 |
Search Effectively in FBO Daily?
TOPIC: FBO Daily (Files 194,195), compiled by FedBizOpps (FBO), has replaced the Commerce Business Daily (CBD) as the official listing of all Federal government contracting opportunities and awards of $25,000 or more and is mandated by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR Part 5). The announcements are generally searchable the day after they are published.
File 195 contains up to three months of records and is updated daily. The oldest month’s records are transferred to File 194 on the first weekend of the month. File 194 contains archival Commerce Business Daily data back to 1982.
This search demonstrates three capabilities in FBO Daily:
1. How to distinguish contract announcements from procurements (Calls for Bids).
2. The use of Section Heading Codes.
3. How to specify procuring agencies.
1. Contract Announcements Versus Procurements (Calls For Bids)
FBODaily contains two major parts: a section for the announcement of recent awards, and a section that asks for bids or proposals. In addition, each of the major sections is divided into services or supplies. These sections are classified under the following subfiles (SF=):
• CSE: Contract Awards for Services
• CSU: Contract Awards for Supplies
• PSE: U.S. Government Procurements for Services
• PSU: U.S. Government Procurements for Supplies
2. Using Section Heading Codes
These codes may be viewed by using the EXPAND command followed by the Search Prefix: EXPAND SH=, or EXPAND SC=. The alphabetic Section Heading Codes are used for services; numeric Section Heading Codes are used for supplies. As described above, services are designated by the letter 'E' and supplies by 'U', as in PSE, CSE, PSU, CSU.
3. Specifying The Contracting Agency
Files 194 and 195 contain a Sponsoring Agency field (SP= or /SP) that can be used to restrict searching to specific Agencies or locations. Note the following regarding the contents of the Sponsoring Agency field:
a. Many variations are possible for a given Agency (e.g., Department of Energy, Dept. of Energy, DOE).
b. Mailing addresses are given. This allows searching by city, state, zip code, and even street name.
Caution: The procuring agency may be in a different location from where the work is to be done or delivered, also known as the "place of performance"; equipment to be delivered to Idaho Falls may have been procured from a contract office in Oak Ridge, TN.
This search example shows how to isolate records with procurements for services for computer or network installation, repair, or maintenance, where the requesting agency is the U.S. Air Force.
COMMAND SUMMARY
BEGIN 195
EXPAND SF=
SELECT E6
EXPAND SC=
SELECT E7 OR E13 OR E14
SELECT S1 AND S2
SELECT S3 AND (COMPUTER? OR NETWORK? OR LAN OR WAN) AND (INSTALL? OR MAINTAIN? OR MAINTENANCE OR REPAIR?)
SELECT S4 AND (AIR(W)FORCE OR USAF OR U(W)S(W)A(W)F OR AFB)/SP
SELECT S5/2007
TYPE S6/6/1-5
Click Links > Display > Type Full Record
HOW TO...
1. BEGIN File 195 to search FBO Daily. File 195 contains the most recent three months; File 194 contains the backfile to Oct. 1982. B FBO will BEGIN both files.
2. EXPAND Subfile (SF=) to view the list of available subfiles.
|
|
3. SELECT the appropriate “E” Reference number (e.g., SELECT E6).
4. You can further restrict “Procurements for Services” to
specific services by using alphabetic codes. EXPAND the Section Heading Code (SC=) field to view the list of codes.
5. SELECT appropriate E number(s) separated by commas or the OR connector. Use all of the alphabetic codes that pertain to the exact service required.
Note: If the previous step involved PSU or CSU, use numeric Section Heading Codes. |
|
6. Combine Sets 1 (S1) and 2 (S2)
7. Combine the results with keyword terms pertaining to the desired field or line of work. Remember to enclose synonyms in parentheses. The “free” terms will appear in the records retrieved.
8. Combine the results of Set 4 (S4) with terms pertaining to the Sponsoring Agency (/SP). Remember to enclose synonyms with parentheses. Set 3 is now limited to records containing the terms “Air Force”, “USAF”, “U.S.A.F.” or “AFB” in the Sponsoring Agency field.
9. The number of records can be further limited, if desired, by the publication year or date of the notice. |
|
10. TYPE records in Format 6 to browse titles and publication dates.
11. Select the record of interest, click Links > Display > Type Full Record.
Note: Some records have been omitted from this display. |
|
This is the FULL record for Record 1 above.
Note: Part of this record is omitted from the display.
|
 |
RELATED HOW DO I...? SOLUTIONS
NEED HELP?
Contact the Dialog Knowledge Center
Within North America +1 800 3 DIALOG (334 2564)
Outside North America 00 800 33 DIALOG (33 34 2564)
Web Form www.dialog.com/contacts/webform
|
You are viewing the
Click below to view the
 |
