Excellent step by step process for understanding and capturing federal contracts

1. Government Contracts
Practical Jumpstart
Seven Steps To Success
Judy Bradt, Principal & CEO

2. Government
Contracting:
Why?

3. Government Contractors
Make A Difference
Lawrie Hollingsworth
Neeld Wilson
Linda Lazarowich

4. Discussion
 How do you find
government
business you
actually WIN?
 Ever win
something cold
off FedBizOpps?

5. How Long Does it Take
to Win Business?
New business horizons
 Immediate is unusual
 6 - 18 months at the very least
 Low-value contract or small job to fix
problem may get you started.

6. Successful Flights Start With Checklists!

7. Seven Steps To Success
Government Contracts Made Easier

8. Seven Steps to Success
 Strategy And THEN:
 Focus  GSA Schedules
 Process  Proposal Writing
 Competition  Costing / Pricing
 Teaming  Contract Negotiation
 Relationships  Teaming
 Marketing  Contract Admin
 PERFORMANCE!
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9. Marissa Levin, CEO
How Government Business Fits Your Company
1. STRATEGY
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10. Why Don’t More Companies
Win Government Contracts?

11. Strategy Considerations
 Business Plan / SWOT
 Capabilities & Past Performance
 Business Mix: Today & Forecast
 Financing
 Constraints
– Marketing
– Financing
– Performance
– Knowledge

12. Neeld Wilson, President
Forecasting & Targeting
2. FOCUS
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13. Where’s The Next Ripple Out?

14. You Understand Me!

15. Prospecting?
Follow the Money.

16. Funding Affects Contract Timing
Federal Fiscal Year: Begins October 1
 Q1 (October-December): Funding may not be complete
 Q2 (January-March): Funding flows begin
 Q3 (April-June): Purchasing accelerates
 Q4 (July-September): Big Use-or-Lose Buying Surge
State Fiscal Years Begin July 1
Except: NY (Apr 1) TX (Sep 1) MI, AL (Oct 1)
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17. Targeting Is Essential…If You
Don’t Want To Go Broke.
Who and Where are your Customers?
– Why do people buy the product / service?
– Why do they buy it from you?
– Why should they buy it now?
 Which Government Buyers Need You?
– Consider state and local as well as federal
– Which departments and programs offer best prospects?
– How do your services/products align with their
needs/objectives?
– Who are the buyers and influencers?
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18. USA.GOV
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19. Federal Buyers:
Funding & Programs
 Agency Forecasts:
www.acquisition.gov/comp/procurement_forecasts/index.html
 Current/Future Military Programs
www.defenselink.mil/comptroller/defbudget
 Agency Budget Overviews
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2009/defense.html
 U.S. Congress: Bills, Hearings, Laws
http://thomas.loc.gov (Library of Congress)

20. U.S. Government Buyers
Who They Are, What They Do & Buy
 Federal: www.usa.gov
 Agency Briefings: www.fbo.gov
 State / Local: www.naspo.org/directors
 Grants: www.grants.gov

21. Focus Your Offering
 Define Your Core Capabilities
 Describe what you provide
 Tell why it’s relevant to the government buyer
 Highlight your track record
 Related commercial clients
 Subcontracting experience
 Use your network, find opportunities to perform
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22. FedBizOpps www.fbo.gov
BEFORE YOU
EVER BID:
RFI’s
Sources Sought
Draft RFP’s…
and…
AGENCY
FORECASTS

23. www.acquisition.gov

24. Procurement Forecasts

25. How to Research Opportunities
 Your own contacts
 Company web sites
 Trade press & supplier news
 Industry associations
 Major conferences
 Data Services
 Shoe leather & hired help

26. Kathy Kastner, CEO
How Government Buys What You’ve Got
3. PROCESS
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27. Three Big Half-Truths
 “It’s all on FedBizOpps.”
 “You have to get a GSA Schedule.”
 “First, you need to get certified.”

28. FedBizOpps www.fbo.gov
Most Alluring &
Dangerous for
Novices:
RFP’s
Easy To Miss:
User Guides
Winners’ Best
Kept Secrets:
RFI’s
Sources Sought
Draft RFP’s

