united-states, us-government, paperworkFor a newly established business that is looking to bid on US Government contracts:
Note: This question specifically deals with the registration/qualification to bid on a contract, not the actual bid process.
I became increasingly interested in this topic, and I thought how it could apply to my business, so I did some quick research. The majority of my response is directly from this article, since it is written so incredibly well.
Register with the IRS for an employer identification number. You can register for an EIN online at no cost and receive your EIN immediately. The EIN is sometimes referred to as a tax identification number, or TIN.
Register with Dun and Bradstreet for a DUNS number. This is a unique business identification number widely used in commerce and required for bidding on federal contracts. Registration is by phone and is free. You will receive your DUNS number immediately (edit: user @connor had a bad experience with this. It may take longer). See also Whitehouse DUNS guide.
Visit the Central Contractor Registration website. Click "Start New Registration" to begin the registration process.
Click "Create a User Account" and enter your identification information. Provide answers to five security questions (e.g., "mother's maiden name") and proceed to the next steps of the registration.
Provide details of your business, including your EIN and DUNS numbers. You must also provide your NAICS industry classification code. If you do not know your NAICS code, you can find it using the online tools at the CCR website by entering keywords that describe your business. Click "Validate/Save Data" to save your information and complete the registration.
Check for e-mail confirmation of your registration in three to five business days after completing the application. Once registered, you are eligible to bid on government contracts.
It seems to look pretty straightforward, and it looks to be very important since the government is one of the most active participants in private contracts (talking several hundreds of million dollar deals, annually).
Also see Small Business Admin
Again -- I'm assuming you meant on government contracts with the American government. My quick glance to answer your questions directly
Applying is free, assuming you have the business credentials established.
The paperwork is listed in the steps
If you want less formal reference, check out this post on Ivetriedthat ("we lose money so you don't have to" - what a slogan). It looks like he includes some insurance costs, but other than that I think it looks pretty streamlined. Can't say I'm speaking from experience, but these references seem to be.
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