Fed Contracting June 26 2009 Final

How to Market and Develop Business with the Federal Government ABC Virginia Continuing Education June 26, 2009 Ashley McCarron Campbell, Marketing Project Lead Balfour Beatty Construction – Washington, DC Dave Carrithers, Vice President of Marketing Centennial Contractors Enterprises - Vienna, VA

A Little Help In Fed Translation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD4roXEY8hk

You Can’t Market To Federal Clients
All The Decisions Are Made In DC
You Can’t Talk To Contracting Officers (KOs)
It Is To Hard To Get In The Door & Too Do Work
Myths Of Federal Marketing

You Must Market To Federal “Individuals”
Over 90 Percent Of The Buying Decision Is At The Local Sites/ Zones/ Regional Level
You Must Find And Build A Relationship With The Local Contracting Team
Think Differently, Think Long Term – Must Build A Record Of Past Performance – Start Small
Must Network
The Truth

IDIQ – Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity Contracts
MACC/MATOC – Multiple Award Construction
Design-Build - (75% or greater of all new construction going this way in Federal environments)
Design-Bid-Build
Job Order Contracting (JOC) – Focuses on Renovation and Repair
GSA Schedule
Types Of Contracts

SAME – Society Of Military Engineers
http://posts.same.org/belvoir/
http://www.same.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3657
DBIA – Design-Build Institute Of America
http://www.dbia.org/conferences/expo/
USACE Small Business Fairs
http://usacesbconf.org/2007/PDF/Presentations/
National Contract Management Association
http://www.ncmahq.org/
Federal Allies Institute
https://www.federalallies.org/
National Institute Of Building Sciences
http://www.nibs.org/AnnualMeeting/index.html
Where To Meet Live Feds

1. Personal Side: Building A Personal Connection To The Organization, The People and Their Needs
2. The Protocol/Tactical Side: Following Procurement Procedures and Processes
Two Sides To The Same Coin
Side Note:
Do Not Debate FARS
Need To Say Thank You Formally, Recognition of KO KEY
Not An Overnight Result
Less Than $25k can award on the spot

Important To Remember

Important To Remember What Is Your Value Statement?

Multiple Federal Agencies
Department of the Navy
Department of the Army
U.S. General Services Administration
Others
Department of the Air Force
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Transportation
Department of Homeland Security
And many more (over 100 different federal agencies and branches of agencies)
Federal Clients

Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC)
Mission is to provide facilities and public works to the Navy, Marine Corps and other DoD agencies
Six business lines:
Capitol Improvements
Public Works
Environmental
Asset Management
Expeditionary
Contingency Engineering
Department of the Navy www. navfac .navy.mil/

NAVFAC Organization
NAFAC Atlantic Command – seven reporting Facilities Engineering Commands
NAVFAC Europe
NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic
NAVFAC Midwest
NAVFAC Northwest
NAVFAC Southeast
NAVFAC Southwest
NAVFAC Washington
NAVFAC Pacific Command – three reporting Facilities Engineering Commands
NAVFAC Far East
NAVFAC Hawaii
NAVFAC Marianas

NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic (MIDLANT)
Headquartered at the Norfolk NAS in Norfolk, Va.
Serving Maine to North Carolina
Commanding Officer Cpt. David Boone
Over $1.5 billion a year in services
Business lines offered
Capitol Improvements (CI)
Environmental (EV)
Asset Management (AM)
Public Works (PW)

NAVFAC Washington
Headquartered at the Washington Navy Yard
Commanding Officer Cpt. James Stader
Over $1 billion a year in services
Serves 11 major claimants, 23 Naval activities and 18 other DoD clients, including:
Anacostia Annex
National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda
NSA Annapolis
U.S. Naval Academy
Marine Corps Base Quantico
NSA Patuxent River
Andrews AFB
Bolling AFB
WHS
NCPC

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
Headquartered in Washington, DC
Mission is to provide public engineering services and strengthen U.S. security and economy, and reduce risk from disasters
Design, construction and management of facilities for the Army, Army Reserve, Army National Guard, Air Force and other DoD agencies
Provides Civil Works and Military Programs
Majority of employees are civilian

USACE Organization
Eight permanent divisions
South Pacific
Northwestern
Southwestern
Mississippi Valley
Great Lakes and Ohio River
South Atlantic
Pacific Ocean
North Atlantic
Department of the Army http://www.usace.army.mil/Pages/Business.aspx

USACE North Atlantic Division (NAD)
Headquartered at Fort Hamilton in New York
Maine to Virginia (including the District)
Six districts
New England
New York
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Norfolk
Europe

U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)
Among other services, GSA provides workplaces by constructing, managing and preserving government buildings and by leasing and managing commercial real estate
Multiple offices (23) under GSA, the most relevant to us is the Public Buildings Service (PBS)
PBS initiatives include:
Design and construction
Leasing
Donate or sell real estate for federal agencies
Support sustainable design initiatives
Preserve historically significant buildings

U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)
Regions:
Northwest/Arctic
Rocky Mountain
Pacific Rim
The Heartland
Greater Southwest
Southeast
Mid-Atlantic
Great Lakes
New England
Northeast and Caribbean
National Capital

GSA Mid-Atlantic Region
Serves:
Delaware
Maryland (excluding PG and Montgomery Co.)
Southern NJ
Pennsylvania
Virginia (excluding Northern Virginia)
West Virginia
Europe, Africa and the Middle East
U.S. General Services Administration http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentType=GSA_OVERVIEWandcontentId=8106 http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?P=FX8&contentId=11887&contentType=GSA_OVERVIEW

GSA National Capital Region (NCR)
Serves Federal agency clients in:
Washington, DC
Montgomery and PG counties Maryland
Cities of Falls Church and Alexandria Virginia
Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties

