Doing business with DLA and the Navy in Japan
Two of the main DoD buying organizations for work performed in Japan — DLA and NAVFAC Far East — each publish their own on-ramp. This organizes what each says, in its own words.
Verified against official sources: 2026-09-01
This guide quotes and organizes official sources. It is not advice.
This guide quotes and organizes primary material that a government or official body already publishes, translating it only where the source is in Japanese. It contains no views or advice of Hashike's own. Check how it applies to a specific opportunity against that solicitation and the responsible agency's own information.
DLA's "Steps to Success" (six steps)
The six steps DLA lays out in its official "Steps to Success" overview.
- ① Understand DLA
- ② Getting Started — register and determine your business status
- ③ Find Opportunities
- ④ Seek Assistance — via APEX Accelerators and similar resources
- ⑤ Consider Subcontracting
- ⑥ Post Award
Source: DLA — Steps to Success (Small Business Overview, April 2025) ↗
On what DLA buys, the document states it manages "nine supply chains and about 5 million items," spanning aviation (engine components, bearings, airframes, helicopter parts), energy/fuels (jet fuel, distillate fuel, natural gas, electricity, coal), land & maritime (vehicle and ship spare parts, armaments, communications equipment), troop support (food, clothing, medicines, medical equipment, construction supplies), and distribution/disposition.
Source: DLA — Steps to Success (Small Business Overview, April 2025) ↗
On registration: "You must be registered in SAM to be awarded a federal contract." A DIBBS account (DLA's own bid board) is separately "required to receive a login account and password" for DLA solicitations, and the SBA's Dynamic Small Business Search (linked to a company's SAM profile) is referenced as well.
Source: DLA — Steps to Success (Small Business Overview, April 2025) ↗
NAVFAC Far East (Navy construction & facility services in Japan)
On eligibility for Navy construction and facility-service work in Japan, NAVFAC Far East's own guidance states: "Solicitations posted on the Opportunities (SAM) web site by the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Far East for construction and most service requirements are normally intended for local sources only." It defines a local source as a company "physically located in Japan and authorized (i.e., licensed and registered when required for the business category) to conduct business in Japan."
The operational systems the same page names for bidding and performance.
- Electronic bidding: qualifying solicitations use PIEE's Solicitation Module
- Invoicing: via WAWF (Wide Area Workflow)
- Cybersecurity: NIST SP 800-171 and FAR 52.204-21 compliance required
- Safety: EM 385-1-1 (available in English and Japanese)
A contact point published on the same page: NAVFAC Far East's Small Business point of contact, Rie Nishida (rie.nishida.ln@us.navy.mil). Always confirm current contact details on the official page itself.
Sources
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This page is informational only, not legal advice. Confirm eligibility and procedural details against the official solicitation and the relevant agency.← Back to all guides