Successful Proposal Strategies for Small Businesses : Winning Government, Private Sector, and International Contracts

by Frey, Robert S.

• ISBN13: 9781580530019
• ISBN10: 158053001X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-06-01
• Publisher: ARTECH HOUSE INC

Summary

Planning, managing and winning prized government and private sector contracts is easier, less costly, and far less stressful when you rely on the newly updated edition of this popular book designed specifically for entrepreneurs and small business managers.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xi
Introduction	xiii
Competitive proposals and small business	1	(30)
Overview	3	(3)
From set-asides to full and open competition	6	(2)
Small business constraints	8	(1)
Maximizing small business strengths	9	(1)
SBIR and STTR programs	10	(3)
Organizing your company to acquire new business	13	(4)
Effective strategic and mission planning	17	(2)
Converting knowledge into proposal success	19	(12)
Knowledge management and proposal development	21	(3)
Internal and external clients: Looking at clients in a whole new way	24	(7)
Strategic partnering and subcontracting opportunities	31	(12)
Subcontracting opportunities and pathways to success	32	(2)
Specific strategies for achieving subscontracts	34	(3)
Becoming part of a government-wide acquisition contract (GWAC) team	37	(1)
Streamlined delegation of authority process	38	(1)
How mentor-protege programs can help your business	39	(4)
Marketing to and with your clients	43	(28)
More than just selling	43	(2)
Transactions are personal	45	(1)
Listen to your client	46	(1)
Infuse the marketing intelligence into your proposal	47	(2)
Intelligence gathering and analysis techniques	49	(3)
Call plans	52	(5)
Maintain management visibility on your contracts	57	(1)
Project managers as client managers	58	(2)
Commercial-off-the-shelf acquisition	60	(1)
Pursuing firm fixed price and invitation for bid opportunities	61	(1)
Using a request for information and request for comment as valuable marketing tools	62	(1)
Standard form 129s and contractor prequalification statements	63	(1)
Ethics in marketing and business development	64	(1)
Advertising, trade shows, and high-impact public relations	65	(6)
Request for proposals	71	(12)
Overview	71	(2)
PART I---the schedule	73	(1)
PART II---contract clauses	73	(1)
PART III---list of documents, exhibits, and other attachments	74	(1)
PART IV---representations and certifications	74	(1)
The importance of Section L (instructions to offerors)	74	(3)
Section M (evaluation criteria): Toward a maximum score	77	(1)
Greatest value approach	77	(1)
Emphasis on performance-based contracting	78	(1)
Influencing the content of an RFP---legitimately	79	(1)
Other types of solicitation documents	80	(3)
Private-sector solicitation requests	83	(4)
The federal acquisition process: new directions	87	(28)
Overview	87	(1)
Statutory and regulatory requirements for competition	88	(1)
The source selection process	89	(3)
Full and open competition	92	(1)
Major contract types	93	(1)
Significant recent paradigm shifts in federal government acquisition	93	(1)
National Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR)	94	(2)
Understanding the impact of the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994	96	(3)
Federal acquisition computer network	99	(2)
Benefits of electronic data interchange	101	(1)
Understanding ANSI X12 standards	101	(1)
Sources of information on EC/EDI and acquisition reform	102	(4)
Department of Defense Electronic Commerce Office	106	(1)
DoD Electronic Commerce Information Center (ECIC)	106	(1)
DoD electronic commerce/electronic data interchange infrastructure	107	(1)
Using value-added networks and value-added services	107	(2)
Electronic Bid Sets (EBS)	109	(1)
Electronic commerce outside of DoD	110	(5)
The proposal life cycle	115	(28)
What is a proposal in the competitive federal and commerical marketplace?	115	(3)
Where does the proposal fit into the total marketing life cycle?	118	(9)
Bid/no bid decision-making process	127	(2)
Planning and organizing	129	(6)
Draft executive summary	129	(1)
Theme development	130	(3)
Bullet drafts/storyboards	133	(2)
Kickoff meeting	135	(1)
Writing	136	(1)
Major contractor review cycles	136	(3)
Blue Team/Pink Team	137	(1)
Red Team	137	(2)
Gold Team	139	(1)
Black Team	139	(1)
Preparing for orals and best and final offer	139	(1)
Debriefings (refer to FAR 15.1003)	140	(3)
Major proposal components	143	(22)
Overview	143	(1)
Transmittal letter	144	(1)
Technical volume	145	(9)
Front Cover	145	(2)
Disclosure statement on the title page	147	(1)
Executive summary	148	(1)
Building a compliance (cross-reference) matrix	149	(1)
Narrative body of the technical volume	150	(4)
Management volume	154	(7)
Cost volume	161	(1)
Government contract requirements	162	(3)
Acquisition and proposal team activities	165	(8)
Formation and function of acquisition teams	165	(1)
Pre-kickoff activities	166	(3)
Proposal kickoff meeting	169	(3)
Post-kickoff activities	172	(1)
The role of the proposal manager	173	(18)
Overview	173	(2)
Generalized job description	175	(7)
The growing importance of oral presentations	182	(1)
Attending to the details	183	(1)
Control of the schedule	184	(3)
Training additional staff in proposal management skills	187	(1)
Finish the job at hand	187	(1)
Successful proposal managers	188	(3)
Structuring international proposals	191	(42)
Overview	191	(1)
The importance of the World Bank group	192	(3)
Your company's participation in United Nations procurements	195	(2)
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)	197	(3)
Asian Development Bank (ADB)	200	(1)
International market planning	200	(2)
In-country partnerships	202	(1)
Host country procurement environments	202	(1)
Import-export considerations and technology transfer	203	(1)
