Are you thinking about starting a business? In the Oct 31st, 2017 edition of Forbes, Stephen Hetzel shared some lessons learned, along with 11 tips for success.

In 2009, venture capital was difficult to attain without having substantial assets or a proven track record in starting businesses. My business partner and I faced a dilemma in starting our company: We could continue searching for capital to launch or we could bootstrap it ourselves. We opted to bootstrap because we were excited about our vision and had confidence that it was something of value.

At the time, we made a number of choices that enabled our success. Some of these we still operate on today, while other lessons we've been able to outgrow as we scaled: [Herein are Stephen's suggestions]

Was the crystal ball working? As we all turned the page of the calendar to 2017, we predicted that the new Administration in the White House would result in an increase in government purchasing activity. Throughout his campaign, on multiple occasions, in front of a number of groups, Donald Trump had discussed the need for improving the U.S. infrastructure. Halfway through the year, and by many accounts the plans are moving forward.

Greg DiLoreto, from the American Socieity of Civil Engineers (ASCE), visited 'The Big Bid Theory' and discussed the urgent need for taking action. The ASCE issued the U.S. an overall grade of D+ on infrastructure. As infrastructure projects come in, the need for construction equipment grows. In multiple cases, public sector entities require their own new equipment and repair and maintenance of existing assets.

What is the overall health of the construction equipment industry? As reported by Statista, "By 2017, the global construction equipment market is estimated to be sized at around 192 billion U.S. dollars." Elsewhere in their analysis, they project that U.S. gross machinery manufacturing gross output will be at $42.61bn USD.

Specific to U.S. government agencies, we researched the purchasing activity for the below types of equipment:

Cranes Forklifts Dump Trucks Excavators Backhoe Loaders Compactors Skid-steer Loaders Motor Graders Scrapers Bulldozers Telehandlers Trenchers Some of the purchasing data, by type of equipment, for past 12 months:

Sample active bids / RFPs

Construction Equipment

Overhead Crane Services, FL Forklifts, VA Notice to Bidders - Dump Trucks, NJ Hydraulic Excavator, SC Backhoe Loader, AL

Construction equipment is needed the world over. Most assuredly, that includes the U.S. public sector with their notable, consistent demand. Are you and your construction equipment business positioned to identify any, and all, of these opportunities? Since we monitor over 110,000 government websites, and through our other connections, we know about them.

To review the requests for construction equipment, and specifications, call us at 888.808.5356, or visit our website at www.BidPrime.com

Have you heard? Discussion, argument, and uncertainty, on the state of healthcare in the U.S., continues to materialize in the kitchens, news mediums, social media platforms and talk shows throughout this country. Because it impacts each one of us, we should all stay tuned to witness the impassioned debate and to see how things turn out.

While there is much disagreement on which direction the U.S. should go on healthcare, there is one thing in which we can all agree. When it comes to an effective employee benefits program, healthcare is just one piece of an extensive puzzle. As the employee benefits program administrator at BidPrime, I have had a front row seat to the changes over the years, including the adjustments in employee expectations.

Regardless if you are a seasoned benefits professional, or are efforting towards improving your employee benefits program, it is advisable to stay abreast on the latest. Last week, and it's fitting since this is National Small Business Week, smallbizdaily published Rieva Lesonsky's report, 'Are You Ready for the New Age of Employee Benefits?'

Back in September, 2015, you may have read my report, 'Government Bid Requests for Human Resources Consulting, Compensation Assessment, Equity Studies'. While there are still many 100's of requests per year for those specialties, close to two years later, benefits management solutions and services are also needed by U.S. government agencies. Why would government agencies need assistance with employee benefits? Back on September 2nd, 2016, csnnews.com noted, "Federal, state and local government employed 22,213,000 people in August, while the manufacturing sector employed 12,281,000." 22+ million employees equals a lot of benefits offering decisions and enrollment activity.

With that many employees to manage, and to provide benefits, the scope of the following data isn't all that surprising.

View this deck for some of the solicitation/RFP data.

Sample active bids / RFPs

Employee Benefits

Employee Benefits Broker, MO Healthcare Benefits Consulting Services, NY Pharmacy Benefits Manager, AR Employee Benefits Brokerage & Consulting Services, FL Employee Benefits and Payroll Services, IL

If your business provides employee benefits management solutions or services, or you are an expert in the field, there are innumerable opportunities in the public sector. You have seen a bit of the data from our database. Over the past 365 days, U.S. federal, state, and local government agencies submitted a whopping 3,055 relevant bid requests. Is there opportunity for you?

To review these solicitations/RFPs, and others, please call us at 888.808.5356, or see our website: BidPrime.

Every level of the U.S. public sector, in each corner of governments, education, military, law enforcement, etc., in the past, and this very second, are investing heavily in technology. In conjunction with that activity, I've lost count on the number of public sector/tech-related reports we've developed and published over the past two plus years.

Things don't get much more "techie" than the expanding universe of robotics. How far reaching are robotics? In my spare time, I'm a musician and I've even witnessed the advance of robotics in the world of music. This actuality should help to illustrate, while governments do buy everything, including robots, the technology is in use nearly everywhere imaginable. Robots are being purchased for a few dollars, up to tens of millions. Speaking of millions, today, there are millions of robots in use, including by a public sector agency near you.

Early on, robots were used primarily to perform tasks that were considered monotonous, or in some cases too complex or dangerous, for humans. Over recent times, while the U.S. public sector has incorporated numerous applications for the technology, government agencies have primarily leveraged the technology for security and military reasons.

What does the future look like for the robotics industry. Back on February 24th, 2016, Fortune shared details from a report by International Data Corporation, where they predict, "On Wednesday, a report by International Data Corporation said worldwide spending on robotics and related services will hit $135.4 billion in 2019. The research firm said that global robotics spending in 2015 was $71 billion, and is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 17%." As the report points out, and this certainly applies to associated purchasing by government agencies, the spending is in no way isolated to the actual robots.

