CCR Registration and Dun & Bradstreet- Who Needs Them?
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What are CCR and Dun and Bradstreet? Who needs them?
The short answer to those questions is that CCR is the Central Contractors Registration;Dun and Bradstreet is the credit bureau for businesses. Finally, you need both of these elements in order to sell to the Federal government;one is useless without the other.
So your next questions are probably, " If I need both of the registrations, which one should I get first and how much does it cost?" Glad you asked. You should get a Dun and Bradstreet number first and CCR second. Both of these registrations are free. The reason for registering for a Duns number first is because CCR requires that you have one before you can complete the registration process.
Registering with CCR is like having a passport to sell to the Feds because this is the database(which the Department of Defense created) that the government refers to when they are seeking vital information;we mean, your payment information, whether you are a small business, points of contact, and other information. Basically CCR is your company's resume and personnel file. Be sure to keep it updated at all times. If a contract specialist were to view your profile and they see that you keep it update frequently, there is a chance they will consider your business for bids and or direct awards. Also, registering your company in CCR will now also serve to market your company to government buyers.
As we mentioned, Dun and Bradstreet is the credit bureau for businesses. With that being said, they work similar to the consumer credit bureaus-- if the business doesn't pay its bills, the credit score will go down. (Your personal score can go down as well if you signed on the dotted line as the guarantee for the business.)
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