The U.S. Defense Department (DoD) buys more than almost anyone else. In this post, we review a current example of DoD procurement for a common item and how to use BidLink.net to find and develop new commercial opportunities for selling to the DoD.

Let’s take a look at a seemingly mundane item like earbuds.

Earlier this week we noticed in BidLlink.net that Defense Logistics Agency Land & Maritime posted a solicitation for “Cushion, Ear” (ie, foam earbuds) under an Indefinite Delivery Purchase Order (IDPO) worth potentially $1.5 million. The four (4) NSNs in the requirement and their Annual Demand Quantity (ADQ) are:

5965-01-504-0073; ADQ 2,630

5965-01-504-1051; ADQ 1,056

5965-01-588-6710; ADQ 390

5965-01-623-2248; ADQ 609

A brief description of the earbud tips

Thousands of earbud tips are used by DOD every month. Many are used with headsets and in Communications Earplug (CEP) kits. These Communications Earplug kits adds wired earbuds or, in-ear headphones, to the various helmets used by the military. One helmet in which these earbud headphones and earbud tips are used is the Head Gear Unit 56/P (HGU-56/P), first pictured above. Aviation Life Support Systems (ALSS) and communication radio systems such as the Combat Survivor Evader Locator (CSEL) communication system with AN/PRQ-7 radio sets also use these earbud tips. They are also used with the Flight Deck Helmet with Argonaut Headset.

US Manufacturers of memory foam, Viscoelastic Polyurethane or PU Foam manufacturers might be interested in reviewing this RFQ for earbud tips; or in searching BidLink.net for many other RFQs for plastic or rubber items that DoD purchases.

The solicitation number for this government contracting opportunity is SPE7MX19RX048. You can see all the details including NSN past procurement, supplier history, technical descriptions, etc., by searching on the the solicitation number in a free BidLink.net bid search.

Finding government contracting opportunities

DoD posts solicitations under specific Product Categories and Classifications. Using and understanding these categories will greatly improve your success in finding items you can sell to DOD. The above 4 NSNs were listed under the product classification “Headsets, Handsets, Microphones and Speakers,” or Federal Supply Class (FSC) 5965. Finding and understanding which categories to search under is essential, no matter what you sell.

Knowledge about where and how an item is used by DOD as well current manufacturers and suppliers is extremely valuable – it can lead you to other opportunities. Time spent researching NSN data and procurement history helps you refine and create better bid searches. Many of the items DoD purchases on a regular basis have only one manufacturer; but DoD is always looking for new manufacturers and this can be excellent way to develop new business for your company.

When searching for DoD contracting opportunities it is essential that you think like DoD. Search for bids using the official item names and FSCs of the products. In most cases you will never see statements like “US Army seeking companies to supply Foam Parts;” rather, DoD seeks: “NSN 5965-01-504-0073 Cushion, Ear.”

DoD item naming can be cryptic. In the above example the DoD item name is “Cushion, Ear”. Knowing the correct item name(s) used by DoD is essential in finding requirements for just the products that you can supply. One way to do this is to look at your competitors’ past contract awards and review the items they sell or, have sold, to DoD. Or, you can talk to one of our experts who can show you how find DoD requirements that are of interest to you >> support@bidlink.net.

(For more detail on how to identify item names see our previous post IMPROVE YOUR CONTRACT WIN RATIO; ITEM SEARCH TECHNIQUE (Part 2) )

If your company is interested in increasing your sales then selling to the Department of Defense is one customer you should take a serious look at. Sign up for a free trial at BidLink to see what you have been missing, and speak to one of our experts to help you succeed when selling to the DOD.