US2 is an SBA-certified small disadvantaged business that has performed over 150 federal projects. The document discusses growing the company through strategic partnerships, including joint ventures and teaming agreements. It provides guidance on when partnerships are allowed by the FAR, how to evaluate potential partners' resources, and how to structure responsibilities and profits when partnering to pursue new opportunities. Key partnership types are joint ventures, which require the partners to form a registered entity, and teaming agreements, which do not.

1. Growing Your Company Through
Strategic Partnerships
Simone Sander & Benjamin Brosch
Utility Systems Solutions, Inc. (US2)

2. • 9 Years
• SBA Certified as 8A, Small Disadvantaged Business; VA Certified as an SDVOSB and VOSB
• Over 150 federal projects performed
• 7 GSA schedules
• 8(a) Mentor protégé relationship with Schneider Electric
• 90% of US2’s project were performed in VA hospitals across the United States

3. Strategic Partnerships

4. FAR 9.601 Reads:
• “Contractor team arrangement,” as used in this subpart, means an arrangement in
which two or more companies form a partnership or joint venture to act as a potential
prime contractor
• A potential prime contractor agrees with one or more other companies to have them
act as its Subcontractors under a specified Government contract or acquisition
program.
What Types of Contractor Teams Does the FAR Recognize?
Only a JV Partner signs the 1442 - In all other
situations, the Prime Contractor holds sole responsibility
for the contract and it’s terms and conditions.

5. Your partner could be in this
room!
What Value Can the
Right Partner
Bring to Your
Company

6. What Type of Contracts Does YOUR
Company Target?
• “Credit Card” Projects
• IFBs (Maintenance/Repair, Services or Products under $100,00)
• Lowest Price, Technically Acceptable
• Best Value
• GSA Schedules, IDIQs, BPAs, etc. Why are you
limiting
yourself?

7. Evaluate their Resources for
EACH Separate Opportunity!
• Office locations
• Services
• Bonding Capacity
• Relationships with your target client
• Experienced personnel to self-perform
• Proposal Writing/Estimating Resources

8. When/When Not
to Involve Your Partners
• Best Value Solicitations
• Projects With Higher Bonding Capacity
• Project Location
• 8(a) Mentor Protégé Partners
• Exclusive? Don’t Call YOUR
COMPETITORS
if they don’t
see value in
YOUR
resources!

9. How Does Your Partner Fit
Into Both the
Solicitation AND the Project?
• When is a JV necessary?
• When Should I use a Teaming Agreement?
• How do I use the JV in the Technical Proposal?
• What portion of the work is performed by my partner?
• Do I get subcontractor bids for their portion?

10. How Do You Share Your Profits?

11. When are you allowed by the
FAR to use your partner?
Your Joint Venture Must be registered in SAM and have it’s own DUNS
and CAGE number by the time the award is made.
Your Joint Venture can only be used THREE times, however, you may
form a NEW Joint Venture with the same team as many times as you
like.
Teaming arrangements may be used in place of a Joint Venture
If so allowed per the RFP requirements.
The joint venture or team is small only if the combined annual receipts
or employees of all the firms in the JV meet the size standard for the
procurement

12. When are you allowed by the
FAR to use your partner?
Performance of work requirements apply to the
cooperative effort of the team.
Can range from 10% - 50% self-performed, depending
on the NAISC Code
A large business can be a Subcontractor (but not a JV
Partner on a Small Business Set-Aside Contract) as long
as the prime/sub team meets the performance of work
requirement.

13. For any federal government procurement:
An 8(a) protégé firm may joint venture with its SBA approved mentor.
The JV is small as long as the 8(a) protégé qualifies as small for the
procurement.
Performance of work requirements still apply to the cooperative effort of the JV.
How an 8(a) Certification Can
Give You an Edge

14. FAVORITE RESOURCES
JOINT VENTURE 101
http://www.ncmahq.org/files/Articles/CM1211%20-%2060-67.pdf
SMALL BUSINESS JOINT VENTURES & TEAMING ARRANGEMENTS
http://www.smdc.army.mil/2008/SmallBiz/Docs/JointVenturesandSBTeami
ng.pdf

15. SBA Regional Office: Ft. Worth

16. Gregory James
Program Director
Henry Vinson
Government Contracting Specialist
And 3rd Party
Contributors
DLA

17. QUESTIONS