maintain a contracting section on their websites that details open opportunities and provides the RFP or RFQ for download. Most importantly, agencies often allow individuals and businesses to sign up on an electronic mailing list that will send out notices by email and by regular mail when opportunities for bidding arise that meet a certain criteria. This way, no bid opportunity need ever be missed.
Identifying government contracts for bid has also generated a cottage industry. Third party vendors hold workshops and seminars to help people learn about the contracting process. Many also publish their own periodic compendiums of open bids that make it particularly easy to keep up with multiple agencies without having to do original research. Governments at certain levels, such as the federal government in the U.S., also maintain a multi-agency web portal that makes searching for contracting opportunities a one-stop shop.
