US Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District Proposal Writing Tips Presented by Cheryl W. Chandler March 6, 2013

Pre-Proposal Tips  Register in the System for Award Management (SAM)  Refer to Federal Business Opportunities,

Pre-Proposal Tips  Visit the web site for the Division, District, or Laboratory with which you want to do business in order to learn about the missions and the types of services/supplies each office procures.

Get to Know the SB Deputy  Discuss your capabilities, interest and capacities to perform with the Deputy for Small Business or Contracting Office at the location of interest to you  Ask for a copy of the forecast and ask if other projects are in the pipeline  Ask to give a capability presentation

Pre Proposal Tips  Some Corps websites no longer list its business opportunities but will provide a link to the FBO.gov the site that does  Most Corps websites link to other Corps sites  The SB Deputy will give you information about upcoming work prior to it being advertised  Let your contact know what you have been doing  Attend small business conferences

10 Tips to Improve Your Proposal Working for the Corps

Winning Proposals  It all begins with the RFP or solicitation…

Tip # 1 Read the RFP thoroughly!  Ask questions early to ensure there is sufficient time to respond  Pay attention to the criteria order and weights – it indicates what is important to us Proposal Prep Tips

Tip #2 - Understand the Type of RFP  How will source selection be accomplished? Lowest Price Technically Acceptable Best Value Trade Off

Proposal Prep Tips Tip #3 - Address all aspects of the Criteria  Create a matrix of Section or the Scope of Work, by paragraph, with each requirement to use as a checklist to ensure your proposal is complete.  Include your checklist with your proposal.

Proposal Prep Tips Tip #4 - Be succinct  Avoid being too wordy  Use bullets, underlines, bolding  When a limited page count is provided – stick to it!

Proposal Prep Tips Tip #5 - Your experience should relate to the project in terms of scope, size, $ value, complexity  Should be recent – within the past 5-10 years or as required by RFP  Be clear – is it experience of firm or people? Or, is it experience of subcontractor or mentor?

Proposal Prep Tips Tip #6 - Make sure qualifications of staff match RFP  Ensure each team member’s qualifications address EACH ASPECT of the criteria  List relevant experience of team members  Ensure team members are available

Proposal Prep Tips Tip #7- Organization Chart – Who’s in Charge?  Identify one person to be in charge of entire team  Person should be from YOUR company, not a subcontractor or your mentor  Indicate clear lines of communication  Identify person and company (with location) for each role

Proposal Prep Tips Tip # 8 - Address Quality  Include the quality team on the Organization Chart – even if not required  Quality is important to us – indicate it’s important to you  Show/describe how the quality control team interacts with the execution team

Working for the Corps Tip #9 - Address Performance Problems Head-On  Get copies of your Construction Contractor Appraisal Support System (CCASS) evaluations.  Explain any “Marginal” or “Unsatisfactory” items within the evaluation as well as overall ratings.  Check out the past performance of your proposed subcontractors.

Working for the Corps Tip #10 - QC your Proposal  Have an independent reviewer ensure all items are addressed (someone not involved in putting the proposal together).  If you copy another proposal, make sure you only refer to the current project.  Uze spel cheque!

Contact Information My address: Phone number:

Questions?

Factors: Read the RFP-CAREFULLY! Answer questions in RFP Experience and resumes Familiarity with type of work and local area Past performance Available resources Info on subs May be okay and maybe not Cost breakouts If unsure –ASK QUESTIONS! Technical vs Procedural Page limit Show that can make timely completion KOs, PM, Prog Manager and A/E Negotiators

Factors: Must be registered in Sam and must be current CCASS/ACASS us be updated Cover letters must match proposal Past performance must be broken down Must show experience relevant to project If SBSA, team with SB many don’t Must show SSB that you can self-perform Can’t use projects of past employer but can be used on resume Be concise no filers If proposal good-won’t be knocked out if small Less is more straight to the point include only essential material Avoid jargon No typos Describe benefits not features

Proposal Issues Omissions Failure to respond to RFP requirements Proposal only cut and paste form other document

Working For The Corps  Visit the web site for the division, district, or laboratory with which you want to do business in order to learn about the missions and the types of services/supplies each office procures.  Afterwards— make an appointment to meet with the small business program manager face-to-face.

Working For The Corps  Discuss your capabilities, interest and capacity to perform with the Small Business Program Manager or with a Contracting Officer in the area where you want to work  Ask for the forecast of upcoming work  Also, ask for their Department of Defense Activity Address Code (DODAAC)  Search FedBizOpps.gov regularly using the DODAAC  Respond to Sources Sought Notices

Working For The Corps  Check out announcements of Business Opportunity Conferences, workshops, trade fairs and other federally sponsored or attended liaison meetings in your area  These events create great networking opportunities  Visit a Corp website; they all link to each other

Working For The Corps  Discuss your capabilities, interest and capacity to perform with the Small Business Program Manager or with a Contracting Officer in the area where you want to work  Ask for the forecast of upcoming work  Also, ask for their Department of Defense Activity Address Code (DODAAC)  Search FedBizOpps.gov regularly using the DODAAC  Respond to Sources Sought Notices