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Enhanced Registrations for More Exposure in the Contracting Marketplace

Scott Knapp Deputy Director Kansas PTAC

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Agenda

• Kansas PTAC Overview • Enhanced Registrations for More

Exposure in the Contracting Marketplace • Example of Capabilities Narratives

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Kansas PTAC Overview

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Assists Kansas businesses in locating, obtaining and performing federal, state and local government contracts.

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PTAC Program History

• Created by Congress in 1985 to assist businesses in the government procurement arena.

• Funded through a cooperative agreement with the Defense Logistics Agency.

• Funded in part by Wichita State University, Pittsburg State University, Johnson County Community College, City of Wichita and GO Topeka.

• Frequently hosted by universities with a cost sharing grant or cooperative agreement.

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National PTAC Programs

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Counseling Services

• Contractor Registrations & Certifications

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Counseling Services Continued

• One-on-One Counseling

• Marketing Plan for Selling to the Government

• Assistance with Socio-economic Applications

• Procurement History

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Counseling Services Continued

• Identify Current Bidding Opportunities • Bid/Quote Proposal Preparation

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Counseling Services Continued

Training on government

contracting and registrations

Marketing planning

Finding and bidding on

opportunities

Performing on the contract Delivery Billing

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Enhanced Registrations for More Exposure in the Contracting Marketplace

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Specifically, we are talking about:

Enhancing Your Registration in the

Dynamic Small Business, Search After Completing Your SAM Registration

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As a Small Business This is Your Opportunity to Tell Government Officials About Your Company

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These People Access the Dynamic Small Business Search as Part of Their Market Research

• Contracting Officers and Specialists • Project Managers • Technical Personnel • Small Business Specialists • SBA Procurement Center Representatives • Purchase Card Holders (Who can purchase products and

services without bidding)

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Federal Contracting Officials

As a part of their market research are directed to look to the Dynamic Small Business Search to determine if there are companies that may be able to provide the needed good or service to the government.

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Those Officials Then Do a Keyword Search

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Now We Do a NAICS Search

Looking up “Composites” by keyword search showed only 5 companies. A NAICS (North American Industry Code Classification System)code search for 336413 (Other Aircraft Part and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing) brought up 45 companies, many of which have the word “Composite” in their name, but no capability narrative.

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What Does That All Mean?

If a contracting official is looking for composite manufacturers in the Wichita area for a project, only 5 of a potential 45 will show up in the search because there are no keywords nor proper keywords in the Capability Narrative. Even if you do show up in a search, what we hear from Contracting Officers is that they don’t know what you do, so you are just ignored in their search for businesses that might be able to complete their project. This means you could be left out of potential jobs.

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Statewide

We have recently done a study of the number of Kansas companies with a profile in the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) and then how many of those companies have completed the Capability Narrative. Total companies in DSBS system – 2,490 Total companies with Capability Narrative – 619 % of companies with Capability Narrative – 25%

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Reasons This Becomes Important

• As agencies are looking for businesses to buy goods and services that are expected to cost less than $25,000, they will be doing keyword searches to find firms. In this type purchase they are only searching for three responsible firms to bid. Wouldn’t it be good for your business to only be competing against two other firms?

• This is also where contracting officials are looking to see if they can set aside projects for small businesses and socio economic set asides. The more information they have on the capabilities of small businesses the better chance that these can be set aside for those small businesses.

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So How Do I Enhance My Capability Narrative?

• Previously, you would go to the Dynamic Small Business area at the end of your SAM registration. As you completed the Points of Contact information in Your SAM registration, you would see the logo and information beside it that would take you to the Dynamic Small Business area to input information.

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We No Longer Recommend That You Click On That Link

Because of issues with the linkage from SAM to the Dynamic Small Business System (DSBS) system we are no longer recommending that you connect and complete the registration through this process. The SAM registration system is maintained by General Services Administration (GSA)and the Small Business Administration (SBA) maintains the DSBS system.

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Now We Recommend

• Wait until your SAM registration has been completed with your Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code assigned.

• Then go to the SBA website to access the General Login System (GLS).

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GLS Login System

• https://eweb.sba.gov

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Creating a GLS Login

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Be Prepared

You want to make sure you are putting in all the keywords that you can that will describe your business to contracting officials. NAICS codes are very broad so you need to explain exactly what it is you can do for the agency. This is more about the services or products, not so much about how many years you have been in business or that you provide top-notch service.

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We Often Tell People

Think of what words a person would be putting in for a Google search to find your business.

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Google Search for DSBS

• SBA - Could Not Set Session Cookies dsbs.sba.gov/dsbs/search/dsp_dsbs.cfm?CleaningPass=Cookies Your attempt to go to http://dsbs.sba.gov/dsbs/search/dsp_dsbs.cfm failed. Usually this is because your browser does not have "Session Cookies" enabled.

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Others That Might Look at Your Profile

• Prime Contractors also are searching in DSBS when looking for subcontractors. An example of that would be the companies working on the NBAF facility at Manhattan. The prime contractors on that project, which is around $800 million plus, have told us they used the DSBS to find subcontractors to invite to their industry days. Other prime contractors do the same thing.

