When It Snows, Emergency Bid Notices Tend to Flood In

A good portion of the U.S. has been inundated with snow and ice these past few weeks, including areas that don’t usually experience winter extremes. As a result, many state and local government agencies have been soliciting emergency support services, including road salting and snow removal. Given the urgency of such requests, response windows are typically very short – sometimes just a week or two.  

That’s not much time to prepare a bid. Having visibility into such bid notices the day they post is essential. Otherwise, you’ll be left scrambling yourself.  

In fact, one of the top tips that our procurement experts share with companies seeking government contracts is to “expect the unexpected and be prepared to act fast – no matter what types of goods or services you offer.”  

Storms and fires aren’t the only events that can spur “emergency contracting” requests. Health crises, infrastructure failures and even budget excess at the end of the fiscal year can prompt an influx of short-notice bid solicitations.  

If you don’t have a bid notification service set up to send new solicitation alerts to your inbox every day, it’s very likely that you’re missing out on revenue opportunities with more than 100,000 public sector agencies.  

Plus, many unexpected events such as natural disasters and public health crises require prolonged relief and recovery efforts. There may be multiple rounds of solicitations as new requirements emerge – and you need active visibility into all of them. Contracting officials may not be as accessible via email or phone to field your inquiries about upcoming bids in times such as these.  

Make it easy on yourself to step up and help when your services and solutions are needed: sign up for a subscription such as Periscope S2G today to ensure you are notified as soon as relevant bids are posted. Then, review this checklist to ensure you’re fully prepared to submit a qualifying bid and use this guide to ensure you’re preparing a quality proposal every time, especially when the turnaround time is tight.