Is it possible to build a business on public procurement from scratch? Yes, of course. Is it hard to do this? Not if you know how. Public procurement for small businesses and medium-sized entrepreneurs can provide invaluable assistance. And in the framework of this article, various aspects of this matter will be considered.
general information
Entrepreneurship lives on the production of goods, trade and the provision of services. The state needs all of this, which can become a regular customer. For a business, this situation is an excellent way to expand its sales market and increase turnover. Often you can find the opinion that contacting the state does not make sense, because there are kickbacks and other manifestations of corruption. But the real situation is quite strikingly different from the mythical image. Yes, periodically have to meet with significant competition. But if you offer favorable conditions - consider that the contract is already in your pocket. And great help in this is provided by electronic auctions, which indicate all the conditions and needs. Competition in this case depends on the amount of the proposed contract and field of activity. And a small animating fact: approximately 40% of all electronic auctions are recognized as failed. And the reason is ridiculous - there are no participants who want to participate in them. There may be suspicions (not baseless) about some specific points, and they really have a place to be, but not on such a scale. As a rule, this situation arises precisely because there really was no one who was interested.
Choose your niche
Initially, you need to familiarize yourself with a lot of different documentation. Specialists can help with this for a fee. If there is no free money, then you have to figure it out on your own. And this article will help here. In addition to her, you can pay attention to various special manuals and training courses that are conducted by public organizations (for the most part) and government business support services. For starters, you can pay attention to not very large, but still real electronic auctions, where there will be a small number of competitors. After this, it is necessary to send an application for participation in it and attach all the necessary documents. The tender commission will choose the most advantageous offer (that which meets all the requirements and has the lowest price). With a reasonable approach, public procurement for small businesses turns into a profitable income item.
How does it work?
The article will pay great attention to electronic trading platforms. Why? The fact is that thanks to them it is very convenient to search for interesting offers. In addition, to apply in this case does not require much time. And an open form of work on the basis of an auction allows you to monitor the honesty of the work of commissions and complain to the appropriate authorities. But still, one thing to consider. Any commercial organization can take part in tenders, but for assumption it is necessary to know the rules and the algorithm of work. Therefore, the following will be carefully considered:
- The principles of the public procurement system.
- Outdoor and indoor contests.
- Auction (including electronic).
- Who can take part.
- Specific points.
- We are starting a collaboration.
Principle of operation
If you are interested in, say, public procurement business from zero to 100 thousand rubles or a million (for starters), then you can’t do without this moment. What should we talk about initially? About the interaction. The state can be considered as a specific commercial structure.And she needs certain services. Since the scale of the work and influence of the state is truly enormous and affects almost all spheres of life, the list of necessary services is practically unlimited. Moreover, any state institution periodically needs external organizations - agriculture, mechanical engineering, the space sector, education and others.
But harsh demands are being made on tenders. And first, the process of selecting a contractor for the production of goods and the provision of services should be transparent to the maximum. As soon as the organization meets the requirements put forward, it can offer its conditions and its own price. In the case when it is the most profitable, an order is received. It should be noted that, despite the apparent simplicity, there are frequent cases when organizations resort to legal tricks that affect the choice of a contractor. In order not to fall prey to such circumstances and build a successful public procurement business, it is necessary to carefully study how this system works. In the Russian Federation, the legislation approved several types of bidding.
Outdoor and indoor competitions
The first option is the most common way to organize government orders in the Russian Federation. Its essence lies in the fact that all interested parties are informed about the order through the media: print newspapers, on thematic sites. In general, everything is done to find the optimal contractor. A large amount of material is being prepared for an open competition, and all conditions are documented. Applications are received throughout the month. After this, an autopsy procedure is carried out, and the constituent commission decides who will fulfill the order. However, such an approach requires regular monitoring of relevant sources, which is not very convenient. The peculiarity of the closed competition is that the customer independently establishes a circle of performers that can cope with the order. This approach is practiced in cases where you have to work with confidential information or the work performed is very specific. Although it can also be used when it is unprofitable to conduct an introduction to it by numerous performers.
Auction
They, like competitions, are open and closed. In this case, the contractor is selected on the basis of "ready to perform the necessary amount of work for the minimum amount." Moreover, the rate reduction is carried out according to pre-established parameters, which is regulated by law. A feature of closed auctions is the maximum degree of confidentiality. Thus, the customer is protected from possible collusion. Particular attention should be paid to electronic auctions. They are held on virtual trading floors that have been accredited by the regulatory body. In this case, you can only apply online.
The increasing popularity of the global network leads to the fact that many countries legally oblige their institutions to purchase everything they need using electronic auctions. Modern technologies allow us to make the process of selecting an executor for the needs of the state extremely honest and reduce the risk of criminal conspiracy. In addition, entrepreneurs who take part in auctions can see the selection procedure with their own eyes. And if there is someone offended, then that he will refrain from reporting to the police and prosecutors?
