1. Tim Linker NC Procurement Technical Assistance Center NC State University

2.  PTAC Program was Established by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) in 1986.  Headquartered at NC State, NC PTAC functions as the government procurement extension service of the University of North Carolina System.  NC PTAC assists with all levels of government contracting (local, state, and federal).  From 2004-2006, NC PTAC assisted NC business in obtaining $4 billion dollars of government contracting.

3.  Finding available resources to identify government opportunities  Understanding government rules and regulations  Completing necessary government registrations  Completing government certifications  Understanding solicitation requirements  Responding to a solicitation  Reviewing completed bids  Researching award histories  Getting paid

4. Creating a win-win team.

5.  What is required for the particular project? ◦ Are you building a hospital, commissary, or water treatment plant?  What are your core competencies and where will you need assistance?  Who are you working with now or in the past? ◦ Has it been successful or worked well?  What are your potential partner’s strengths and weaknesses? ◦ Key: Does your potential partner have the ability to act as a team player and possess the requisite knowledge base?

6. 1. Skill Level 2. Reputation 3. Relevancy/Past Performance 4. Rapport/Communication 5. Technical Competence 6. Commitment to Creating the Best Value 7. Commitment to Containing Costs 8. Resources

7.  Explicitly define the roles and responsibilities for each partner.  What is the best way to bind the partners together for this project? 1.Teaming Agreement o AGC Document No. 499, Teaming Agreement for Design-Build Project 2.Joint Venture (JV) 3.Partnership 4.Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) 5.S-Corporation

8.  Determining who is the lead on the project ◦ Which partner discovered/marketed the project, and do they have an existing relationship with the buying entity? ◦ Who brings the greatest amount of resources to the project ? ◦ Who has the greatest amount of risk involved in the project? ◦ Who has the greatest amount of integration experience?

9. The art of convincing the Government Evaluators that your proposal is the best.

10. What not to do in your proposal preparation!

11.  Your team must be able not only to comprehend a RFP, but accurately to demonstrate that comprehension while proposing and describing an effective solution to the issue at hand.

12.  Get the correct solicitation and keep checking for amendments or modifications.  Determine the solicitation and contract type.  Assemble all the attachments and materials incorporated by reference (FAR clauses, etc.).  Read the entire solicitation… twice. ◦ Many companies do not fully comprehend what they are being asked to provide and, consequently, are not able to provide a proposal that completely meets the requirements of the solicitation.

13.  Federal solicitations provide you with details of what the government wants and with details of how it will evaluate your proposal.  For instance, Solicitation # (R3-07-19a) ◦ Lost Lodge Ranger Station, US Forest Service, USDA  Section C, Statement of Work: Provides a detailed description of what the government is seeking.  Design on the construction of four buildings (23K sq. ft. total)  Section M, Evaluation Factors of Award  Technical Approach: 25 %, LEED Silver Certification and Energy Star methodologies  Past Performance: 75%, Quality of Product/Service, Timeliness of Performance, Business Relations

14.  Make a proposal requirements task list and a contract performance task list.  Create a plan that details what the responsibilities of each team member are and when each task is due.  Focus on meeting the proposal due date.  Provide all the required information in enough detail so that the evaluators know that you understand the requirements thoroughly. ◦ Follow the solicitations format!  Page limits, numbering, section titles, etc.

15.  Gather, assemble, compile, and edit all the items specified by the task lists you created.  Arrange them in the specified sequence.  Prepare a brief cover letter or executive summary.  Provide the required number of copies of the proposal in the layout the solicitation dictates.

16. Identify & Gather Define & Analyze Plan & Execute Assemble & Edit Submit & Debrief

17.  Follow all the instructions.  Follow the sequence.  Focus on the customer’s mission and goals.  A proposal’s purpose is to describe in detail what you can do to support the mission.  Check and recheck your cost data.  Start with the executive summary and end with a full-scale bragging section. In between, provide supportable facts.

18.  Responsive: Did your submit the required documents in the required format?  Responsible: Is your company qualified and eligible to receive the contract/award?  Competitive: Is your price “fair and reasonable” under the circumstances?  Technically Acceptable: Does your product meet the customer’s requirement?

19. What you need to know.

20.  The federal government has social goals that it tries to satisfy through Preference Programs. ◦ Federal goals 1.Small Business: 23% 2.Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB)/8(a): 5% * 3.Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB): 5% 4.Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Zone: 3% * 5.Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB): 3%  Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 19.702 requires that all construction projects over $1 million dollars must have an approved subcontracting plan. * Small Business Administration (SBA) Certified Preference Programs

21.  FAR Clause 52.219-9 provides a model subcontracting outline ◦ Elements include:  Type of subcontracting plan: Master, Individual  Goals for each type of segment: VOSDB, SDB, WOSB, etc.  Description of supplies and services to be subcontracted  Method of identifying sources and developing goal percentages  Individual responsible for the subcontracting program  Description of the efforts to identify subcontractors  Various assurances of reporting and clause flow down  Record keeping requirements

23. 920 Main Campus Drive, Venture II, Suite 101 Centennial Campus, NCSU Raleigh, NC 27606 919.424.4453, tlinker@sbtdc.org WWW.NCPTAC.ORG