As we've increasingly noted in our database (actual, sample bids follow below), the public sector isn't merely buying robots. The agencies are submitting bid requests for, and purchasing, related robotics equipment, services and solutions. Some examples:

Tactical Robot Robot Kits Robotics Engineering Robotic Systems Sustainment SWAT Robot Robotic Prescription Dispensing Mechanical Engineer - Robotics Industrial Robot Battery Robotic Camera Pedestals Robotics Supplies

Check out this Haikudeck for some of the purchasing data:

Sample active bids / RFPs

Robotics

Industrial Robot, MO Robotic Weld Cell System, UT Smart UVC Disinfection Room Robot, HI Robotic Paint Removal System, GA Robotic Aircraft for Maritime Public Safety, CT

As they look to save money, for safety and security, and to perform jobs more suitable for machine than man, governments will continue to invest in robotics. Are you and your business positioned to take advantage of these opportunities?

For info on bid requests for robotics, and associated specifications, give us a call at 888.808.5356, or go to our website: BidPrime.

What do U.S. and Canadian governments/public sector agencies buy? If you're response is something along the lines of "everything", you have the right idea and clearly understand the government purchasing scene. As we reported recently, the numbers for bids and contracts in 2016 broke records. As we've known for quite some time, solicitations for professional services annually outpace other purchasing categories.

Over any random day, we have thousands of various professional services bid requests in our database. As a result of our observations of the consistent flow of professional services bids, over the past years, we have paid particular attention to these areas. Our most recent reports on professional services include Bill Culhane's February 2015 blog.

To provide updated data, in June 2016, Bill led the production team that created this video report and analysis. Spoiler alert: Speaking of that video, pay attention when Bill highlights why keywords are superior to codes. Anyone doing business in professional services understands how only particular opportunities are relevant to you.

At first glance, the below categories appear to encompass services and solutions which government/public sector agencies could handle in-house. While that's true, there are thousands upon thousands of examples whereby those entities are outsourcing. In this analysis, we focused primarily on the below, again, not to suggest that these are the only 'professional services' solutions on the minds of U.S. and Canadian governments.

Types of leading Professional Services categories:

Consulting Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations Attorney, Legal, Law Accounting and Actuarial Human Resources, Personnel, Benefits Management Engineering Architect

Review this infographic for 'Professional Services, by the numbers'.

There aren't very many givens in business, but history has shown that governments are, and will continue to be, extremely active in securing professional services. From the U.S. to Canada, across both countries, from local to federal, there is opportunity to be had for you and your business. As you know by now, we'll stay on top of what's going on.

For information on the bids/RFPs, and bid specs, call us at 1.888.808.5356, or visit our website www.BidPrime.com.

If you've been keeping up, aerial drones have received a lot of press and sales for that technology have skyrocketed in recent times. I'll go as far as to predict there's a likelihood you have spotted drone(s) flying around your neighborhood or local park. Thanks a lot Santa Claus? What about their cousins, also known as, unmanned undersea vehicles (UUV's)?

Up until a few weeks ago, how much did you know about UUV's? UUV's were in the background for a majority of people, myself included, but those days are no more. Disclosure: This admission coming from a guy in a Navy family.

Not long ago, UUV's were thrusted to the forefront when the Chinese Navy confiscated an underwater drone being operated by the U.S. Navy. Understandably, there was a firestorm of press coverage and an enraged response from U.S. officials. The Washington Post was but one media outlet to report on the events, 'Pentagon: Chinese naval ship seized an unmanned U.S. underwater vehicle in South China Sea'. Helpful hint: Google "UUV South China Sea" and you'll see others have weighed in.

Similar to China, you and I can join the fray, speculate and wax poetic on why the U.S. Navy was operating the UUV in the South China Sea. Is Oliver Stone working on his next script? We can answer this question: "Why does the U.S. Navy purchase and deploy unmanned undersea vehicles?" According to 'The Navy Unmanned Undersea Vehicle(UUV) Master Plan', published back in 2004, there are a variety of intended uses.

• Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
• Mine Countermeasures
• Anti-Submarine Warfare
• Inspection / Identification
• Oceanography
• Communication / Navigation Network Nodes
• Payload Delivery
• Information Operations
• Time Critical Strike
• Barrier Patrol

Messages and forecasts suggest that the public sector investment in UUVs, and related, will not abate anytime soon. Be certain, the United States is not alone. Our neighbor to the north, Canada, is also involved in soliciting and purchasing these solutions/equipment. As far as the U.S., earlier this year, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter announced, “...we’re also investing $600 million over the next five years in variable size and variable payload unmanned undersea vehicles – a new capability you’ll be seeing a lot more of.” With the recent news coming out of the South China Sea, along with industry projections we've reviewed, plus the public sector bids/RFP activity we've noted in our database, we constructed the data found herein.

Our analysis reveals there will be a steady rise in public sector investment in drones and UUVs in 2017 and beyond. There will be a premium placed on intelligence and information gathering and these technologies will be a part of that overall strategy.

Research and analysis on purchase request activity:

Sample active bids / RFPs

UUVs and Drones

UUV San Diego March, VA Drone for DOTD, LA Unmanned Underwater Vehicles Family of Systems Software Support, MD Unmanned Aerial Systems, MS EcoMapper Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), ON

For information on the bids/RFPs, and relevant documentation, contact us at 1.888.808.5356, or visit our website www.BidPrime.com.

We have an important request. Which is your number one, top of the list, quote?

From time to time, we like to invite you into our offices to meet some of our teammates. Earlier this week, I asked the members of the BidPrime Book Club to share their favorite quotes.

We hope you enjoyed the look at our list. If you have any questions about BidPrime, please call us at 1.888.808.5356, or visit www.BidPrime.com.

This is a pictorial look at U.S. roadway lighting bid requests.

Throughout the recent national and local political campaigns, we often heard mentioned, "improve the infrastructure". Obviously, the U.S. road systems were a noteworthy segment in the debate. Back in February 2016, the Congressional Budget Office, revealed a report recapping 2014 expenditures on federal highway spending, "Federal spending on highways (or, synonymously, roads) totaled $46 billion in 2014, roughly a quarter of total public spending on highways. About 95 percent of that amount was spent for the construction of highways or for their improvement, expansion, and major repair, and the remainder was spent for operation and maintenance."