LOCATING OPPORTUNITIES

www.CCR.gov – primary database for the Federal government to store data for all agencies
www.defenselink.mil – official website of the DoD and a good starting place for finding information regarding the military
www.defenselink.mil/contracts - a listing of $5M+ contracts updated each day
www.acq.osd.mil – DoD Dept. of Small Business Programs website; excellent source of information regarding small business contracting
www.NAVFAC.navy.mil
www.USACE.army.mil
www.GSA.gov
www.BRAC.gov
Informational Websites and Resources

Federal agencies procure contractors through a single source – the Federal Business Opportunities website
www.FBO.gov
Also contains American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA aka stimulus projects) opportunities
Extremely powerful tool if utilized correctly
Locating Opportunities

Getting started with FBO
No registration is required, but by doing so you can use search agents, have a watch list and see interested vendors lists
To register you’ll need:
DUNS number
To be registered in the CCR
TIN / MPIN
Create a username and password
Log in as a Vendor / Citizen
FBO.gov

Quick Search – you can use this function for a simple search without logging in.
FBO.gov – Searching Without Registration
Type in key words. The most recent results will show first.
construction

Quick Search results
Click on an opportunity to view details

Note basic elements of a notification
Synopsis provided
Complete view of all information and modifications provided
General information is provided on the right

Further down the screen you’ll notice points of contact
If you have questions regarding a notice, the Contracting Specialist or Officer (CO) will assist you
Side Note: Excellent Way To Build A Starting Point For A Contact– Maybe Not On This RFP But It Is OK To Call And Ask About Past Awards, Future Needs, Introduce Your Self

Perform an advanced search
Return to your results page
Click on the Advanced Search tab

Type in key words
Choose document type (active)
If you want to search by a specific agency, click the option button and choose a specific Federal agency; you will then have the option to choose a specific office location
Choose the opportunity/procurement type
Narrow by dates

Zip code can be set
Choose a set-aside code if you are a small business
Check all classification codes of interest
Choose your NAICS Code
Choose whether or not to include ARRA opportunities

Search for opportunities by agency

FBO.gov – Full Utilization
Home page, once logged in
View Watch List
Allows you to mark projects that you are interested in
FBO will send you updates if the notices of these projects are modified

You can add any notice to your Watch List by clicking the Add to Watch List button

Set up search agents
Allows for quick access to frequently used searches
FBO can auto-run your search agents as directed

TIPS FOR PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT

Parts and Pieces of a Standard RFP
Each Federal agency uses a specific format for Request for Proposals (RFP), also referred to as a Request for Qualification (RFQ) in Phase I of a two-phase procurement
RFPs differ not only by agency, but by delivery method and procurement type
Design-Build vs. DBB vs. Construction Manager for Construction (CM@Risk)
Best value vs. price only
Typical components include:
Contractor qualifications
Past performance on relevant projects
Technical approach
Organization charts
Key personnel
Subcontracting plans/utilization of small business

Tips for Developing a Winning Proposal
Identify “win themes”
What are the differentiators that make your firm stand out from the competition?
Experience
Price
Approach
Relationships
Teaming experience
Give them what they want!
Lay out your proposal response strictly following the structure of the RFP
Include all information, even if it is requested in multiple areas
Be clear, concise and to the point
Sell your firm, but remember this isn’t a “sales pitch” – use hard evidence of success, not just boilerplate
Respect all page limits, guidelines and due dates – no late proposals!
Use graphics and visual aids where possible
Always check your references before including contact information
Submit RFIs if the RFP is unclear, always respecting FAR

Tips for Non-prime Contractors
If you are a subcontractor interested in working on design-build pursuits with a Prime contractor:
Identify a target team early in the procurement
Reach out to strong, existing relationships
Don’t make your first contact with a Prime be a phone call to request to be on their team – design-build is about relationships
Establish your qualifications – why should you be a key team member?
Understand the project and identify unique value-added services you can bring to a team, as well as your scope of work
Identify possible interested firms, both prime and non-prime, by networking and through the Interested Vendor tab of FBO
Understand the level of commitment (are you going to be exclusive?)
Be positive and persevere. Get your foot in the door by going above and beyond on a pursuit and you could become a go-to team member.
If you’re a small business, consider your status a benefit to the team and position your firm accordingly

To pursue opportunities with Balfour Beatty, please register with us to be prequalified.
http://www.balfourbeattyus.com/Subcontractors.htm
If you are a small business and need assistance, please feel free to contact our Small Business Administrator, Layli Pietri. She can also provide you with information on how to become SB certified with the Federal government if you meet the requirements and need guidance.
Layli Pietri Small Business Administrator 703-218-1338 [email_address]

If you are a subcontractor interested in working on Job Order Contracting:
http://www.cce-inc.com/subcontractors.html
- Fastest way to start building a Federal track record
- Find Local Site Offices & Meet Team
Look for other JOC contractors:
http://www.eziqc.com/About.aspx
http://www.kbr.com/industries/government_services/job_order_contracting.aspx
http://www.all-star.com/user/contact.asp?sessionid=%95

To Learn More About JOC
The Center For JOC Excellence
www.JOCexcellence.org
Mid-Atlantic Chapter:
http://www.jocexcellence.org/midatlantic.htm
Register and attend July 15 th Session @ GMU

Key: Don’t Get Frustrated http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knu14TlvCQE

Thank You For Your Time!
Dave Carrithers
Centennial Contractors
703-287-3042
[email_address]
www.CentennialNOW.com
Ashley McCarron Campbell Balfour Beatty Construction 703- 218-1331 [email_address] http://www.balfourbeattyus.com

Fed Contracting June 26 2009 Final

by David Carrithers

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