Written by Andrea Cortina | Marketing Coordinator @ bidnet direct
Love is in the air this month as Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. At bidnet direct we love providing suppliers with a simple and easy-to-use solution to find targeted business opportunities across all 50 states.
Valentine’s Day is the third most expensive holiday in the U.S. with shoppers expected to spend approximately $23.9 billion this year, up from $21.8 billion in 2021. While there are many different places to buy gifts, most shoppers plan to make their purchases online at 41%, followed by 29% at department stores, 28% at discount stores, 18% at local small businesses, and 17% at florists.[i]
What are the most popular Valentine’s Day gifts? Well, 56% of shoppers plan to buy candy, 40% plan to buy greeting cards, and 37% plan to buy flowers this year. Although these are the top industries for gifts, most spending for shoppers will be in these three areas: $6.2 billion on jewelry, $4.3 billion on an evening out, and $2.9 billion on clothing across the U.S.[ii]
As consumers continue to spend money on various products and services, so does the government. Below we will discuss five reasons as to why this is the perfect time of year for you to fall in love with bidding on government opportunities.
1. Advantages for small, minority, and women-owned businesses
The first reason to fall in love with bidding is the opportunities there are for small, minority, and women-owned businesses. The government buys all sorts of products and services in both large and small quantities and is required to consider small businesses when making a purchase. Many times, there are certain contracts that are set aside for small and MWBE businesses, this could be for an entire contract if the agency knows there is at least two small businesses that can fulfill the contract, a sole-source bid that is rewarded without a competitive bid process when the agency knows only one specific business can fulfill the contract[iii], or as a subcontractor for a larger bid.
On top of that, the federal government is required to award at least 23% of all contract dollars to eligible small businesses. The government wants to buy from small businesses for several reasons including gaining access to new ideas, helping to increase economic development and job creation, and to make sure large businesses don’t over dominate the market. If you haven’t already, find out if your business meets all the qualifications to be certified as a S/MWBE and don’t hesitate to start bidding.
2. Fair competition
A second reason to fall in love with bidding is fair competition. Competitive bidding is required by law for every government agency issuing a bid. Competitive bidding involves agencies publicly issuing bids and going through a bid process for businesses to put together their best proposals to compete for any type of purchase of goods or services, creating an open and fair environment for all participants. All contracts are opened to all qualified bidders and prohibits favoritism. If you’re looking to bid on government opportunities, know that you’ll have a fair chance at winning the contract if you meet all the requirements and can fulfill the contract in its entirety.
3. Increased value
A third reason to fall in love with bidding is the value gained from bidding on government opportunities. Once you start putting your business out there, you’ll not only get the opportunity to win more contracts, but you’ll also start making connections that can help you in future endeavors. If other businesses or agencies have worked with your business before and you’ve proven to have a good track record, they may consider you for future projects or sub-contracting projects. By building a good reputation you can expand your business portfolio, show your credibility, and start standing out from the crowd resulting in a higher success rate for your business moving forward.
4. Access to thousands of bids
A fourth reason to fall in love with bidding is more opportunities for your business! By utilizing bidnet direct’s bidding solution you can gain access to thousands of bids per month from federal, state, and local government agencies. Based on the product and service codes, as well as the keywords you select for your business, you’ll also receive targeted bid opportunities that are tailored to what your business sells and will have access to hundreds of regional purchasing groups that post bids directly to our site, connecting local government buyers directly to suppliers. This will give you instant access to exclusive bidding opportunities within various counties, cities, municipalities, school districts, and special districts throughout the U.S. And as new government agencies continue to join our purchasing groups, vendors will automatically have access to these new member’s bids as well, making it super easy to find the bids you’re interested in.
5. Simplified procurement process
The fifth and final reason to fall in love with bidding is a simplified procurement process for both buyers and suppliers. bidnet direct allows you to take care of all your bidding needs in one location making the process more efficient for your business. In some cases, you can even submit your bids electronically through our platform if the agency you’re doing business with allows it. No more spending hours scouring agency sites to find bids, we do all the work for you so you can spend more time writing winning proposals. We help connect both buyers and suppliers by delivering you a simple and easy-to-use solution for your business. We love providing you with targeted bid opportunities that match perfectly with your business, and we hope you’ll love how simple we make it to do business with the government.
It's the season of love and there’s so many new bidding opportunities for your business to bid on this year. No matter the size or location of your business we are here to support you and your team to help you reach your bidding goals.
Find your next government contract! 
[i] Kiernan, John S. “2022 Valentine's Day Facts – Gifts, Money & More.” WalletHub.com, 01. Feb. 22
[ii] Inman, Danielle. “Americans to Spend $23.9 Billion on Valentine's Day This Year.” NRF.com, 31. Jan. 22
[iii] Federal Contracting. Contracting Guide. “Types of Contracts.” SBA.gov. 7 Feb. 22