Risk assessment	203	(1)
Terms and conditions	203	(2)
Export-Import Bank of the United States assists small businesses	205	(1)
Helpful Web-based resources and in-country support infrastructures for small businesses	206	(17)
MERX: Canada's national electronic tendering service	206	(1)
Government Supplies Department (GSD) Hong Kong, China	207	(2)
Euro Info Centres (EIC)	209	(1)
British Overseas Trade Bureau (BOTB)	210	(1)
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) (UK)	210	(4)
Export Market Information Centre (EMIC)	214	(1)
European Procurement Information Network (EPIN) (Ireland)	215	(1)
Office of Public Works (OPW) (Ireland)	215	(1)
SIMAP (European Commission)	216	(1)
THEMiS: The System for Regulated Procurement	216	(1)
Procurement Information Online (PIO) (Germany)	217	(1)
Confederation of German Trade Fair and Exhibition industries (AUMA)	217	(1)
Das Gepa-Projekt (Marketing Assistance Programs for eastern German enterprises)	218	(1)
French Committee for External Economic Events (CFME)	218	(1)
Contracts and Tenders Worldwide (CTW)	219	(1)
JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization)	219	(1)
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)	219	(1)
Government Electronic Marketplace Service (GEMS) (Australia)	220	(1)
Tender I.N.F.O. (Electronic Tendering and Procurement Network)	220	(1)
Australian Trade Commission Online (Austrade)	220	(1)
Arabnet: Reaching the Arab World in the Middle East and North Africa	221	(1)
Stat-USA GLOBUS Information System	222	(1)
The Unisphere Institute, U.S. SBA, NASA, and International Marketing	223	(1)
British-American Business Council (BABC)	224	(1)
U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA)	225	(1)
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)	226	(7)
Proposal production/publication	233	(20)
Internal documentation standards	235	(1)
Document configuration management and version control	236	(1)
Freelance and temporary publication staff	237	(1)
Incorporating technical brilliance up to the last minute	238	(1)
Graphics are an integral part of your proposal	239	(3)
Action captions	240	(1)
Configuration control of graphics	241	(1)
Role and structure of your publications group	242	(1)
Software and hardware compatibility, standards, and recommendations	243	(2)
Electronic proposal submittal and evaluation	245	(1)
Important documentation tips	246	(2)
Virtual proposal centers, intranets, and extranets	248	(1)
Using freelance proposal writers to maintain technical productivity	249	(4)
Human and organizational dynamics of the proposal process	253	(10)
Modifying our thinking to win	254	(1)
Building a competitive work ethic	255	(1)
Strong link between project performance and proposal success	256	(1)
Proposals can be fun!	257	(1)
Maximizing human intellect	258	(2)
Proposal professionals as ``change agents''	260	(1)
Wellness in your proposal process	261	(2)
Controlling bid and proposal costs	263	(8)
What does it cost to get new business, and how are those costs recovered?	264	(1)
Tracking B&P expenditures	265	(1)
Business development bonus policy	266	(2)
Stretching limited marketing funds	268	(3)
Tried and true proposal writing and editing techniques	271	(12)
Proposals are knowledge-based sales documents	271	(3)
Active voice adds strength and saves space	274	(1)
Guide the client's evaluators through your proposal	275	(3)
Action captions	278	(1)
Methods of enhancing your proposal writing and editing	279	(2)
Government-recognized writing standards	281	(1)
Additional sources of writing guidance	282	(1)
Packaging and managing proposal information effectively	283	(16)
Overview	283	(1)
The all-important resumes	284	(3)
Project descriptions (project summaries)	287	(2)
Proposal boilerplate (``canned'' or ``reuse'' material)	289	(2)
Marketing targets	291	(1)
Corporate library	291	(2)
Proposal ``lessons learned'' database	293	(2)
Applying IT solutions: Evolutionary informational data systems	295	(2)
Lotus-Notes scenarios	295	(1)
CD-ROM scenarios	296	(1)
Intranet scenarios	297	(1)
Leveraging federal performance appraisal systems to your company's benefit	297	(2)
Leveraging business complexity in a knowledge-based economy	299	(16)
Turbulent transition toward knowledge-based business	299	(3)
How to communicate effectively on your knowledge landscape	302	(3)
Envisioning supple business models	305	(4)
Sample application: Tracing complexity and knowledge management through the proposal development process	309	(1)
Summation	310	(5)
Planning and producing SF254/255 responses for architect-engineer services	315	(80)
SF254/255 and the FAR	315	(10)
Understanding the required structure of the response	325	(1)
Overall strategy of response	325	(3)
Build Block 7 first	328	(1)
Block 8: Selling your project experience	329	(1)
Block 10: Structure according to the evaluation criteria	330	(1)
Block 10 outlining	330	(1)
Other Blocks	331	(1)
Subcontractor participation	332	(2)
Building teaming agreements	334	(3)
Epilogue
Thinking to win small business competitive proposals	337	(4)
Appendix A
One agency's response to acquisition streamlining	341	(1)
The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) new Acquisition Management System (AMS)	341	(8)
Appendix B
Sample Proposal Kickoff Package	349	(14)
Appendix C
Template to capture important resume information	363	(4)
Appendix D
Marketing information and intelligence sources: federal, international, and private sector	367	(1)
D.1 Sources of federal marketing leads and information	368	(9)
D.2 Sources of international marketing leads and information	377	(1)
D.3 Sources of U.S. private-sector marketing leads and information	378	(3)
Appendix E
Glossary of proposal-related terms	381	(14)
Selected list of acronyms and abbreviations	395	(40)
Selected bibliography	435	(18)
About the author	453	(4)
Index	457