TIPS to be Successful in Federal Government Contracting

TIPS to be Successful in Federal Government Contracting Marketing and Doing Business Make sure you are targeting the “BEST FIT” agency. -this would be a Federal Agency whose mission fit the background and capabilities of your organization. “KNOW YOUR TARGET AGENCY” 2

TIPS to be successful in Federal Government Contracting The better your organization understands the Agency, its mission, its core functions, and what products services it needs, the easier it will be to identify pertinent contract opportunities. Do the following: 1. Get familiar with the agency (relationship building) 2. Review the Agency’s organization web pages, to get an understanding of the agency’s divisions and how they operate 3. Learn more about different agencies and their spending go to www. usaspending. gov 3

TIPS to be Successful in Federal Government Contracting Get Started – In order to do business with a Federal Agency your organization needs to do some basic knowledge and foot work: 1. 2. Know where your core competencies are and what your business size standard for that type of work. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes, developed by the Census Bureau, are currently figured by either dollar revenue or number of employees. Determine your company’s NAICS codes. www. sba. gov 4

TIPS to be Successful in Federal Government Contracting Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) All Federal Agency’s Procurement Offices follow the FAR. Any company interested in doing business with the federal government must be familiar with the FAR, especially the sections relating to small business, subcontracting and most importantly competitive acquisitions. FAR website access can be found on – http: //www. arnet. gov/far/ 5

TIPS to be successful in Federal Government Contracting Get Registered – Make sure your organization is registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR). The FAR now requires both current and potential government vendors to register in CCR prior to award of any contract, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchase agreement on or after October 1, 2003. The CCR web page is http: //www. ccr. gov/ Make sure your listing includes your website, your certifications, and keep past performance information current. 6

TIPS to be successful in Federal Government Contracting Where to get hands on help – Procurement Technical Assistance Center – http: //www. aptac-us. org/new at little or no cost, PTACs provide a wide range of assistance covering every phase of government contracting – from initial registration through contract completion. http: //business. gov/ Is the official link for Business to the U. S. Government. 7

TIPS to be Successful in Federal Government Contracting First Impression – Make every effort to ensure that the first impression you make is a good one. Make sure you “Look” like a company. Be friendly and not pushy. Make sure all contact information is correct. Proof read your emails and your material prior to sending them. Make sure your telephone messages are understandable, clear, short, and repeat your name, company name and phone number twice. Do not be late for meetings Always let the meeting coordinator know how many people you are bringing to a meeting. Most importantly, follow up and follow through. 8

TIPS to be Successful in Federal Government Contracting Capability Statement – A capability statement should include the following: products or services that you offer the NAICS codes a narrative description of your business a list of past and current clients project descriptions teaming partners address, telephone number, e-mail, and point of contact. **Have this posted on your website for easy access. 9

TIPS to be Successful in Federal Government Contracting One-on-One Contact – Attend Vendor Outreach Sessions (VOS) for you targeted Agency. Make contact with the appropriate personnel (i. e. , Program Mgr. , Contract Officer, Contracting Specialist, Small Business Specialist) Find out about any changes in the agency’s procurement plans, and be in a better position to compete when new requirements develop. It is important that you do not “over do” your contact, you do not want to be considered a nuisance. Do not call every day or even every week. You need to find the right balance. You should always have a solution to the government’s needs and to be the first firm government staff thinks of when they see a new requirement in our area of expertise. Most of all “Do Your Homework”. 10

TIPS to be Successful in Federal Government Contracting One-on-One Contact – (continued) Understand the Agency you are marketing. Make sure that they are the “Best Fit” Agency for your core competencies and experienced background. Look up their forecast and current contract list. Pay close attention to the contracts that will expire within a year or two. Pay close attention to Fed. Biz. Opps announcements. During your one-on-one contact, be prepared and talk about the opportunities you have found in that Agency that you are interested in and how your firm can fill this need. Know and understand each Program office within the agency and how your firm can address the agency as a whole and in specific program areas. 11

TIPS to be Successful in Federal Government Contracting Ability to ‘Deliver’ Make certain your company can fully provide the product or service as promised. Nothing will strip you of your credibility faster than making promises or claims that you cannot fulfill. To prevent this do the following: *realistically assess your capabilities *internal management resources *financial capabilities Before contracting with your firm, the government will evaluate your past performance and assess your ability to perform successfully in the future. 12

TIPS to be Successful in Federal Government Contracting Where is the work? All Federal contracting opportunities are posted on Fed. Biz. Opps www. fbo. gov. You can set up a “watch list” notification and have the system send notices to your e-mail as they post. 13

TIPS to be Successful in Federal Government Contracting Subcontracting/Teaming/Partnership – Teaming is a good opportunity to increase your experience base as well as work with small and larger companies that are more established in the Federal Market. There are several methods one can use to find potential teaming partners. Prime contractors will often advertise for teaming partners in SUB-Net. http: //www. sba. gov/subnet/ You should market potential teaming partners the same way you market your company to the federal government. Check the “Interested Vendor List” (IVL) in Fed. Biz. Opps for subcontracting opportunities. http: //www. fbo. gov 14

TIPS to be Successful in Federal Government Contracting Teaming Agreement – It is very important that you have a signed teaming agreement with your business partner prior to submitting a proposal for Federal work. The Government contracting personnel only have relationship with the Prime contractor. So, it is up to you as the subcontractor to protect your subcontract role and your business with a detailed and signed agreement. Trade and Other Organization: Read about and become involved with as many trade and professional organizations as you can. You’ll be able to learn and network with acquisition professionals, joint venture partners, and others that may lead you to federal contracting opportunities. 15

TIPS to be Successful in Federal Government Contracting Vehicles – Government Contracting Officer (CO) are very busy, particularly at the end of the year. A C. O. will look for contractors that offer a quicker buying/contracting approach. Contractors that have Government wide area contract (GWACs) or General Services Administration (GSA) schedule contractors offer a quick avenue for contracting. www. gsa. gov/gwacs to read about the different available contract vehicles. 16

TIPS to be Successful in Federal Government Contracting Approved Accounting System – Agencies award many contracts as “costtype” contracts. In order to do this the resultant contractor must have an approved accounting system. You many download a free booklet from Department of Defense Contract Audit Agency (Information for Contractors) http: //www. dcaa. mil/info. htm 17

TIPS to be Successful in Federal Government Contracting Great Websites – Center for Medicare/Medicaid Services www. cms. hhs. gov Official site for Medicare “Fee for Service” Contractor Information http: //cmsnet. cms. hhs. gov/hpages/cmm/mffs/def ault. asp Daily Health Policy Report http: //www. kaisernetwork. org/daily_reports/rep_h policy. cfm Acquisition Central – http: //acquisition. gov Center for Veterans Enterprise (Vet. Biz) http: //www. vetbiz. gov/ 18

TIPS to be Successful in Federal Government Contracting Questions & Answers 19