The feds are not the only government entities with oversight responsibilities applicable to the approximate 4,071,000 miles of roads in the United States. State and locals share the burden, but are governments keeping up? Earlier this year again, Eric Pianin reported in The Fiscal Times, "A new report this week by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities warns that state and local spending on infrastructure – including schools and wastewater treatment plants as well as highways and bridges – is at a 30-year low." He continued, "...the U.S. has serious infrastructure needs of more than $3.4 trillion through 2020, including $1.7 trillion for roads, bridges and transit...".

Roadway construction and maintenance isn't limited to chip seal, asphalt, and concrete. Along with signage, barriers, markings, and paint, etc., of course lighting is a crucial component of a safe, well built, functioning road system. In this analysis, we specifically targeted highway and road lighting to see who is initiating the procurement and what is being solicited, purchased, and installed over the past one year period.

Sample active bids / RFPs

Roadway Lighting

Highway Lighting Materials, WV LED Street Light Modernization Project, OH Street Lighting Maintenance, IL Highway Lighting Repairs and Improvements, MA Parking Lot and Roadway LED Lighting Upgrade, GA

We can shine the light on the relevant bid requests and bid documents. Simply call us at 1.888.808.5356, or stop by www.BidPrime.com.

If you have followed the U.S. presidential campaign and/or watched the two debates between Donald Trump (R) and Hillary Clinton (D), you have heard a wild array of topics thrown out and discussed. You will be glad to know that we will refrain from inserting any, many editorial comments. As is the case in any election I have witnessed, and not strictly pointing towards elections for U.S. presidents, "healthcare" is always debated, early and often.

The current election cycle has assuredly been no different. As I watched Debate Two, I said to my wife and some friends, "Donald and Hillary are going back and forth on the present condition of U.S. healthcare, I wonder what U.S. governments are doing about healthcare within their direct spheres of influence?" If you want to strike up some emotion in people, mention "healthcare". Since my wife is a critical care nurse at a large metropolitan hospital, trust me, I hear about healthcare on a daily basis.

With the goal of making this report more manageable, I purposely avoided looking across the broad spectrum of every nuance, every specialty within the universe that is healthcare. Of course, if we drilled down into specific data, for example, "Radiology" or "Lab", the bid request hits would be enormous. With that said, check out this infographic to assess the position of bid requests for "healthcare" and "medical"?. Oh, and get the popcorn ready. Debate Three is right around the corner.

For more information on these requests, and the bid specifications, please call 1.888.808.5356, or visit www.BidPrime.com.

If you have followed the U.S. presidential campaign and/or watched the two debates between Donald Trump (R) and Hillary Clinton (D), you have heard a wild array of topics thrown out and discussed. You will be glad to know that we will refrain from inserting any, many editorial comments. As is the case in any election I have witnessed, and not strictly pointing towards elections for U.S. presidents, "healthcare" is always debated, early and often.

The current election cycle has assuredly been no different. As I watched Debate Two, I said to my wife and some friends, "Donald and Hillary are going back and forth on the present condition of U.S. healthcare, I wonder what U.S. governments are doing about healthcare within their direct spheres of influence?" If you want to strike up some emotion in people, mention "healthcare". Since my wife is a critical care nurse at a large metropolitan hospital, trust me, I hear about healthcare on a daily basis.

With the goal of making this report more manageable, I purposely avoided looking across the broad spectrum of every nuance, every specialty within the universe that is healthcare. Of course, if we drilled down into specific data, for example, "Radiology" or "Lab", the bid request hits would be enormous. With that said, check out this infographic to assess the position of bid requests for "healthcare" and "medical"?. Oh, and get the popcorn ready. Debate Three is right around the corner.

For more information on these requests, and the bid specifications, please call 1.888.808.5356, or visit www.BidPrime.com.

Our research on public sector bid requests for mobile, field and other communications.

For more information on these requests, and the bid specifications, please call 1.888.808.5356, or visit www.BidPrime.com.

Across the United States, government agencies are investing in biometrics. For three examples, the public sector is submitting bid requests and purchasing equipment, solutions, and services in support of access control, airport security, and education. Of course, those are only three of the many uses for biometrics technology.

Check out this infographic for a review of the recent bid and purchase activity. How many bids, from where are they originating, breakdown by category, examples of actual bid requests, and more. Make note of the significant number of bids submitted already in 2016. It's all right here. Enjoy!

As mentioned in the infographic, to see the bids and bid documents, call us at 1.888.808.5356, or visit www.BidPrime.com.

As a brief prelude to my analysis below, here is an introduction to what inspired me to even consider examining the growth in data centers and complementary subject matter. Over the past couple of years, my colleagues here at BidPrime, have reported on numerous Information Technology-related topics. Among the subjects we've addressed, have included everything from software, to hardware, to the current hot topic: cyber security. Deciding to take a small step slightly outside of those areas, I focused my research and analysis on what I'm calling "Big I.T.". Extra points for being clever? No, I didn't think so.

With my serious hat firmly back atop my head, we have all witnessed substantial growth in Information Technology overall around the globe. I led a research team that considered the significant expansion in data centers and corresponding spaces within information technology, as it relates to purchasing activity within the U.S. and Canadian public sectors.

Of course, growth within the public sector isn't the sole reason for the explosive rise in data centers and comparables. In their recent report, JLL predicts that the data center industry will double in the next five years. Assuredly, state, provincial, local, education, and federal governments will be involved.

While reviewing the data in this infographic, not to be confused with data centers, keep in mind that I isolated my research and reporting exclusively on: Cloud Solutions, Colocation, Data Center, Data Hosting, Data Storage, Fiber Network, Information Technology Operations, Network Operations, and Wide Area Network (WAN). Clearly, there exists a myriad of other "keywords" to examine, but that's for another day.

For more information on the public sector bid request info, along with the associated request documents, contact us at 1.888.808.5356, or visit www.BidPrime.com.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." - Benjamin Franklin

On the day that Mr. Franklin first uttered those words, of course the world was a much different place. Despite that, his words still ring true. A myriad of incidents over the past couple of decades have demonstrated how important it is to be prepared in the event of disaster. Small, medium, or large, you and your organization need a plan to ensure business continuity.

One definition of business continuity:

The strategy for implementing the processes and procedures that a business or organization demands to maintain operations during and after some form of disaster.

