Government Contracts California Proposal Writing Tips

By Frank Jones


Federal indentures are a very lucrative business. However, learning how to acquire projects takes time, effort and investment. That's what the following article will be looking at specifically on government contracts California proposal writing tips.

When approaching Federal Government Contracting, most small businesses, particularly those new to the industry, focus on the "top line" - the winning of the award. While this, of course, is a key ingredient of creating a successful government contracting business, it is ONLY the beginning of the process. A far too often mistake many small businesses make to assume that everything will go well if they perform and deliver with excellence. In practice, however, nothing can be further from reality.

Agencies are now leaning towards trade-offs to justify their best value determinations. Lowest price does not necessarily get the award. As former regime contracting officials and members of source selection teams, we have reviewed eloquent proposals and perfected efforts by technical writers - we know firsthand that only the proposals that have substance and give the added value and what source-selection officials want to know win the contract.

The first thing to consider when responding to a multi-million dollar offer is whether you have the budget to do what it takes to win. The response is not specific and to the point. Government RFP preparation requires the bidder to articulate the key areas to the solicitation. Never try to write a book and expect the agency to understand what you are trying to say. Proposal writers must be very specific and to the point. When grading proposals, the regime places a significant emphasis and weight on the bidder's technical approach.

You also have extra external work scrutiny, which is frequently very precarious. And it's much more paperwork-intensive: payroll, legal (lien) documentation and tech submittals, just to name a few areas. Since the regime archetypally requires more paperwork, many trades never enter the bazaar. So what's in it for those who do? Is it worth it?

To be sure, this accounting requirement is necessary though many wish there were some differentiation between a small company with a couple of contracts and Boeing, Halliburton, or Xi Services. Unfortunately, with some relatively minor exceptions, all companies have to implement the same basic accounting system regardless of size, the scope of operation, or revenue numbers. Further, this system must conform to a rather strict set of rules and regulations dictated by various components of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).

Congress has suggested that taxpayers' money should get the "best bang." Since the government buys commercial services and products, bidding on government contracts should incorporate factors commonly used in the commercial industry. This includes warranties, discounts for volume, accelerated schedules, etc. At Watson & Associates, our success stems from the ability to help you to see the big picture in federal procurement and educate the agency when writing regime proposals.

One of the most attractive features of the SBIR program that you do not even have to have a formal company set up before you may submit a proposal. We submitted our first set of proposals under my personal Social Security number. The next is only to set up a company after we won our first contract from the Air Force Research Laboratories.




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