Doing Business with USDA
- Real Property Management
Federal Real Property Profile
The General Service Administration’s (GSA) list of the Federal Government’s real property public data set.
USDA Employee and Office Directory
HUD Exchange
Weekly suitability determination listings of properties submitted by federal agencies for excess, surplus, or underutilized properties reported by Title V Real Property Surveys which are reviewed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for consideration to assist persons experiencing homelessness.
Surplus Real Property Available for Public Use
Federal real estate properties that are no longer needed by the federal government may be made available for public uses to state and local governments, regional agencies, or non-profit organizations.Public uses for properties are those that are accessible to and can be shared by all members of a community, and include community centers, schools and colleges, parks, municipal buildings and many more.
GSA's Office of Property Disposal notifies state and local agencies of the availability of any surplus federal real property that they may be eligible to acquire under certain laws.
- Fleet Management
The Department owns and operates the second largest civilian motor vehicle fleet and one of the largest civilian aircraft fleets in the Federal Government. The fleet inventory accounts for about $5 billion in personal property. Learn more about Fleet Management under the Property Management Division.
- Personal Property
Federal Excess Personal Property Program Handbook (PDF, 3.6 MB)
This handbook outlines the procedures and policies to be followed and the responsibilities associated with participating in, and acquiring property through the program.
- Site Cleanup to Restore Ecosystems and Watersheds
The Response and Restoration (R&R) Team provides guidance, assistance, and oversight of the cleanup of hazardous substance releases on USDA-managed lands and facilities. In general, the contamination of these sites occurred from historical hazardous material handling and waste management practices predating the era of modern environmental regulation, which began in the 1970s.
USDA’s inventory includes tens of thousands of sites: abandoned mines, landfills, dumps, fumigant releases from grain storage silos, and illegal drug lab wastes. Abandoned mines, which comprise the most sites, are attributable to historic mining operations permitted on federal land throughout the United States.
On behalf of the public, the USDA addresses the cleanup of these sites under the following authorities:
- The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.
- Executive Order 12580 - Superfund implementation.
Since 1998, the R&R Team has managed the Hazardous Materials Management Appropriation to supplement the USDA agencies in funding cleanup actions at USDA’s highest priority sites. Among these high priority sites is the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, located in Beltsville, Maryland, which is included on the National Priority List. For more information on cleanup progress at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center visit https://cercla.ba.ars.usda.gov.
For more information on cleanup activities at a USDA site in your state and county, contact:
Holly Fliniau
USDA EMD Field Coordinator
(303) 275-5547
Holly.fliniau@usda.gov
- Report a Spill
USDA is the steward of 193 million acres of public land crisscrossed by 300,000 miles of roadways and rail systems. This stewardship includes maintaining preparedness and supporting response actions for oil or chemical spills occurring from transportation incidents, pipeline breaches, illegal dumping, and natural disasters. USDA derives authority from:
• The National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), 40 CFR Part 300.
• The National Response Framework (NRF), established by Presidential Policy Directive 8.
As designated in the NCP and the NRF, USDA provides technical and other support to the National Response Team and Emergency Support Function #10 in responding to oil and chemical spills, nation-wide.
In the event of an oil spill or hazardous materials release, report it to the National Response Center. Call 24 hours a day: 1-800-424-8802
USDA’s representatives to the National Response Team may be contacted as follows:
Karen Zhang
(w) 202-401-4747
(c) 202-322-9653
Karen.Zhang@usda.govKimberly Harriz
(w) 202-205-0906
(c) 202-836-0624
Kimberly.Harriz@usda.gov
- Sustainable Acquisition
Companies or organizations seeking to conduct business with USDA should ensure that the products they provide meet the following sustainable acquisition requirements:
- Biobased Products designated by the USDA under the BioPreferred Program (7 U.S.C. §8102).
- Recycled Content Products designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (42 U.S.C. §6962).
- Energy Efficient Products that are ENERGY STAR® certified or Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)-designated products (42 U.S.C. §8259b).
- Non-ozone depleting substances, such as those designated by the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program, which ensures a safe and smooth transition away from substances that contribute to the depletion of stratospheric ozone (42 U.S.C §7671l).
- Water efficient products, such as those designated by the WaterSense Program (FAR 23.103).
- Environmentally preferable products and services, such as EPEAT®-registered, or non-toxic or less toxic alternatives designated by the Safer Choice Program (FAR 23.103).
Additional information on the products and services covered by sustainable acquisition requirements is available through the Green Procurement Compilation.
- Contracting with USDA
How to Obtain Information Regarding Proposed Purchases
Contract Opportunities
The Contract Opportunities website at sam.gov/content/home is the website where organizations within the federal government publish notices on proposed contract actions valued at more than $25,000. These notices, or contract opportunities, cover announcements through official solicitations in the pre-award process. Anyone interested in doing business with the government can use this system to research active opportunities.
For Businesses Working with the General Services Administration (GSA)
GSA has programs and initiatives that provide additional support to vendor segments doing business with GSA. GSA provides options for vendors by leveraging numerous methods for procuring products and services.
Selling Opportunities through GSA
GSA purchases goods and services for U.S. Government agencies, buying both nationally and in local markets, through its Washington, DC headquarters and its regional offices throughout the country. Information about selling to the Government through GSA is available at www.gsa.gov.
System for Award Management (SAM)
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (subpart 4.11) requires that contractors be registered in the SAM database prior to being awarded a contract. Detailed information about SAM is available online at sam.gov/content/home. The SAM Customer Assistance Center can be contacted toll free at 1-888-227-2423.
Programs for Small, Disadvantaged, and Woman-Owned Businesses
Provides information on how to obtain guidance and technical assistance for small businesses interested in participating in the USDA's procurement and program activities.
Procurement Forecast
The USDA Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) posts an annual forecast showing a range of procurement opportunities at USDA and can be found by viewing the Forecast of Business Opportunities page.
Lists qualification requirements for various goods and services.
Other Related Links and Information
Visit SBA.gov for information on Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC). For instructions regarding unsolicited proposals see FAR 15.6. Unsolicited proposals should be sent to the appropriate Mission Area Senior Contracting Official for consideration in accordance with USDA policy.