It doesn't take a heinous event, or sequence of circumstances, to disrupt operations or to worst case, destroy a business. In many ways, the public sector is in the business of dealing with, and helping others handle disasters. Governments are also diligently ensuring that they have the processes and infrastructure established to provide continuity of business. Like your customers, citizens would accept nothing less.

Close to home, one of the initial tasks we completed was a well thought out, detailed plan considering every possible contingency. We regularly review and update the plan as needed. Also, for our part, on numerous occasions we have reported on what governments have purchased and done in preparation for the next inevitable catastrophic event. For a sample, see our BidPrime blog.

Mass Notification and Alert Systems Experiencing Dramatic Growth in Public Sector Use of NG911 Systems in City, County, State and Federal Government How Vulnerable are U.S. Government I.T. Resources? What's being done? Wildfires - Government Bid Activity Update Tornadoes, Weather, and Storms - Communities Prepare... U.S. Governments Combat Terrorism

We will tap the brakes, since there is a strong likelihood that you understand the importance of business continuity. In this infographic, we demonstrate how those throughout the public sector are purchasing and implementing their own solutions.

For more information on business continuity-related business opportunities, and to review the bid documents, contact us at 1.888.808.5356, or visit www.BidPrime.com.

Background Checks. When Governments are Hiring.

As we go through the hiring process at BidPrime, we do our due diligence to ensure we hire only the most qualified candidates. This protocol includes partnering with a vendor to execute background checks on prospective employees. As with your business, the pre-screening phase is paramount in ensuring we add precisely the right people to our team.

Due to the services provided by the public sector, in addition to expectations of the citizenry, this step is also essential to prudent and thorough hiring by governments. Over the past year, governments in the United States and Canada have submitted 1,632 requests for background check and comparable services and solutions.

Again, by virtue of the nature of their functions, requests by governments often go beyond simple background checks that would be appropriate for most private sector businesses and organizations. As a matter of fact, public sector agencies secure relevant services and solutions to manage personnel ahead of and during their employment. See this infographic for details.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) spells out what employers need to know in terms of background checks. Go to their website to read their report to understand what the EEOC, along with the Federal Trade Commission, recommend in regards to background checks. You will find some useful information before starting, or continuing, a background check program.

See this infographic for data on public sector requests for background checks and related services/solutions.

SAMPLE ACTIVE BIDS / RFPS

BACKGROUND CHECKS AND RELATED

Background Check Services, CT Fingerprint and Criminal Background Check Services, IL Automated Credit Reporting Services, DC Web-based Pre and Post-Employment Background Screening, TX Investigative Services, KY

For more information on these requests, and the bid specifications, give us a call at 1.888.808.5356, or visit www.BidPrime.com.

Have you been to an airport recently? How about near an interstate highway in the past week? Suffice it to say, there is a lot of travelling going on right now. Oh, I'm not talking about just in the United States. Our friends north of the border, in Canada, are out and about as well. A report, from two weeks ago, by the U.S. Travel Association, along with data from our BidPrime database, serves as the prompts for this report on travel.

Our focus will be on business travel, with particular emphasis when it comes to the BidPrime data, on government (state, local, education, federal) travel. In the past year, there have been 928 purchase requests, from every level of the public sector, for travel-related services and solutions. More on those later.

Some numbers from the U.S. Travel Association report:

• Direct spending by resident and international travelers in the U.S. averaged $2.6 billion a day, $108.1 million an hour, $1.8 million a minute and $30,033 a second.
• Direct spending on business travel by domestic and international travelers, including expenditures on meetings, events and incentive programs (ME&I), totaled $296.3 billion in 2015.
• ME&I travel accounted for $121.9 billion of all business travel spending.
• U.S. residents logged 459 million person‑trips* for business purposes in 2015, with 37% for meetings and events.

To see the entire Jul 10, 2016 article, go here.

Any talk of cutbacks or elimination of government travel aren't supported by the numbers. A review of the past four quarters, shows that government travel needs are actually increasing, rather significantly.

2015, Q3 - 186 requests. 2015, Q4 - 157 requests. 2016, Q1 - 267 requests. 2016, Q2 - 318 requests

Now, hop on board and look at this infographic for some of the data on government travel purchases.

SAMPLE ACTIVE BIDS / RFPS

TRAVEL

Air Travel Services, NY Full Service Travel Agency, Alberta, Canada Charter Bus Services, FL Travel and Expense Management System, WA MWR Joint Services Leisure Travel Program, TN

Contact us for more info, the bids, and the bid specifications. Call us at 1.888.808.5356, or visit www.BidPrime.com. Note: You can also take advantage of a free, zero obligation, no credit card required trial.

You're a city or local government and you don't have the resources, or it's impractical, to invest in pools. Unless you have the budget, I could make a joke about digging a hole in the ground and dumping money in it, but I won't. Or, did I? Anyway, what do you do when your constituents, did I say "kids"?, want to cool off during these scorching summer days? Splash pads! In the past year alone, we have seen 109 such purchase requests from various state, local, and other public sector agencies.

How do you get ready for the 4th of July weekend? When I'm done buying all the goodies needed for our barbeque, I read about splash pads. You? I just read on MommyPoppins.com how the city of Philadelphia is helping parents out by soaking their kids. Well, if you read the article, you'll see it's actually awesome...and refreshing.

Splash pads industry is actually a billion dollar industry and trending up, up, upwards. I predict the sun will be around for years to come, so I foresee splash pads being in demand.

So, how are government purchases helping to make things go swimmingly for the splash pad industry? ...

See this infographic for pictures and data on Splash Pads...

SAMPLE ACTIVE BIDS / RFPS

SPLASH PADS...

Splash Pad Improvements, NE, Design Services ~ Horne Parkette Splashpad, Ontario, Canada, Splash Pad for the Town of Rogersville, AL, Splash Pad Design and Installation, IN

Contact us for more info, the bids, and the bid specifications. Call 1.888.808.5356, or visit www.BidPrime.com. You can also take advantage of a free, zero obligation, no credit card required trial.

Over the past month, I've become somewhat of an expert on jury selection and courtroom protocol. Emphasis on "somewhat". Forget those Perry Mason reruns. Here's a spoiler alert: LA Law and Judge Judy are a far cry from reality. Trials are basically an ongoing exercise in, "I object", "Can we approach the bench", "Overruled"...

