Small Business Office

Small Business Office

About the ERDC Small Business Office

Welcome to ERDC’s Office of Small Business Programs! Our goal is to maximize opportunities for small businesses to help execute ERDC’s mission. We also want to be a resource for small businesses as they pursue these opportunities.

ERDC is one of the most diverse engineering and science research organizations in the world. Our team researches and develops solutions for the nation’s toughest challenges. Learn what we do:

But we can’t do it alone. We’re looking for small businesses that can help us make the world safer and better.

If you’re a small business owner interested in doing business with ERDC, here’s what you should know.

What kinds of businesses get federal contracts?

The federal government gives a fair proportion of contracts to eligible businesses. Those businesses include:

  • Small businesses
  • Small, disadvantaged businesses
  • Women-owned small businesses
  • HUBZone small businesses
  • Veteran-owned small businesses
  • Service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses

Including small businesses is an important part of the acquisition process. They play a special role in innovation and emerging technologies. That’s why we always strive to promote acquisition opportunities that small businesses can support. We spend approximately $126 million a year with small businesses.

How to do business with ERDC

Follow this step-by-step process for doing business with ERDC.

Step 1: Learn about federal contracting

Getting a federal contract can be challenging. It can be especially challenging for small business owners doing it for the first time. You should do plenty of research on how federal contracting works before you get started.

Learn about federal contracting with these resources:

Step 2: Register in the System for Award Management (SAM) database

You must register your business on the SAM website to receive federal contracts. The SAM website is an official website of the U.S. government, and you can use it for free.

Explore these resources for SAM:

Step 3: Match your business’s primary NAICS code to ERDC’s NAICS codes

At ERDC, our five major research and development areas are:

  • Military engineering
  • Installations and operational environments
  • Civil works
  • Geospatial research and engineering
  • Engineered resilient systems

Our top NAICS codes supporting these research areas include:

  • 541715: Research and Development in Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)
  • 541330: Engineering Services
  • 541611: Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
  • 541512: Computer Systems Design Services
  • 541712: Research and Development in Physical Engineering and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)

Learn more about NAICS codes with this resource from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Step 4: Find contract opportunities that are right for your business

Contract opportunities are procurement notices from federal contracting offices. You can use the SAM website to search for these contract opportunities. They include:

  • Pre-solicitation notices
  • Solicitation notices
  • Award notices
  • Sole source notices

Explore ERDC contracting opportunities on the SAM website by entering “W2R2” in the keyword/solicitation field.

You should also take note of ERDC’s codes in the Department of Defense Activity Address Directory, including:

  • W912HZ: USACE Information Technology Laboratory (ITL), Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL), Environmental Laboratory (EL), Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL), Vicksburg, Mississippi
  • W913E5: USACE Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), Hanover, New Hampshire
  • W9132T: USACE Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL), Champaign, Illinois
  • W9132V: USACE Geospatial Research Laboratory (GRL), Alexandria, Virginia
  • W91C9G: Joint Test and Evaluation Program

Connect with ERDC

You can learn about doing business with ERDC by connecting with us in the following ways:

Attend outreach events

Every year, we host and take part in outreach events for small business owners. You can attend these events to:

  • Learn about doing business with us
  • Get training and resources to help your business
  • Network with others in your industry

Explore our outreach calendar (coming soon).

Follow ERDC on social media

Learn more about what ERDC does and keep up with our latest updates by following us on social media.

Contact the ERDC Small Business Office

Our team is happy to answer your questions about doing business with ERDC. You can email us at ERDC-SB@usace.army.mil or call us at 601-634-3470.