How To Get Government Contracts

How to Get Government Contracts demystifies the process of how a company can enter the government market, win its first and subsequent contracts, and then grow itself into a multi-million-dollar government contractor within a couple of years. It offers an insider’s view into the latest best practices that government contractors use to succeed in an increasingly competitive market, and it shows exactly how your company can apply these techniques to build a strong business. Many companies venture into the government market with a certain naiveté and pay a hefty price to find out that there is much more to winning a contract than writing last-minute proposals in response to publicly posted solicitations. To stop the bleeding of precious resources, they need to step back to learn how professionals win business in the federal arena. This book shows you how to find, for example, the best potential customers and opportunities for your company. It also explains the secret to winning consistently by conducting pre-proposal preparation (also called "capture") and practicing a disciplined, process-based approach to proposal development. This book provides a recipe for winning government contracts over and over again, the way seasoned government contractors do it. After reading this book, you will know exactly what to do to position your company to win a government proposal before a solicitation becomes public, including building customer relationships, gathering intelligence, developing a "win strategy," performing competitive analysis, selecting the best teammates, and developing a solution. As a result, you will apply professional techniques to organizing your proposal effort, outlining a proposal document, and writing RFPs that persuade evaluators to award the contract to you.

He who knows and knows that he knows is wise; follow him. -ANCIENT PROVERB During a long career of public service as a government procurement and contracting official, I am still surprised to find big, successful corporations making the same mistakes that neophytes in government contracting mak~. And this is particularly true in the matter of writing proposals, which are the crucial element in most major procurement awards. It's true enough, as many suspect, that the big, well-known company has something of an edge over the smaller, lesser-known company com peting for any given government contract-psychologically, at least: The typical government executives, whether contracting officials or program managers, tend to have a bit more faith in the ability of the large company to carry out the program successfully. All things being equal, then, the big company is more likely to get the nod. However, because the large companies are well aware of that, many tend to become "fat, dumb, and happy"-they try to coast or rest on their laurels. That is, they get careless about making a strong enough case for themselves in writing their proposals. And when they lose, often to smaller companies, they are both puzzled and outraged. They have for gotten that all government procurement is a competition-usually both technical and cost competition-and that the "little guy" can win against the "big guy," if he tries hard enough. And especially if the bigger guy is a bit careless and does not put out his best effort.

Elements of Government Contracting combines two previous books, Elements of Contract Formation and Elements of Contract Administration, to make one comprehensive resource. This convenient reference covers the entire procurement spectrum from the beginning of the process through claims and disputes in a straightforward, easy-to-read manner. The first part of this book explains the important elements and issues involved in the formation of government contracts, including the two primary methods of contracting. The next part addresses the factors critical to contract inception, performance and completion, and outlines the rules for contractors in the administration of a government contract. Fully updated, Elements of Government Contracting includes sample letters to contracting officers, as well as practical tips at the end of each chapter. In addition, it has an appendix on how to get a Multiple Award Schedule Contract and avoid pitfalls in performance.

Winning Government Contracts shows you the way. It begins at the beginning, assuming no prior knowledge of the government marketplace and its sometimes complicated terminology. Written in a clear, easy-to-understand language by experienced sales and marketing professionals, this book takes you through the registration and bidding process step by step.

This unbiased analysis of statutes, regulations, and case law clarifies the complex rules of federal procurement policies, explaining the processes that government personnel and contractors must follow in every aspect of government contractingand—from inception to completion. Topics include contract administration and personnel, contract interpretation, risk allocation, changes, delays, pricing of adjustments, and much more.

Government law attorney Steven J. Koprince teaches you to concentrate on the crucial but complex Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and other rules required for keeping contracts alive and avoiding penalties. Each year, the federal government awards billions of dollars in small-business contracts. The Small-Business Guide to Government Contracts puts a wealth of specialized legal counsel at readers’ fingertips, answering the most important compliance questions like: Is a small business really small? Who is eligible for HUBZone, 8(a), SDVO, or WOSB programs? What salaries and benefits must be offered? What ethical requirements must be followed? When does affiliation become a liability? Small-business contracts are both the lifeblood of hundreds of thousands of companies and a quagmire of red tape. No one can afford to be lax with the rules or too harried to heed them. The Small-Business Guide to Government Contracts empowers contractors to avoid missteps, meet their compliance obligations--and keep the pipeline flowing.