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Another Group of Businesses That Might Look at Your Profile

• There may be other small businesses that are interested in finding partners to joint venture or team with them to complete projects.

• A new SBA rule that is less than one year old allows for small businesses that are similarly situated to join forces on a project through teaming arrangements or joint ventures to compete for a job that has requirements for self performance by the prime contractor. The new rules says these small businesses may join forces to meet the self performance rules.

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Capabilities Narrative Examples

NOTE!! The information on these next few pages is exactly taken from the company capability narrative. Any mistakes are as they appear in the narrative. Be very careful to proofread your capability narrative.

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Capability Narrative of Industrial Warehouse Company

• STORAGE RACK; SHELVING; MEZZANINES; CONVEYORS; MODULAR OFFICES; BUILDINGS; DOCK EQUIPMENT; SCISSOR LIFTS; BRIDGE CRANES; VERTICAL LIFTS; PALLET JACKS; WORK STATIONS; WIRE PARTITIONS; WIRE CONTAINERS; WASTE HANDLING; CLEAN ROOMS; STRETCH WRAP MACHINES;

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Capability Narrative of an Engineering Company

• An engineering consulting firm specializing in the design of lighting, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, security and fire protection systems for commercial, corporate, health, educational,& industrial warehouse facilities.

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Capability Narrative of Computer Forensics Company

• On-site or off-site computer forensics, data recovery/extraction. Hard drive and PDA data recovery. Recovery available 24 hrs day, 7 days week. Turn around 48-96 hrs. Competative with GSA pricing.

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Capabilities Narrative Continued

• Dice Communications is a woman-owned business headquartered in Omaha, NE with personnel in over 10 states from coast to coast. Zach and Tina Dice are the managing partners of this business and our company services include design, integration, implementation, service and maintenance support for voice, data, WLAN, security, routers, switches, firewalls, and carrier communications that include IP Routing, Microwave, and MPLS.

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Capability Narrative Continued

• Since 1983, Brand's has worked with thousands of businesses and organizations to help build their their image, and promote their products and services.

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Capability Narrative Continued

• We are a 121 year old, 4th generation owned small business. We manufacture pre-inked and rubber stamps, time stamps, daters, engraved signage and seals.

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Capability Narrative for Fire Protection Company

• Fire protection engineering, code analysis, design services, fire modeling, third-party plan and drawing reviews, risk assessments, construction management, system activation, inspection and testing, and fire investigation and legal support

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Capability Narrative for Coaching Company

• Services include: Coaching (Individual, Business, Team, Executive, & Group), Facilitation, Training, Leadership Development, Mentoring, & Consulting in the areas of: •Facilitation & team building •Market strategy & execution •Goal establishment & execution •Succeeding in ambiguous situations •Strategic planning •Product development •Process development & improvement •Project & Program management •Relationship building •Creating a coaching culture •Regional/Urban Planning Possibility Lab LLC engages in creating leaders by seeing leadership as an activity (not a position) and as something that everyone can learn and do. This viewpoint is developed from the teaching leadership curriculum and the leadership concepts imparted by the Kansas Leadership Center, including managing self, energizing others, skillful interventions, & situation diagnosis for approaching adaptive challenges (including using Case-in-Point, Case Studies, & Storytelling).

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Capabilities Narrative Continued

• Cash-Wa is the 18th largest Broadline Foodservice Distributor in the nation. Cash-Wa is proud to provide you with a wide variety of products, services, and expertise to help better establish you as a profitable foodservice operation. We provide a wide variaty of products from food industry equipment, cleaning equipment & supplies to food/grocery products. Some of those products are: Our cleaning product lines include: Warewashing, Laundry, Janitorial, Floor Care, and Water Treatment. The grocery products range from: poultry, meats, cereals, condiments, frozen foods, etc. We also supply kitchen appliances such as: Ovens, Coolers, and Freezers. We have 2 complete distribution centers, multiple shuttle locations, and several sales offices with representatives serving all or part of 11 Great Plains States.

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Capability Narrative Continued

• For over 20 years, QAT Global has been an innovation partner delivering high quality results on time and on budget. QAT Global provides a comprehensive range of technical and strategic consulting services; we focus on how IT can make a real difference to your business by building in agility, streamlining business processes, integrating data assets in new ways, and transforming technical assets. We also help our clients quickly get to market with new or enhanced products including custom software solutions, web software, desktop software, line of business applications, mobile applications, third-party integrations, e-commerce solutions, content management systems, rich internet applications, and mainframe applications.QAT Global has a flexible operating model, we work with each of our clients to determine the right fit and we design an approach that will work the most effectively for each client.For more information please visit us at www.qat.com

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www.kansasptac.org

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Upcoming Training

Socio-economic Set Aside Programs: What Contractors Need to Know

Presentation by Steve Koprince

Government Contracting Attorney In Wichita on Wednesday, April 26

In Overland Park on Wednesday, May 24