Kevin M Jans President Prior US Government Contracting Officer Skyway Acquisition Solutions, LLC

 16 years as a Department of Defense contracting officer  Air Force Material Command, Air Force Space Command  US Special Operations Command  Contracts from $92,000 - $882 Mil  Bought aircraft, weapons, engineering services, specialized vehicles, maintenance services, space systems, simulators, medical equipment, body armor, radios, R&D, professional services…  Certified Federal Contracts Manager (NCMA)  Certified in Contracting and Program Management (DAU)  NOTE: I present as if I’m still a Contracting Officer Kevin M. Jans 2 © Skyway Acquisition Solutions, LLC

How to find the RIGHT opportunity How to WIN the contract 3 The Universal B2G Problem (B2G = Business to Gov’t) 3 © Skyway Acquisition Solutions, LLC

Who is YOUR customer? You know, don’t you? Some agencies who buy services in Florida, or have buyers in Florida : DOD 3 SOCOM VA NOAA DHS DOS DLA USACE USCG NPS DOJ DARPAUSFS Size of Market 4 © Skyway Acquisition Solutions, LLC

Military & Coast Guard Bases in Florida Does not include Reserve bases, VA, civilian agencies… 5 © Skyway Acquisition Solutions, LLC

How does the government buy? 6

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GPC Use Preferred Best Value Source Selection Lowest-Price Technically Acceptable Price- Performance Trade-Off Simplified Acquisition Procedures Simplified Acquisition Procedures Sealed Bidding Sealed Bidding Micro Purchase Micro Purchase Time Value Evaluation Criteria Complexity Some Acquisition Strategies 8 © Skyway Acquisition Solutions, LLC

Price Technical Ability Past Performance …Through Process The Acquisition Strategy details how each of these required elements will relate in the award decision. FAR

 Program Manager (PM)  The end customer. Is or represents the “user”  Interacts with industry for information (conferences, etc.)  Focus: market research, relationships, knowledge, solutions  Contracting Officer (CO or KO)  Connect Customer with Industry (manage business relationship)  Determine / approve acquisition strategy  Negotiate with offers and is only one who can sign the contract  Focus: competition, process and documentation  1/3 have less than 5 years of experience  Does NOT work for PM (by regulation) 10 …Key Personnel 10 © Skyway Acquisition Solutions, LLC

What do you need to do? 11

 There is no short cut  There is a lot to learn  Can take up to a year for first win  Estimate $93,000 of “effort” until first contract  Submit up to 12 proposals before you win  If it were easy…  Less than 1% of US businesses in USG market Know Your Commitment Level (Expectation Management) 12 © Skyway Acquisition Solutions, LLC

 Have a plan: “Hope (and darts) is not a plan”  Set federal business baseline (i.e. SAM, SB Status, NAICS, etc)  Determine breadth of federal market  Obtain any special skills/knowledge  Identify Target Agencies  Avenue of Approach (Sub vs. Prime)  Target opportunities you can WIN  Build and Submit a high probability proposal 13  Tampa SBDC

 Identify Target Market (Agency, Base, DODAAC) Who Buys Your Goods or Services? When? How do they buy? (GSA, Source Selection, SAP)? Whom do they buy from? (SB, WOSB, LB) Do these align with your capability, strength, status?  Have a Deliberate Bid / No Bid Process The CO is “Trying to Get One” – You Should Be Too Given LOTS of Opportunities (See Target Market) – Find a Reason NOT to Bid Four R’s (Relationship, Response, Resources, Revenue) 14 © Skyway Acquisition Solutions

 The Evaluators “Already Know What We Can Do” FAR (a) “...assessment of the proposal...”  The Small Details Don’t Matter in the Big Picture Ex. FAR , Limitations on Subcontracting  Proposals are a Good Marketing Tool So is junk mail, but proposals are expensive  The “Wind-Up-Doll” Sales Approach Wins Business Perhaps, but it is expensive – in time, energy, and image  You Can Win Work You Find After RFP Release Many have done it, of course, but at what cost? 15 Proposal Myths 15 © Skyway Acquisition Solutions, LLC