29. Participate Selectively
Who Are Incumbents?
How will you compete? What makes you
different?
Maximize Profits: Propose Selectively!
- Research Project Details: Ensure Fit
- READ THE RFP
- Prepare With Care (& Checklists!)
- Contracting Officers Remember You
- Win Or Lose, Get A Debriefing!
- Compete Today, Team Tomorrow
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30. Registration Basics
Official Business Identities
– Tax ID Number / EIN
– N. American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) Code
 Based on what you sell. www.naics.com
– Size Standards – Small or Not?
 www.naics.com/sba_sizestandards.htm
– Dunn and Bradstreet (D-U-N-S) #
 Free registration: www.DnB.com
– Central Contractor Registration (CCR)
 Free Registration: www.ccr.gov
 Required for direct Federal sales & payments
 Often required for subcontracting / teaming
– Online Reps & Certs (ORCA) https://orca.bpn.gov
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31. Central Contractor Registration
www.ccr.gov
Register
Get
Sourced,
Search
for
Partners

32. Rules of The Game
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR)
www.arnet.gov/far/
 Competition requirements: Part 6
 Acquisition of Commercial Items: Part 12
 Contracting by Negotiation: Part 15
 Small Business: Part 19
 Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations
(DFAR) http://farsite.hill.af.mil/
 Weekly FARS Series: www.sell2usgov.com
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33. Weekly Blog Series www.sell2usgov.com Get RSS Feed

34. Small Business Set-Asides
Certifications & Teaming
 Small or Woman-Owned Business: Self-Certifying
 HUBZone (historically underutilized business zone, distressed areas)
– Goal: To promote economic development/employment
– Qualifications:
 Small business by SBA standards (NAICS code)
 Located in a HUBZone (see www.sba.gov/hubzone/)
 Wholly owned and controlled by U.S. Citizen/s
 35% or more of employees must reside in HUBZone
 8(a) / SDB (Small Disadvantaged Business)
– Goal: to assist socioeconomic disadvantaged persons
– Qualifications
http://www.sba.gov/services/contractingopportunities/certifications/index.html
 Service-Disabled / Veteran-Owned Small Business: www.vetbiz.gov
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35. Win TRUE Preference.
 Capacity
 Connections
 Commitment
 Know-how
 Know-who
 Buyers: Meet the need.
 Primes: Show them the money.

36. Buyer Options Include:
 Micro-Purchase (<$3,000)
 GSA SmartPay Card
 Simplified Acquisition (<$100,000)
 Broad Agency Announcement
 Invitation for Bid (low price wins)
 Negotiated Contracting (best value / score wins)
– Unsolicited Proposals
– Request for Proposal (RFP): large/complex projects,
Government-Wide Acquisition (GWAC), GSA Schedules

37. The General Services
Administration
(GSA)
Schedule Contract
“How do I get a GSA Schedule?”

38. What a GSA Schedule is
 A negotiated federal contract
 Used for commercial Goods & services
 Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity
 Can run up to 20 years
 Central terms, conditions, pricing
 State and Local Government Options
– Information technology
– Disaster response & security

39. Commercially-Available Items Like:
 00corp: consolidated MOBIS, Engineering, Imaging, IT70
 Schedule 36: Office Imaging & document solutions
 Schedule 520: Financial and Business Solutions
 Schedule 541: Advertising, marketing, web design
 Schedule 58: Telecommunications
 Schedule 558I: Professional AV telecom services
 Schedule 69: Training aids and devices
 Schedule 70: IT products & services
 Schedule 871: Professional Engineering Services
 Schedule 874: Management, Organizational and
Business Improvement
Services (MOBIS)

40. Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity.
GSA Schedule 70, FY08: US $15.7 B
5,614 firms (+13% over 2004)
 Dell: 5.6% of total dollars
 Top 50 firms: 50%
 5,564 firms shared US$7.8 B
Happy Hunting.
 2,582 firms (46%): < $25K sales
 2,189 firms (39%): $0

41. How You Get A GSA Schedule:
Proposal, Negotiation, Contract
 GSA Solicitation (RFP)
 Prepare Proposal
 Submit Offer
 Negotiate
 Contract
 Administer
 Modify / Update
And market, market market!

42. GSA Schedules Are
A Good Investment When:
 Your buyers prefer GSA Schedules.
 Government buyers are high priority for you.
 You have over 2 years’ commercial sales.
 Buyers surge in 4th quarter (July-Sept).
 Primes require it.
 Primes take too much margin from you as
subcontractor.

43. GSA Schedules
Waste Resources If:
 Yours isn’t a commercially-sold item.
 Buyers will use other vehicles.
 Individual orders < $2,500
 Forecast sales < $25,000.
 You expect effortless sales.
 You have little marketing time / cash.