Who can take part?
Especially many are interested in the issue of individual entrepreneurs. They can take part in public procurement, but there are certain restrictions. So, individual entrepreneurs cannot participate in tenders where work is provided exclusively with a legal entity.In all other cases, to participate in the process of meeting the needs of the state, you just need to meet the requirements of the customer and it is very desirable to have successful experience in the selected category of entrepreneurship. But the form of organization — an individual entrepreneur or a legal entity — does not play a role. It is only important to obtain an electronic digital signature and register at the public procurement site that has been accredited.
Step-by-step instructions for entrepreneurship
Now let's look at how to build your business on public procurement from scratch. More convenient is the option of working with electronic resources. Therefore, attention will be paid to them. This state of affairs is facilitated by an easier opportunity for interaction, and the lack of difficulty in tracking new tenders in real time, and many other pleasant moments. Therefore, each entrepreneur who plans to develop in this direction should take the following steps:
- Get an electronic digital signature. In the modern world, it is becoming increasingly necessary for every entrepreneur and legal entity. Why? The fact is that according to the legislation of many countries, including the Russian Federation, EDS is equivalent to the standard signature of the director. It was only created specifically for use via the Internet. And in some areas of activity it is even stipulated that without an EDS - nowhere.
- Choose a site. After the electronic-digital signature is ready, you should decide where it is most convenient for the contractor to look for orders. In Russia, you can use the following sites that are offered: Unified procurement information system, State procurement OJSC, RTS-tender, Sberbank-AST. Of course, there are others. Which among them to choose - it all depends solely on who wants to serve the state. The main thing is that the site is accredited. Everything else is a matter of taste.
- Passing accreditation. To register and gain access, you must identify yourself. This procedure is carried out for each portal separately. For accreditation, it is enough, as a rule, to fill out a special registration form and attach the constituent documents, such as: charter, extract from the state register, power of attorney to participate in tenders (if this is not done directly by the head of the organization), certificate. After that, the portal administrator should review all the documentation within 5 days.
Small steps to a great future
So, there is access to everything you need. What to do now? The entrepreneur’s next steps will be:
- Use of collateral. Initially, it will be necessary to place funds on the account that is tied to the site. When the application is submitted, then with it the system will retain up to 5% of the tender value. After the auction is completed, the amount will be returned to its owner, and it can be freely returned. If there is no money, then the application will not be submitted.
- Drawing up the application. This is an important stage, which many underestimate. The success of a potential executor depends on how correctly the application text is written. It consists of two parts: informational and anonymous. The first contains all the necessary information and documentation. In the second, a detailed description of the goods, services, production process, delivery, execution, consent to work, etc., is written that the contractor considers necessary. After receiving all the information, the customer informs the portal operator of his choice. And he is already contacting the performer.
As you can see, the government procurement business process is not as scary as it might seem at first glance. In addition, newcomers to this matter can be approached from the perspective of "eyes are afraid, but hands are made." And over time, when there will already be enough experience, these actions will not create complexity.
Useful Rules
So it was examined what constitutes public procurement. Small and medium-sized businesses, just want to, can make good money on them.But if you follow a few simple rules, you can significantly increase the success of your activities. What are they like? Initially, you need to put together a business plan for public procurement. It is not necessary to show it to anyone in the future, but it is still useful to have a clearly defined and set out system of interaction, decisions, preparation. In addition, it is necessary to track the order, which is of interest, to the end. It is possible that the customer will change the conditions, and you need to be prepared to familiarize yourself with the new requirements. This is a pretty tricky mechanism for choosing the artist that you need. It is also necessary to carefully treat those customers who set the price several times lower than the market. Most likely, this indicates dishonesty. It will not be superfluous to make a blacklist or use something similar made by another person.
Alas, government procurement has such a negative side. Reviews in this case will also not be superfluous to study. In addition, you can see how a person writes in the comments. If politely - a successful outcome is more likely, rude and rude - wait for problems. Now the participation of small businesses in public procurement, as well as middle-aged entrepreneurs, is still a novelty. But even if there was a desire to become an entrepreneur, it will be much easier to act in this field.
Conclusion
Significant efforts must be made to ensure that the share of small business in public procurement is constantly growing. After all, although this is not a lot, but jobs, and, potentially, medium and large business in the future. And which state will refuse to grow large companies and enterprises, like potatoes in the beds? Therefore, it is necessary to support and give the opportunity to do business to all who wish. After all, the public procurement mechanism can be called a protectionist tool that helps to step up the creation of our own powerful and confident economy, which we need so much in this difficult time.
