Onvia, the leading provider of sales intelligence and acceleration technologies for businesses selling to the public sector, released its latest quarterly report analyzing state, local and education (SLED) procurement trends for Q3 2017. The results of this analysis reveals 3 straight quarters of continued growth in the number of published competitive bidding opportunities. Growth in Q3 was driven by strength in local and educational bids and was impacted only slightly by the hurricane season.

Special for this edition, government contracting expert Mary Scott Nabers, President and CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc., shares insights on infrastructure reform and rebuilding efforts that will require private-sector investment, including public private partnership funding models.

Driven by Volume of Bidding Opportunities Issued by Local and Education Agencies

In Q3, Onvia’s market research team recorded a 3.1% year-over-year growth rate in the number of bids and RFPs published across the SLED market. This continues the trend tracked throughout 2017 with 3 straight quarters of growth, preceded by a period of uncertainty and deferred spending during the 2016 election year.

Highlighted results of this quarter’s analysis include:

• Analysis by level of government revealed notable growth in the volume of solicitations issued by education agencies (up 8.2%) and local governments (up 4.1%), both key drivers of growth in the overall SLED marketplace
• 9 of 12 major industries saw positive rates of bid and RFP growth, with rates of up to 11.5%, when compared to the same quarter last year (Q3 ’17 vs Q3 ’16)
• Examination of how the 2017 hurricane season impacted the volume of competitive bidding opportunities and the economy overall

“In Q3 the volume of bidding opportunities in the SLED government contracting market continued to show positive growth rates, marking the 3^rd straight quarter of growth that we’ve tracked. In our analysis, we also studied the impact of an unusually strong hurricane season on the volume of bids and economy overall to help sales and marketing leaders with a strategic interest in the public sector gain a better understanding of spending patterns,” Paul Irby, B2G Market Analyst said.

Rebuilding America’s Aging Infrastructure Through Public and Private Investment

Many of Onvia’s customers, such as The Corradino Group, have a significant focus on winning contracts related to large public infrastructure projects such as roadways, bridges, buildings and utilities.

“Onvia is my one-stop shopping resource for A/E/C leads. It’s that simple. It’s that good,” Larry Johnson, Production Manager, The Corradino Group said.

Companies pursuing this kind of work know that critical infrastructure across the country is aging and in dire need of repair or replacement. The D+ grade given to the nation’s infrastructure by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in their 2017 Infrastructure Report Card spotlights this growing issue and paints a clear picture of just how much work needs to be done.

To help companies pursuing infrastructure related projects maximize their success rates, Onvia’s market analysis team invited expert Mary Scott Nabers to share insights related to infrastructure reform and rebuilding efforts. Nabers’ guest commentary explores the broad implications of the infrastructure crisis overall, examines potential funding options (such as public-private partnership models, also known as P3s) and highlights upcoming large infrastructure projects and opportunities from across the country.