44. Federal Government-Wide
 Federal Business Opportunities – www.fbo.gov
– Centralized Source for Contracts over $25,000
– Automatic notifications of contracting activity (RFIs, RFQs,
RFPs)
– Pre-Competition Notices (Draft RFP’s,Sources Sought)
– “Industry Days” or Agency Open House Events
– Changes to current procurements actions
– Links to other related sites
– Contract Award Notices
NOT A PRIMARY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TOOL.
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45. Mike Osredker
VP, Global
Business
Who’s Winning, And How You Will Stand Out
4. COMPETITION
45

46. Free Research Sources
THE BIG FOUR
FPDS, GSAAdvantage, SSQ, CCR
Free One-Hour Webinar: www.summitinsight.com/video.asp

48. Public Funds Mean Public Data
 Research Opportunities Before Competition Opens
– Seek Contacts & ask questions BEFORE RFP is published
– Remember the “rules of engagement”
– Post RFP…doors are shut or dialogue is limited
 Each Agency Produces a Procurement Plan
– Review budgeted programs
– Look for trends and potential teaming prospects
– Remember, everyone else has access to this information
 Review Past Award Data
– Use Free Public Web Sites
– Can request data via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
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49. Federal Procurement Data System fpds.gov

50. GSA Advantage www.gsaadvantage.gov

51. GSA Schedule Sales Query ssq.gsa.gov

52. Government Marketing Resources
Specialty Consultants:
- Government Business Development Plans
- GSA Schedule & Proposals Preparation
- Marketing Strategies & Sales Plans
- Books, CD’s, Self-Study, Classroom Courses
- Individual Executive Strategy Sessions
Some Examples:
GSA Schedule Specialists
 Design to Delivery www.d2dinc.com
 Global Services www.globalservicesinc.com
Strategy Specialist
 Summit Insight www.summitinsight.com
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53. Other Research Sources
Specialized Consultancies:
Custom Research, Search Tools, Services
& Conferences
 Federal Sources
 FedMine
 Onvia
 E-Pipeline
 INPUT
 Fedxccel

54. Dr Kathleen M. Nichols, Founder & CEO
How Partners Speed Your Win
5. TEAMING
54

55. Central Contractor Registration
www.ccr.gov
Register
Get
Sourced,
Search
for
Partners

56. Network Building
Pre-Bid Conferences
Associations, Conferences, Exhibitions
 Speaking Opportunities
 Leadership Roles
 Sponsorships

57. Deborah Stallings, President & CEO
The Five People You Need To Meet…& Beyond
6. RELATIONSHIPS
57

58. Finding Government
Government Web Sites typically not detailed
 Internal Agency Directories
 Specialized Consultants
 Commercial Publishers
One-off, quarterly directory, total online
– Leadership Directories
www.leadershipdirectories.com
– Carroll Publishing
www.carrollpub.com

59. The Five People You Need To Meet
 The Small Business Specialist
 The Contracting Officer
 The Program Manager
 The Influencer
 The End User

60. The OSDBU
Small Business Specialist*
Cares About:
 Guiding small companies
 Whether you’ve done your
homework
Can Help You With:
 Detail on Agency plans and process
 Introductions within Agency

61. The Contracting Officer (CO)
Cares About:
 Legal, Fair & Proper Process
 Supplier Base Knowledge
 Right Vendors for Buyer’s Needs
 Your Readiness To Do Business
Can Help You With:
 Acquisition Plans
 Program Manager Introductions

62. The Program Manager (PM)
Cares About:
 How best to deliver Agency Mission
 Defining requirements
 Your research into their needs
 Unique value & past performance
Can Help You With:
 Funding for pilot programs
 Referral to End User

63. The Influencer
(Colleague, Reporter, Analyst)
Cares About:
 Leading edge suppliers/experts
 Hot stories – good and bad
 Supporting friends
Can Help You With:
 Referral to PM or End User
 Publicity for expertise/offering

64. The End User
Cares About:
 Getting the job done.
 Having the best Stuff to do it.
 Your Unique Value Proposition.
Can Help You With:
 Incumbent insight
 Receptivity to better ideas

65. Primes Can Be End Users!
Cares About:
 Your advance research!
 Business & relationships you bring
 UVP & track record
Can Help You With:
 Access to contract vehicles

66. Linda Lazarowich,
President
Most Effective Ways To Reach Prospects
7. MARKETING
66

67. Whose problem do you solve?

68. Know Your Customer
“Why does the business seem wired?”
“How can I get in to see the General?”
Become part of your customer community
 Their goals and objectives
 How you help them achieve that
 How you solve a problem, eliminate pain
 Expertise you have that they value
 What influences a government buyer’s decision?
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69. Capability Statement
 Core Competencies
 Past Performance
– Prime, Sub, or Commercial
– Relevant Projects, Value, POC
 Differentiators
 Company Data
(Employees, Locations, DUNS, Certifications, NAICS…)
 Contact Information
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70. The Ultimate
Relationship Market
Top-Down & Bottom-Up Business
Development
• Grassroots
• Make technicians/end users comfortable with your
company, ideas, products
• Management
 Focus on contribution to the overall mission
 Bring them something they didn’t know
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71. Finding & Meeting Contacts
Identification
 Media Research
 Business Networks
 Directories & Online
Personal Introductions
 Past & Current Clients!
 Industry Association Colleagues
 Board of Advisers