What is reality? Numerous public sector entities are soliciting and purchasing jury management and court-related technology, services, and solutions. The verdict is in. There are plentiful opportunities for businesses and persons aware of the solicitations and prepared to act.

Our study of the past three years reveals there have been 758 bid requests specifically targeted towards jury selection/management and courts. Implementation of technology and automation has resulted in many improvements and has led to a significant impact on the rise in the courts support industry.

A review of our BidPrime database resulted in the bid request/RFP data contained in this infographic.

Sample active bids / RFPs

Juries and Courtrooms...

Grand Jury and Depositions Court Reporting, TX Telephonic Translator for Municipal Court, NJ Counseling Services - Adult Drug Court, NV Installation of a Court Security Barrier, OR Courtroom Audio-Visual Upgrade Project, GA

Contact us for more information. Call 1.888.808.5356, or visit www.BidPrime.com. You can also take advantage of a free, zero obligation, no credit card required trial.

Over the past weekend, I was fortunate to have an assignment which took me to the University of Alabama. On Thursday, the uneventful drive in from Birmingham was bordered by tall, majestic trees, a sight mostly foreign to those of us here in Texas. I was immediately struck by the beauty of the corridor between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. Upon reaching Tuscaloosa, we headed directly for campus and I quickly discovered the University of Alabama is a vibrant, absolutely gorgeous jewel tucked in the heart of Tuscaloosa.

Over the course of my visit, the University of Alabama and town of Tuscaloosa proved to be full of friendly, welcoming people, who are quick to wear, display or proudly exclaim, "Roll Tide". The rumors are true: the fine folks of Tuscaloosa love, and support, their Crimson Tide! Oh, and Dreamland. Trust me on that one.

Sorrowfully, a month ago marked five years since a deadly, violent EF4 tornado roared through Tuscaloosa on April 27th, 2011. While it's impossible to expect that the pain, and many of the scars, of that horrific day would totally disappear, it was abundantly clear how this city, these people, were able to return most things back to as close to normal as possible. I could easily sense there is considerable strength, an amazing degree of pride, within the borders of Tuscaloosa.

Over the years, I've also had a couple of opportunities to conduct business, while visiting the University of Oklahoma. Just to the north of Norman, Oklahoma, stands the city of Moore, Oklahoma. During my visits and research, I had the opportunity to drive through and stop in at Moore a number of times. Not unlike Tuscaloosa, Moore has more than their share of affable, hard working people, proud of their community and neighbors.

Moore is also known to be situated in what is known as "Tornado Alley". Back on May 20th, 2013, a destructive EF5 tornado blasted through Moore. In its wake, this tornado left 24 people dead. Part of a terrible sequence of events, in its history, Moore, like Tuscaloosa, has been hit by a number of other devastating tornadoes as well.

Some will recall, the city of Joplin, Missouri, was hit by an EF5 tornado less than a month after the tornado in Tuscaloosa. The Joplin tornado resulted in 161 deaths, and close to $3B in destruction. This past weekend, there was a remembrance for the victims of that horrible tragedy. So sad.

Do you know what to do in case of a tornado? Here is one of many resources. https://www.wunderground.com/resources/severe/tornado_safety.asp

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, April-June are when we historically see the most tornado activity throughout the United States. Recently, Christopher Mele, reported in The New York Times, how many are still using the "old school", but effective technology of sirens to aid in public safety efforts. Here is Mr. Mele's article. www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/us/tornado-sirens-an-old-technology-still-play-a-vital-role.html?_r=0

We have previously reported on a number of relevant topics:

"Mass Notification and Alert Systems Experiencing Dramatic Growth in Public Sector" www.bidprime.com/news/blog/2015/June/mass-notification-and-alert-systems.html#1733587473655098270

"Use of NG911 Systems in City, County, State and Federal Government" www.bidprime.com/news/blog/2015/May/use-of-ng911-systems-in-city-county.html#8556835882137684968

Late last week, Samuel Stebbins reported in 247 Wall St., "Nearly 3,000 people have been killed in the United States in the last five years because of weather-related events and conditions." In the article, Mr. Stebbins lists the following as "7 States With the Most Dangerous Weather": 247wallst.com/special-report/2016/05/19/7-states-with-the-most-dangerous-weather/

Alabama Missouri Nevada Wyoming Arkansas Oklahoma Mississippi

Beginning with June 2013, there have been 835 purchase requests, submitted by state, local, and federal entities, for tornado, weather and storm-related equipment, services and solutions.

A review of our BidPrime database revealed the following relevant bid request/RFP data contained in this infographic.

Sample active bids / RFPs

Tornadoes, Weather and Storms...

Concrete Pad for Tornado Shelter, KY. Storm Siren Equipment and Parts, IA. Emergency Alert System, NY. Disaster Restoration and Emergency Recovery Services, TX. Graphical Weather System, AL.

Call us to discuss the bid requests and to ask about the bid documents (BidSpec Direct). Our number is 1.888.808.5356, or visit BidPrime. You can also sign up for a free, zero obligation trial.

Back in February, we reported on the thousands of bid requests for HVAC services, equipment, and materials. The plumbing industry is comparably busy, due to the additional thousands of bid requests for plumbing-related services, equipment, and material. As a matter of fact, in the past twelve months, we identified 4,128 pertinent bid requests. While the plumbing industry is a $50+ billion market worldwide, we confined this study exclusively to U.S. and Canadian government purchases.

The bids originated from throughout the United States and Canada, from municipal governments to federal. There is no sign that this industry will be slowing down. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the "employment of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters is projected to grow 12 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations." Over the past 365 days, we noted March 2016 with the most applicable, one-month bid requests: 488. Clearly, government purchasing activity will continue to have a hand in this growth...as always.

The U.S. states from where the most requests were submitted:

Ohio: 421 California: 421 New York: 314 Virginia: 311 Texas: 262

While we didn't look at every conceivable plumbing-related service and solution, this infographic chronicles some bid request information over the past year...

Sample active bids / RFPs

Plumbing Services, Solutions, Equipment, Material ...

Plumbing Repair Services, VA. Plumbing Supplies, NJ. Steam Boilers, WA. Storm Water Pump Station Maintenance and Repair, CA. Raw Water Intake Bypass Piping, TX.

