There are a number of resources for businesses that wish to enter the world of government/military contracting.

One of the first steps should be to contact a Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC). The PTAC program was established by congress in 1986 as a Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) monitored program that is funded by the Department of Defense. There are 93 PTAC's spread across the U.S., including three regional centers in Virginia.

PTACs work to provide businesses with the marketing know-how and technical tools they need to obtain and perform successfully under federal, state and local government contracts - with the mission of creating and retaining jobs, fostering competition and lower costs for the government, and helping to sustain our armed forces' readiness.

PTAC in Virginia:

The Virginia Procurement Technical Assistance Program at George Mason University is the statewide coordinating office. In addition to the three regional centers listed below, there are branch offices in Hampton Roads and Charlottesville.

Northern Virginia PTAC (hosted by George Mason University)
40301 University Drive, Ste. 200
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: (703) 277-7757

Crater PAC (hosted by the Crater Planning District Commission)
P.O. Box 1808
Petersburg, VA 23805
Phone: (804) 861-1667

Southwest Virginia PTAC (hosted by Southwest Va. Community College)
P.O. Box SVCC
Richlands, VA 24641
Phone: (276) 964-7334

Other state and federal resources:

The Virginia Department of Business Assistance
707 E. Main Street, Suite 300
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Phone: (804) 371-8200

The U.S. Small Business Administration
Phone: (800) 827-5722

Federal Business Opportunities