Vendor Information
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Office of Procurement awards and administers a wide variety of contracts and simplified purchases for the acquisition of goods and services in support of USPTO's mission. On this page you'll find information about the USPTO's acquisition process, information for small businesses, and links to current acquisition opportunities at the USPTO.
The USPTO Office of Procurement continually strives to remain on the leading edge of procurement reform and current technology. To that end, the Office of Procurement uses USPTO's unique Patent and Trademark Acquisition Guidelines (PTAG) to conduct acquisitions in an efficient and innovative manner, including using performance based contracts, contracting for commercial items, and reverse auctioning, and oral proposals. It is our goal to identify and utilize new techniques to develop partnerships with industry.
View all procurement opportunities at the USPTO, or browse summaries of major acquisitions.
For general information and inquiries please contact the Office of Procurement via e-mail at ProcurementHelp@USPTO.gov.
Acquisition Process at the USPTO
The USPTO Office of Procurement continually strives to remain on the leading edge of procurement reform. It is our goal to identify and utilize new and innovative procurement techniques, and to partner with industry wherever possible. In 1999, as part of the USPTO Efficiency Act, the USPTO was granted the statutory authority to make purchases and enter into contracts without regard to the Federal Property & Administrative Services Act (FPAS); the Competition in Contracting Act; and the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Parts 6 and 15, in particular. To leverage the new flexibility, a team was formed to research best practices and to draft new procurement guidelines and processes for use at the USPTO. The team’s efforts lead to the adoption of the Patent and Trademark Office Acquisition Guidelines, commonly referred to as PTAG.
The PTAG, which became effective on March 10, 2003, was adopted for use at the USPTO as an alternative, streamlined contracting approach. The implementation of PTAG notwithstanding, the USPTO continues to follow the FAR as guidance in our acquisition decisions wherever it is appropriate to do so. Conducting procurements within PTAG guidelines along with the FAR, continues to ensure procurements are made fairly and in the best interests of the government. The PTAG guidance includes informing vendors of the rules and compliance with applicable statutes, regulations, and executive orders. However, the PTAG has replaced FAR regulations for the conduct of competitions and competition thresholds.
Learn more about the PTAG:
- PTAG [PDF]
- PTAG Federal Register Final Rule [PDF]
SAM Registration
The General Services Administration (GSA) has implemented a system for vendors doing business with the Federal Government to manage their entity information in one central location. This new database is the System for Award Management (SAM). This first phase of SAM became effective July 30, 2012, and includes capabilities for Central Contractor Registration (CCR), Federal Agency Registration (FedReg), Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), and the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS). All contractors/vendors doing business with or that would like to do business with the USPTO must have an active registration in SAM.
Small Business
The United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) is committed to promoting and giving consideration to small business concerns. Requirements over the micro purchase amount of $3,000 are identified early in the acquisition process to allow for consideration for small, small disadvantaged, woman-owned, Hub-Zone, Veteran (including Service Disabled Veteran), and 8(a) businesses.
For questions on opportunities for small, small disadvantaged, woman-owned, Hub-Zone, Veteran (including Service Disabled Veteran), and 8A businesses at the USPTO, please email our Small Business Representative.
Small Business Goals
Each year socio-economic goals are established at both the Department of Commerce and agency levels. These goals take into consideration procurement plans and other input throughout the year regarding new procurements. The USPTO has established the following proposed socio-economic goals for FY 2012:
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SMALL BUSINESS
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49%
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8A BUSINESS
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6%
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HUB-ZONE BUSINESS
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3%
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SMALL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS
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12%
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SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN OWNED BUSINESS
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3%
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VETERAN OWNED BUSINESS
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4%
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WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS
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10%
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Small Business Opportunities Forecast FY2012 - FY2015 (Get the free MS Excel Viewer)
Capability Statement
To have your company included on USPTO’s Small Business Core Capabilities List, please e-mail the USPTO's Small Business Office and attach a PDF copy of your capability statement using the Small Business Core Capabilities Input Form. To contact USPTO’s Small Business Office, please send e-mails to SmallBusiness@USPTO.GOV.
Vendor Invoices
Please refer to the Vendor Invoices FAQ for questions regarding submitting vendor invoices and receiving payments for submitted invoices.
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