FED GOV CON - Unsolicited Proposals

Unsolicited Proposals - Why, What & How
US Federal Government Contracting
Webinar Series - 2016
Presented By:
Ali Paskun, CF APMP
JUNE 15, 2016

CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
(All Webinars are at 12pm EST & Recorded)
JUNE 1 - Maximizing The Value of Your GovCon Business
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/74156936435694851
JUNE 2 - Capture Planning - To Bid Or Not To Bid
JUNE 3 - Teaming Agreements - The Good, The Bad & The Enforceable
JUNE 6 - Teaming With Tribally Owned 8(a) Businesses
JUNE 7 - Color Reviews For Successful Proposals
JUNE 8 - Preparing The FSO for a DSS Audit
JUNE 9 - Life After 8(a) - Best Practices & Case Study
JUNE 10 - The Politics Of Procurement
JUNE 13 - Contract Administration - Best Practices
JUNE 14 - So You Have A Facility Clearance, Now What?
JUNE 15 - Unsolicited Proposals - Why, What & How.
JUNE 17 - SBIR's - The Good, The Bad & The "How"
2016 US Federal Government Contracting Webinar Series

AGENDA

AGENDA:
• Introduction – HOST
•Introduction - GUEST
• Presentation
•Conclusions
• Q & A

INTRODUCTION
Host

Jennifer Schaus
About The Host
* Approx 20 Yrs in Gov Contracting
* Career: D&B (Govt Division)
Federal Sales & GSA Scheds
* Frequent Speaker: Chambers, NCMA, AFCEA, etc
* Member: WIPG
* Education: Towson University – B.A.
UC Berkeley - Leadership Accelerator
Cornell University - Exec Leadership

Jennifer Schaus
Jennifer Schaus & Associates
* DC Based Consulting Firm
* Over 10 Yrs in Business
* Support Services for Gov Cons
Proposal Writing / Contract Vehicles (GSA)
Sales & Biz Dev
Certifications – SBA 8(a); SDVO; etc.
Events

INTRODUCTION
Guest

Ali Paskun, CF.APMP
ABOUT OUR SPEAKER
* More than 30 years’ GovCon experience
* Career: Proposal Manager, Director, and
Consultant
* Member: APMP (APMP Fellow; Foundation
level certification); Women in Technology
* Presenter: APMP Bid and Proposal Con,
APMP NCA Chapter Boot Camp, Mid-Atlantic
Consultants Network, National Grant
Professionals Association Conference
* Education: BS, University of Maryland
University College, Communications

Ali Paskun
ABIL Solutions, LLC
YOUR LOO
HERE
* MD-based consulting company focused on
helping small businesses grow
* Consulting and training on bidding on
government contracts
Proposal Management, Writing, Editing, Color
Team Reviews
Strategy Development
Opportunity and Competitive Assessments
Design/Implement Processes
Training

PRESENTATION
Unsolicited Proposals - Why, What & How

WHY?
• Recommend a new and innovative idea
• FAR 15.603(a) Unsolicited proposals allow unique
and innovative ideas or approaches that have been
developed outside the Government to be made
available to Government agencies for use in
accomplishment of their missions.
FAR = Federal Acquisition Regulation
www.acquisition.gov

WHAT?
FAR 2.101 defines an unsolicited proposal as:
“a written proposal for a new or innovative idea that
is submitted to an agency on the initiative of the
offeror for the purpose of obtaining a contract with
the Government, and that is not in response to a
request for proposals, Broad Agency
Announcement, Small Business Innovation
Research topic, Small Business Technology
Transfer Research topic, Program Research and
Development Announcement, or any other
Government-initiated solicitation or program.”

WHAT?
To comply with FAR 15.6, a valid unsolicited proposal
must be:
• Innovative & unique
• Independently originated & developed by the offeror
• Prepared without Government supervision,
endorsement, direction, or direct Government
involvement

WHAT?
To comply with FAR 15.6, a valid unsolicited
proposal must:
• Include sufficient detail to permit a determination
that Government support could be worthwhile and
the proposed work could benefit the agency’s
research and development or other mission
responsibilities
• Not be an advance proposal for a known agency
requirement that can be acquired by competitive
methods
• Not address a previously published agency
requirement

HOW?