Do you have to register on a bunch of websites and pay to access bid documents? If you answered "yes", call us. Are you getting bid requests before your competitors? If the answer is "no", or "I think so", call us.

Contact us at 1.888.808.5356, or visit www.BidPrime.com to sign up for a free, no credit card required, zero obligation trial, or to review the full market analysis on this industry.

How safe is too safe? In the United States, people spend billions of dollars per year on home security. As a matter of fact, MarketsandMarkets projects that Americans will spend close to $35 billion on home security systems by 2017. Gartner Inc., a technology research leader, reported back in September that, "Worldwide spending on information security will reach $75.4 billion in 2015, an increase of 4.7 percent over 2014..."

So, that about covers the investment in home and I.T. security. What about security at your place of business? Are physical security, patrols, security guards, loss prevention, surveillance, and access control a part of protecting your people and assets?

We're interested. Why did, or didn't, you make an investment in security services and solutions?

Because of our line of work, we focused exclusively on U.S. security-related bid requests from federal, state, local, and education entities. We even broadened our analysis to include governments in Canada.

With governments requesting everything from holodecks, to meth lab equipment, to cigarettes, I'm not easily surprised by what comes out of government procurement. However, the number of security type bid requests was astounding. As you will soon see in the below infographic, there were 3,721 topical bid requests from April 2015 through March 2016.

A robust 2,849 of those requests, over 76%, were initiated within the borders of the following U.S. states. Note: We certainly aren't suggesting that your security business should overlook the other states. We have noted some degree of bid request activity from every state in the U.S.

The U.S. states submitting the most requests:

California: 373 Florida: 221 Texas: 189 New York: 171 Virginia: 92

You want more data? See this infographic for additional historical information on the bid requests...

Have you had enough on the history of these security bid requests? If you provide security-related services, solutions, and equipment look at the below actual, current bid requests. To also review the associated bid documents, simply contact us.

Sample active bids / RFPs

Security, Emergency Response, Loss Prevention, ...

Security Officers, MO Access Control & Video Surveillance Service, LA Emergency and Rapid Response Services, PA CCTV Security System Replacement, CA Security Consultant, WI

Contact us at 1.888.808.5356, or visit www.BidPrime.com to sign up for a free, zero obligation trial.

Around the globe, people are looking to identify and leverage efficient, viable, cost effective energy sources. The topic of solar energy (photovoltaic) evokes the familiar responses of "pro", "against", and "indifferent towards". Of course, there are ample and valid reasons for each sentiment. Regardless of our individual stances on solar energy, it is here to stay looks into crystal ball and is growing at an impressive rate.

Over time, as occurs with most technologies, solar energy costs have decreased. Assuredly it is not the solitary justification, but as the costs associated with photovoltaic systems have fallen, the bid requests for, and installation of, solar energy solutions by governments have increased. This includes the United States and Canada.

Almost exactly one year ago before today, Colin Chilcoat reported in Oilprice.com on the projected 2015 U.S. spending on energy research, including, "$1.5 billion – is assigned to energy efficiency and renewable energy in relatively equal shares." As you will see in the infographic below, U.S. governments have not isolated their investment in solar energy to purely research and are helping to fuel (sorry) industry growth.

Just as Mr. Chilcoat somewhat foreshadowed last year, 2015 was a banner year for the solar industry in the United States. A couple of weeks ago, SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association) reported there were 7,286 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaics (PV) installed in 2015. A new one-year record. Here is a graph, produced by GTM Research, and found in SEIA's, Feb 22nd, 2016, release illustrating the U.S. solar market growth.

Including bid request and purchasing activity from the U.S. public sector, please reference the following infographic to see that there is relevant movement in Canada as well. While we focus this analysis on solar / photovoltaic solutions, as you are likely aware, not every solar solution involves "energy xxx".

It could be you, may be your neighbor, and as we now know, it is very likely your government putting solar to work. If you provide solar-related solutions, look at the below actual, current bid requests. To also review the associated bid documents, let us know.

SAMPLE ACTIVE BIDS / RFPS

SOLAR / PHOTOVOLTAIC ENERGY AND SOLUTIONS

Solar Energy Program, GA

Floating Photovoltaic Power System, CA

Solar Thermal Incentive Program, NY

Solar Battery Assemblies, BC

Power Purchase Agreement for Solar Photovoltaic Energy, NJ

Let us know if you would like to review the current solar / photovoltaic bids and/or past data. Contact us at 1.888.808.5356 or visit BidPrime.

As the lead for video production at BidPrime and also owner of a media services company, I fully understand the number of moving parts involved in conceptualizing, storyboarding, scripting, producing/shooting, and editing quality videos. Over the course of the past twelve months, we have produced and published 36 videos of varying complexity, style, and intent. Each video had its own set of learning, unexpected challenges, and victories.

That aside, I was particularly interested to see the various public sector entities already involved in, or entering, our world of video production. Our database holds bid requests for, in no particular order: videoscopes, video hardware, video recorders, video cameras, camcorders, studio equipment, video production equipment, television production solutions, video switchers, studio cameras, audio production solutions, audio equipment, etc...

Clearly the leadership in K-12, higher education, local, city, county, and even the federal government agree that, as reported by many, "video is king". Video will continue to be leveraged more and more by most organizations, businesses, and other people. Governments are producing their own "how-to", training, educational, publicity... videos. I find it interesting, and as you likely know, there are even some government agencies producing their own television broadcasts, commercials, etc... Even if they are not handling the actual production and editing of the videos, many organizations are acquiring the equipment and resources needed for video production, or A-Z outsourcing for their video content.

Regardless if you operate in one specific town/city, or within one state, or have the resources to work on projects and/or deliver gear all over, we have identified opportunities from literally everywhere. In the U.S. and Canada, there are projects and equipment requests throughout.

Sample active bids / RFPs

Video & Audio Production

Video Production Services, MO, Audio Production Department of Water Resources, CA, Video Studio Equipment Upgrade, SC, Television Show Production and Related Services, TX, Shasta Historical Tour Video, CA,

To review these requests and make the call if there is opportunity for you, contact us at 1.888.808.5356 or visit www.BidPrime.com.

