We’ve talked about what it’s like to pursue federal government opportunities in the last month of the fiscal year.
The question is, what do you do now? To begin, you need to be prepared to win federal government contracts by properly positioning your firm in the eyes of the potential customer, the federal government buyers, and becoming the “Go To Company.”
How do I do that for my company? Let’s do a quick review of the necessary and important steps to position your company properly.
10 Steps to successfully win a Federal Government Small Business Award.
- Get certified as a small business. Many of you may qualify for SB, and then something additional, such as; SD/VOSB, ED/WOSB, Hub Zone, 8(a). Follow the required steps to position your firm to receive such a certification by having your IRS EIN, DUNS#, CAGE Code, NAICS Codes, SIC Codes.
- Build a robust and respectable website, LinkedIn Profile, and Capability Statement.
- Build your corporate credit rating and past performance by converting commercial past performance into “like” government past performance. Focus on the resumes of your key personnel.
- Study the past government contracting awards within your service sector by using FPDS, USA Spending, and SAM.gov.
- Pull the agency forecasts (these are reports forecasting future acquisitions) from those agencies that have previously bought what you are selling.
- For those opportunities that look attractive, conduct a gap analysis. Identify those areas in the SoW that your firm cannot perform.
- Identify and capture those firms that can do that kind of work and bring them on your team. It might go without saying, but be sure you “Know, Like, and Trust them!”
- Identify the key personnel within that agency and begin reaching out to them. The goal is to get a capability presentation so that you are able to be at the front of their minds when the acquisition is scheduled. If you are an 8(a) firm, request a Search Letter from your SBA Business Specialist.
- Prepare for and give a powerful presentation.
- Begin preparing the technical pieces of your response prior to the RFP or Sources Sought coming out on SAM.gov. When it does come out, match the SoW you expected with what it actually is and ask questions to reinforce your knowledge of the requirement without spilling the beans for your competitors. And finally, price it to win without selling your company short!
If you would like to have a conversation about this, CFR offers a complimentary consultation about any of these subjects and more.