72. Network Building
Join Key Groups & Get Active! Some Ideas:
 American Small Business Coalition www.theasbc.org
 Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association
www.afcea.org
 Society of American Military Engineers www.same.org
 National Guard www.ngaus.org
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73. A Word About The Stimulus
Key Themes
 Construction
If Stimulus Doesn’t Seem To Offer
 Transportation You Much…
 Infrastructure Look At Everyday Spending!
Federal: $500 B +
 Energy State & Local: $ 3 Trillion
 Environment
 Science
 ICT, Health IT
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74. The U.S. Government
Stimulus Spending
Tax Cuts $212 Billion
Other Spending $575 Billion
TOTAL $787 Billion
Of the $575 billion:
Payments to Individuals: 267 Billion
Federal, State & Local Projects 254 Billion
State Stabilization Fund 54 billion
Of the $254 Billion:
$72 Billion
Contract Opportunities Federal
Federal Construction 33 Billion
Federal Other Projects 39 Billion
Transportation Grants to S&L 47 Billion
Construction Grants to S&L 43 Billion
Subtotal 162 billion
Loans & Loan Guarantees 92 billion
Funding projects for energy, water, environment
and financing for small business
74

75. What’s In It For You?
www.recovery.gov
 Weekly federal agency reports
 Links to each state’s projects
 Special Announcements
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76. Who’s Going To Win?
Companies That:
 Know the Game: Rules & Contract Vehicles
 Have Track Record
 Track The Right Projects
 Connect With Buyers & Partners
 Have Financing
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77. FedBizOpps www.fbo.gov
Most Alluring &
Dangerous for
Novices:
RFP’s
Easy To Miss:
User Guides
Winners’ Best
Kept Secrets:
RFI’s
Sources Sought
Draft RFP’s…
and…

78. The U.S. Government
Everyday Spending
Federal: over $500 Billion
State & Local: $3 Trillion
Approximately 25% of all domestic spending
Buys everything!
 Aerospace, defence, security, ICT
 Construction, R&D, energy
 “Green” products/services
 Food, clothing, health IT, medical supplies
 Vehicles, parts & service
 Professional & labour services
78

79. Success Secrets & Action Steps You Can Take Today
WHAT’S NEXT?
79

80. Seven Steps To Success
 Strategy: Fit, Goals, Resources
 Focus: Agencies, FBO
 Process: Regs, Skills & Certifications
 Competition: FPDS, GSA, CCR
 Teaming
 Relationships: OSDBUs, Referrals, Networks
 Marketing: Activities & Budget

81. Focus
Buyers:
 Nearby
 Similar to Your Best Clients
Research
 Missions, Budgets, Contacts, Vendors
 Personal Referrals To Key Contacts
 Appointments With OSDBU
– Selected Federal Departments
– Fort Belvoir
– General Services Administration
– Regional / Local Government Follow up!

82. Learn More!
 Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP)
– Developed by Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to help small business
– Via business schools and historically black colleges & universities
– Links government, prime contractors and small businesses
– www.vaptap.org
 Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)
– Northern Virginia PTAC: www.novaptac.org
 Serves firms seeking opportunities with Federal, State and Local government
 Training seminars
 One-on-one counseling, general business development
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83. www.novaptac.org
More! Like…
GSA Schedules
Proposal Writing
Costing / Pricing
Contract Negotiation
Teaming
Contract Admin

84. Get The Basics!
Technical Webinars on…
 Registrations www.giveme5.com
 Regulations
 * Certifications *
 GSA Schedules
 Market Research
 Capability Statements
 Teaming
Free & Member-Only

85. Other Resources
– Small Business Administration: www.SBA.gov
 Additional resources, training
 8(a), Mentor Protégé program
 Service Corps of Retired Executives: www.SCORE.Org
– Federal Offices of Small & Disadvantaged Business:
www.osdbu.gov
 In each Federal Agency
 Open doors
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86. Judy Bradt
Take Your First Step
Or Broaden Your Footprint
Expertise To Win Government Business
With More Success & Less Stress.
Free Research Webinar:
www.summitinsight.com/video.asp
Leave Your Card & Qs!
Judy.Bradt@SummitInsight.com 703.627.1074
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