Snow and ice still on the ground, freezing temperatures, wintry forecasts, and the calendar reminding us we just entered February, it may seem premature to discuss landscaping, irrigation, lawn care, mowing services, and those topics usually reserved for more temperate times. However, with history being the teacher, now is exactly the time to review requests for these services.

As a matter to note, of the 1,907 bid requests we identified in the past 12 months, there were 986 bids, a full 51.7% were submitted from February through May of 2015. March had the highest total with 277! If you need another example of why now is the time to act, at this moment, there are 146 active requests specifically for "landscaping" services. With more to come... glances at calendar.

Due to the advancements being used by public sector entities in procurement technology and other methods streamlining the purchasing process, you and I already know that timeframes are shrinking for bid publish to award of contract. You know better than I how competitive this market, the pursuit of new business, is in most parts of the United States and Canada.

As you just reviewed, in this infographic, the projects, jobs, requests are out there, the locations are varied, and you understand now is the time. Reference the graph earlier, the number of requests is already on the uptick. Will the rise continue? Based on my research and analysis, I predict, "yes". Right now, 146 requests, and the clock is ticking on pursuing the work that could be a game changer for your business.

To review these bids, look at the actual bid requirements, and to compare your current bid service, contact us at 1.888.808.5356 or visit www.BidPrime.com.

Late last week, I happened to watch a television program where environmental activist Erin Brockovich weighed in regarding the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. As that conversation progressed, it led to me considering, "While it's obvious that Flint failed, what's going on elsewhere?" Regardless of your politics, certainly everyone will agree that Flint is a dangerous situation and corrective and preventative actions needs to be taken...well, a long time ago.

I convened a research team and, as we reviewed bid activity for the past 365 days, it came as little surprise that the activity level for water treatment-related bids from Flint, Michigan, was "minimal". Minimal, as in, one bid request that is somewhere amid the water treatment spectrum. Elsewhere in the United States and Canada, other government, public sector entities have been comparably busy when it comes to purchase of water treatment services, solutions, and products. In the same 365 day period, there were 483 bid requests from U.S. and Canadian governments. Make note, that number is isolated to with "water treatment" specifically in the bid title. To be clear, there are a myriad of other similar, applicable bids.

The Flint drinking water contamination mess actually began in April, 2014. It was around that time, that the terrible decision was put into effect to switch the city’s drinking water source. On January 14th, 2016, President Obama declared a state of emergency and ordered federal aid to supplement the state and local response efforts. As reported by Reuters, there are substantial costs involved with making the necessary repairs to Flint's water treatment infrastructure, 'Cost to fix Flint water infrastructure could reach $1.5 billion: reports'.

Based on recent reports, it is apparent that those responsible for the contamination and resulting health concerns will be held accountable. Earlier this week, The New York Times reported that state and federal officials are preparing to investigate and identify the culprits.

To review these bid requests, for information on the industry, or to compare your current bid service, contact us at 1.888.808.5356 or visit www.BidPrime.com.

At BidPrime, we pride ourselves on doing our jobs very well and to the point we help our clients, "save time, avoid stress". This can include our clients having time to watch their favorite movies.

Along with identifying relevant bid requests, we also provide the required bid documents, all backed by personalized client support.

If you need a better way or want to compare your current solution(s), contact us at www.BidPrime.com, or call 1.888.808.5356.

Office supplies is a broad classification when it comes to procurement. Thank goodness for keywords! Asking what can be included in "office supplies" is kind of like pondering, "How long is a piece of string?" Many businesses which sell office supplies, likely will also offer office equipment, machinery, technology, furniture, and associated services.

This is a competitive, fast moving, multi-billion dollar marketplace. If you're reading this, it's likely you already understand how changes through digital, warehouses, and online providers have seriously altered the office supplies industry.

If your business is challenged with these stresses, what's there to do? Taking down your shingle doesn't sound very appealing. Unless they already have a foothold in government work, businesses wisely turn towards the public sector market. Generally, office supplies have a short lifespan on bid > award, so it's prudent to be aware of opportunities early, have a process in place, and be agile.

Although we can drill down to any degree, rather than scrutinize every "office supplies" item imaginable, we researched three of the more common purchases: ink, toner, paper. Not unlike most offices in the private sector, government offices are constantly in the market for ink, toner, and paper.

On that note (we didn't look at Post-it notes here), we queried our database to look at government procurement/bid request activity for the past 365 days. Our research unearthed 1,201 bid requests in the U.S. and Canada. In addition to paper, ink, and toner, as a special bonus, we included bid requests that specifically requested "office supplies". Pens, pads, printers, folders, envelopes, etc., etc., are for another day.

To see more details on these, or for information on procurement of any "office supplies" item not covered, contact us at 1.888.808.5356 or visit www.BidPrime.com.

Unless you recently returned to the United States after a lengthy visit to Mars, you understand that law enforcement, police tactics, deadly force, body worn cameras, citizen rights, etc., have been frequent topics and covered in depth by all forms of media. Heck, even in this blog, we have researched and reviewed many of these issues and analogous. As laws, rules, policies, and expectations change, law enforcement, government agencies, public safety, private security, and military units throughout the United States are progressing towards non-lethal solutions.

Here are a couple of recent examples of government entities in action. You can swiftly explore the news for many others. Yesterday, The Sentinel reported, "The Montgomery County Police Department received a $134,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice that will provide 100 cops with Taser-brand stun guns on Oct. 29..." Also yesterday, The Athens Daily Review noted, "The Henderson County Commissioners Court approved payment of bills on Tuesday, which included the purchase of Tasers for the Henderson County Sheriff's Department."

With the already witnessed prosperity of body worn camera, automatic license plate recognition, and complementary industries, we foresee that the non-lethal solutions industry is poised to surge. Newsflash!... government procurement has been and will continue to be at the forefront of this rise. Here is a visual on our brief analysis of the government agency bid request activity over the past 365 days.

For a historical review of this industry and current bid requests, contact us at 1.888.808.5356 or visit www.BidPrime.com.

In our role in delivering Client Support, our CS team interacts with many people, over a myriad of industries. In this role, one of our focuses is a persistent vigilance on public sector purchasing activity.

Our company has detected an extraordinary consistency in the total of government bid requests for Environmental Services work. By the nature of their mission, Environmental Services solutions and services providers contribute a serious benefit to our governments and communities, everywhere, at all levels.

