Introduction to the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS)

Using a Public Database to Increase Federal Sales and Gain a Competitive Edge

This valuable dynamic one-day course unlocks the mysteries and power of the Federal Procurement Data System–Next Generation (FPDS-NG), for your company’s competitive benefit, and explains the distinct advantages of using FPDS vs. USAspending.gov.

FPDS information is frequently used for business development, marketing, and proposal development.

What is FPDS?  FPDS is a free real-time relational database serving the government acquisition community as the authoritative source of contract information, which contains summary level data and is used at all levels of the Federal government for policy and trend analysis. The numbers and data in FPDS change every day. FPDS contains millions of transactions and there are millions of permeations for extracting various combinations of data elements.

Unlike FPDS, the USAspending.gov website uses a static approach to capturing and reporting data, meaning the data is presented and simple charts and graphs which do not change until the next update, which is required every 30 days under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. Access to current and real-time data through FPDS is invaluable.

Why Should I Learn to Use FPDS?  While agencies are required by Federal Law to publish Forecasts of Contracting Opportunities, not all forecasts are robust and contain actual procurements to be re-competed. The Forecast only tells part of the story, to truly know where procurement opportunities are, you have to know where, with whom, and how the Government spent its money, especially when multi-year contracts are involved and to know when those contracts expire.

This course provides an overview and requirements of FPDS reporting by Federal agencies, what transactions are required to be reported, what is available and what is not available through FPDS.

Why waste marketing dollars targeting agencies where opportunities do not exist? Data from FPDS allows you to focus and target your marketing efforts in areas which will offer potential returns on your marketing investments and efforts. You can learn to identify every transaction reported Government-wide for a specific Product/Service Code which matches your products and services to identify new opportunity sources, for previous and current contracts, including their expirations dates.

Understanding and using FPDS can obviate the need for time-consuming and often costly Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for data. Course participants will learn to extract data in aggregate or at the transaction level. Your competitors have this information and use it to their competitive benefit and advantage, why shouldn’t you?

Participants Will Learn:

• To create individual FPDS accounts and learn to create and run reports using the very valuable and powerful ad hoc reporting capability of FPDS. These knowledge, skills and abilities can definitely be taken back to the workplace.
• Who buys what, and how they buy, whether these procurements are conducted, through the Federal Supply Schedules Program, Other Government Agency Contracts, or on the open market. Find if set-asides are used in acquiring the products and services you offer, and how to qualify.
• How to use FPDS to conduct your own market research in an effort to influence set-aside decisions when responding to sources sought notices.
• To identify when your competitors’ contracts will expire, or when other contracts in your commercial line of endeavor are due to expire and be re-competed.

What’s Included:

• Breakfast
• Light refreshments
• Course materials (including a copy of the Government’s most recent Product/Service Code (PSC) Manual and the FPDS Data Dictionary for download)

*This course uses a combination of both lecture and hands-on laboratory, whereby participants will access FPDS, create and run reports. Participants are required to bring a lap top or other portable personal computing device with WiFi and Internet capability in order to access and create ad hoc reports using FPDS. WiFi connectivity will be provided courtesy of Centre Law & Consulting in the classroom.