HOW?
• Submit the proposal far in advance of the desired
start date of the government contract
• Ensure commitment to funding & be on solid
ground
• Have discussions with government contract,
program, and technical staff to ensure there is a
need for what is being proposed
• These discussions can reveal technical objections
or other information that may help shape the
proposal to ensure it meets the agency's needs

HOW?
• Agencies are required to provide the following:
• Definition & content acceptable for formal
evaluation.
• Requirements concerning responsible
prospective contractors & organizational
conflicts of interest.
• Preferred methods for submitting
ideas/concepts to the Government
• Agency POC
• Information sources on agency objectives &
areas of potential interest
• Submission & evaluation procedures
• Instructions for identifying & marking
proprietary information

HOW?
Unsolicited proposals should contain 3 types of
information to be considered by the agency in an
objective & timely manner:
• Basic
• Technical
• Supporting

HOW?
BASIC Information:
• Offeror name, address, & type of organization (profit,
nonprofit, educational, small biz, 8a, etc.)
• Information for technical & business personnel to be
contacted for evaluation or negotiation
• Identification of proprietary data to be used only for
evaluation purposes
• Names of Federal, State, or local agencies or parties
receiving the proposal or funding the proposed effort
• Date of submission
• Signature of a person authorized to represent &
contractually obligate the offeror

HOW?
TECHNICAL Information:
• Concise title & abstract of the proposed effort
• A reasonably complete discussion that includes the:
• objectives of the effort or activity
• method of approach & extent of effort to be
employed
• nature & extent of the anticipated results
• manner in which the work will help to support
the agency’s mission
• Names & biographical information on the offeror’s
key personnel, including alternates
• Type of support needed from the agency; e.g.,
Government property or personnel resources

HOW?
SUPPORTING Information:
• Proposed price or total estimated cost
• Period of time for which the proposal is valid
• Type of contract preferred
• Proposed period of performance
• Brief description of the organization, previous
experience, relevant past performance & facilities to
be used
• Other statements, if applicable, about organizational
conflicts of interest, security clearances, &
environmental impacts
• Names & telephone numbers of agency technical or
other agency POC’s already contacted regarding the
proposal

HOW?
Remember Proposal 101:
• Hot buttons
• Features
• Customer benefits
• Win themes
• Past performance
• Corporate experience
• Graphics with action captions
• Risk mitigation
• Quality assurance

TIME TO SUBMIT…….
Government REVIEW
And
Government EVALUATION

HOW?
Criteria for Initial Government REVIEW:
• Is valid & meets FAR requirements
• Is related to the agency mission
• Contains sufficient technical information & cost-
or price-related information
• Has overall scientific, technical, or
socioeconomic merit
• Has been approved by a responsible official or
other representative authorized to obligate the
offeror contractually
• Complies w/ the marking requirements

HOW?
Minimum Government EVALUATION Factors:
• Unique, innovative, & meritorious methods,
approaches, or concepts
• Overall scientific, technical, or socioeconomic
merits
• Potential contribution of the effort to the agency’s
specific mission
• Offeror’s capabilities, related experience, facilities,
techniques, or unique combinations of these that
are integral factors for achieving objectives;
• Qualifications, capabilities & experience of key
personnel
• Realism of the proposed cost.

HOW?
After evaluation, an unsolicited proposal is returned
to the Offeror if its substance……
• Is available to the Government w/o restriction
from another source
• Closely resembles a pending competitive
acquisition requirement
• Does not relate to the activity’s mission
• Does not demonstrate an innovative & unique
method, approach, or concept, or is otherwise
not deemed a meritorious proposal

HOW?
The agency Contracting Officer contacts the Offeror
to being contract negotiations on a sole source
basis when the:
• Unsolicited proposal receives a favorable
comprehensive evaluation
• Justification & approval has been obtained
• Agency technical office sponsoring the contract
furnishes the necessary funds

CONCLUSIONS

CONCLUSIONS
• Review FAR requirements to ensure it meets
criteria;
• Review the proposed solution; then review it again
& again;
• Represent a substantial investment of time & effort
by the offeror;
• If awarded, be prepared to potentially make a
substantial investment of time & effort;
• It may not be responding to a structured RFP, but it
is still a proposal

Q & A

CONTACT DETAILS
Ms. Jennifer L. Schaus
Washington DC
+ 1 - 2 0 2 – 3 6 5 – 0 5 9 8
jschaus@jenniferschaus.com
www.JenniferSchaus.com
------------------------------
Ali Paskun
Bel Air, MD
4 1 0 – 4 5 6 - 5 6 2 3
ali@abilsolutions.com
http://www.abilsolutions.com

FED GOV CON - Unsolicited Proposals

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