What are the services and solutions at the height of this flow of requests? Environmental services, conservation, pollution, site assessment, remediation, asbestos, duct cleaning, PCB testing, mold remediation, lead testing, decontamination, and demolition.

As my unit has recognized the steady stream of bid requests for these services, we are reminded of the origin of many of these requirements and resulting requests. Here is a partial list of Executive Order and Laws, pertinent to this article, serving to remind us why governments are so attentive to requirements for environmental services.

Atomic Energy Act (AEA), Clean Air Act (CAA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), Energy Policy Act, Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA), Pollution Prevention Act (PPA), Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), etc...

Here is a list of the most frequent questions we get asked about the BidPrime solution.

Everything from our coverage, to client support, to if we provide bid documents, and yes, costs! We've strived to cover the majority in this deck.

If we missed your question(s), call us (1.888.808.5356), email us (sales@bidprime.com), or live chat at bidprime.com.

Governments are like any other organization. Regardless of the level of agency, governments need effective solutions and services for document and record management.

We analyzed United States and Canadian government purchase activity for the past twelve months.

Contact us at www.bidprime.com or 1.888.808.5356 for more information on these, or other government bid requests.

We took a quick poll of some of the folks at BidPrime to find out some of our favorite cities. Do any of our destinations match your list of favored places?

Along with BidPrime's hometown of Austin, our list includes, Chicago, London, El Paso, San Antonio, Chattanooga, Portland, Barcelona, Denver, and Phoenix.

We pride ourselves on helping our clients save time and avoid stress. As a result, we like to think, our clients can get away and enjoy all that life has to give.

For more information, visit www.bidprime.com, or call 1.888.808.5356.

Public sector agencies and governments are increasing the availability of wireless networks, wifi, for visitors, employees, and others.

In the past twelve months, we've taken note of the consistent stream of government bid opportunities for wireless, wifi-related technology.

For more information, visit www.bidprime.com or call 1.888.808.5356.

As we are constantly reminded, the next election cycle is right around the corner. BidPrime has been keeping an eye on elections-related government bids. Federal, city, county, and other governments have purchased and are looking for relevant services and solutions.

Here is some historical and current data from the past twelve months. See where the government bids and RFPs are originating and the most common types of bids.

Air travel in the U.S. continues to grow at a significant rate. As a result, airports have been compelled to improve and expand operations. While this includes the major airports in the U.S., it is assuredly not limited to them. Regional airports are also raising their game.

Here is a look at some of the data regarding government bids and government RFPs related to airport services and solutions.

Due to drought and other factors, 2015 has been a particularly grim start to wildfire season. Our research on wildfire-related systems and solutions demonstrates that a number of government agencies, throughout the United States and Canada, have purchased and are pursuing a notable number of relevant systems and solutions. In this study of government bid requests and government RFPs, we focused on the past twelve months of activity.

The National Hurricane Center records that the hurricane season in the Atlantic begins June 1st and ends November 30th. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins May 15th and also ends November 30th. On that note, now is a good time to examine the government bids and RFPs submitted, which are related to hurricanes. In addition, we’ve analyzed corresponding intelligence concerning tsunamis.

Of course, it isn’t much of a revelation that coastal states have submitted the sweeping majority of associated bids. The front runners, in terms of the most bids submitted by specific regions, are New York, Louisiana, Rhode Island, and Texas, in that order.

Department of the Army, Department of the Interior, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of the Commerce are the federal agencies most active in presenting hurricane-related bids for consideration.

The following is a brief sample of associated bid types submitted regarding “tsunamis”: Data Collection and Analysis, Detection System, Risk Perception Report, Buoy Detection System, Strong Motion Accelerometer, Forecast Model, Hazard Analysis, Debris Search, Safety Booklet, Evacuation Maps, Ocean Wave Glider, Land Use Guidance, VSAT Communication Circuits, Incident Command Systems Training

In summary, it follows that many government agencies are embracing the National Hurricane Center’s instruction, “Be prepared - Get A PLAN!”. What about your community?

Useful references:

National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: http://www.tsunami.noaa.gov/

If you are interested in further detail related to these requests, or information on other industries, visit BidPrime or call us at 1.888.808.5356.

An analysis and overview of the government bid requests and RFPs submitted for Intelligent Transportation Systems.

Research is broken down by United States Federal, Canada, and state and local government agencies.

Includes requests for basic management systems such as car navigation; traffic signal control systems; container management systems; variable message signs; automatic license plate recognition or speed cameras to monitor applications, such as security CCTV systems; and to more advanced applications that integrate live data and feedback from a number of other sources, such as parking guidance and information systems; weather information; bridge de-icing (US deicing) systems; predictive techniques, such as, advanced modelling and historical baseline data comparison.

Governments in the United States and Canada, local, city, state, and federal are purchasing or upgrading existing NG911 systems.

We take a look at the growth in this industry and how recent flood events in Austin, Texas, reminded us how important first responders and updated, robust emergency communication systems are to all of us.

Public sector, government entities in the United States and Canada are buying and installing a remarkable number of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) systems. We researched and analyze the purchase and implementation of MRI systems and solutions in the past 12 months.

Learn how BidPrime makes the government bid process easier for you. Governments are speeding up and timeframes are shrinking dramatically. Don't miss bid requests that are potentially valuable to your business.

BidPrime makes it easy to refine your government bid search to fit your business’s distinct needs through relevancy. Other government bid search engines rely primarily on the NIGP code system. This leaves their clients having to sort through many irrelevant bids to find the bids they actually want.

We use keywords to provide you the most relevant bids. For further customization, you can use the “Advanced Search” feature, which allows you to exclude keywords and avoid any bids that you don’t want to see that typically clutter your search results.

Not only can you set up your own keywords, every client is assigned an account manager who will help you customize your exact account keywords so that you will not have to look hard to find relevant, qualified leads.

We know our clients have unique needs and we’re here to make the government bid process easier for you. For more information, visit www.bidprime.com or call us, 888.808.5356.

Learn how BidPrime makes the government bid process easier for you. We have a 'Request and Find Documents' feature that helps eliminate the stress of searching for bid documents. See how you can take some of the hassle out of the RFP and bid request process.

Haikudeck in support of Ultrasound blog.