Star Equipment, a Des Moines-based company that sells, rents, and services construction equipment, parts, and supplies, experienced significant government work growth thanks to CIRAS. They finetuned their BidMatch profile, which the company uses to find and compete for jobs.
“We’re getting a better look at what municipal and government agencies require and how we might fill their needs,” said Cherish Graham, sales coordinator at Star Equipment. “Not only has this brought in work, but it’s also saved time. I wouldn’t have been able to research all the avenues on my own.”
Graham and Ben Hammann, who prepare bids for the company, credit their success to their updated BidMatch profile. Star Equipment recently won contracts with the Iowa Department of Transportation, the City of Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa State University, and the City of Ames.
BidMatch is a service available to CIRAS clients that alerts businesses to opportunities related to their products and services. The system searches thousands of websites for local, state, and federal government contracting work, saving companies time. The first step to using the system is working with CIRAS to set up a bid profile specific to the company.
“When I met with them last spring, they weren’t getting opportunities to bid, so I reviewed their profile and fine-tuned it using keywords and phrases more consistent with the work they do,” said Kelly Freel, a government contracting specialist with the CIRAS APEX Accelerator. “Some profiles don’t fully articulate what the supplier has to offer, or changes within the company. It’s important to review the bid profile at least once a year to remain competitive.”
CIRAS maintains and edits BidMatch profiles for clients and may recommend clients register directly with a target agency to ensure an opportunity is not missed. This is an example where a small change can make a big difference in contracting success.
For more information, contact Kelly Freel at kmfreel@iastate.edu or 515-620-6265.