Making Summer Plans for the Kids? So are State and Local Governments

COVID-19 has brought new meaning to the saying, “April showers bring May flowers.”

For many across the U.S., the “storm” of virus-related closures that we experienced throughout the Spring has given way to a new life, with May serving as the start of our rebuilding efforts. Most schools will close – or should we say “conclude” – for the summer around the same time as publicly-funded museums, parks, pools, zoos and camps start to reopen. That’s exciting news for parents and workers who depend on these recreational programs to sustain their livelihoods, as well as locales that rely on the revenue.

These re-openings should also be a relief to the vendors previously contracted to provide goods and services to these facilities. Demand will start to pick back up for those who supply food, beverage and paper goods as concession stands and on-site restaurants restart operations in limited capacities. Toiletries will be needed for restrooms and break rooms as foot traffic increases. And recreational items such as athletic equipment or arts and craft supplies may need to be refreshed.

It is also quite possible that new opportunities to do business with state and local governments will emerge in the coming months in recreational categories as the direct result of COVID-19. Current contract holders may still be facing supply chain or workforce challenges emerging from the early stages of the crisis, leading agencies to look for supplemental vendors to provide what they need for re-launched services and programs. There will also be a need for different types of supplies and services as operating models shift to accommodate new social distancing and sanitation mandates. For example:

• Demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) will be seen from all publicly-funded facilities, especially those running camps and other summer youth and family programs in which social distancing will prove most challenging.
• The scope of janitorial services may be expanded to include specific deep cleaning techniques, greater frequency of cleaning and the use of certain chemicals. You may also see cleaning services be extended to shared outside assets, such as playground equipment, picnic tables and park benches.
• Security services may be in greater demand to enforce social distancing or aid with crowd control.

In other words, if you think that you can provide the types of goods and services that may be needed to create a safe recreational experience this summer, now is the time to sign up for a bid notification service such as BidSync and start monitoring solicitations from state and local governments.

Procurement efforts are likely to move very fast as agencies work to source supplies, onboard service providers and hire seasonal staff. Do your due diligence now to make sure you’re properly registered in state and local vendor systems, that your disadvantaged business certifications are still valid, that you’ve secured the proper insurances and that your supply chain is strong (if applicable).

If you are already a BidSync user, make sure you update your profile to ensure you’re receiving all relevant bids in your dashboard and daily email notifications. Our Support team is available to help you with this if needed.