Sole Source and Unsolicited Proposals Webinar

OST Global Solutions, Inc. Copyright © 2013www.ostglobalsolutions.com ● Tel. 301-384-3350 ● [email protected]

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OST Global Solutions, Inc.Office: 301-384-3350Email: [email protected]: www.ostglobalsolutions.com

Sole Source and Unsolicited Proposals


About the Instructor Olessia Smotrova-Taylor, AF.APMP President/CEO and BD/Capture SME• Won $19 billion in new business• President of APMP-NCA • 18 years’ BD experience, including 4

out of top 5 government contractors• Author of How to Get Government

Contracts: Have a Slice of a $1 Trillion Pie

Get your copy on Amazon


OST Global Solutions, Inc. ProfileMetro Washington DC proposal house and government contractor helping businesses

grow organically through end-to-end BD support and training

Bid & Proposal Academy with a certification program

and courses attended by the top Federal contractors

900+ fully vetted capture and proposal managers, technical writers, graphic

artists, orals coaches, editors, subject matter experts, and other proposal support

Track record supporting 18 out of the top 20 Federal Contractors, winning $18 Billion

since 2005Government

Contracting

Bid & Proposal

Academy

Process

Improvement

BD Services

Proposal

Support

Capture

andFull Lifecycle

Services to

Help You Grow


1. Identify opportunities and customers

2. Avoid competition altogether by adding scope to an existing vehicle, or getting a sole source award

3. Reduce competitor pool by:

o Type of competition

o Invoking NAICS small business size limits

o Driving an opportunity to a specific MAC vehicle or Federal Supply Schedule

4. Get the customer EXCITED, looking forward to receive your proposal and award the contract to you

5. Make EVERY preparation step serve the purpose of writing a highly compelling proposal

Goals of Business Development and CaptureOne of the many modules from the Foundations of Federal Business Development Course

BD

Capture


Sole Source Awards

o The “Holy Grail” of government contracting because of no resources required to write a competitive proposal

o The Achilles’ Heel of the companies who over-rely on them

o Much reviled in the press

o Misunderstood and underused by many government contractors, and used liberally by others

o Streamlined acquisitions and negotiations process that alleviates 60-90 days

o Lets the government use the qualified contractor of choice

o Helps reach small business goals

Sole-source contracts are cheaper and easier for the government to award, because awarding a competitive contract takes a tremendous amount of work, even more than preparing the sole-source contract paperwork

Bad Reputation Reasons:• Poor optics:

• Looks like bribery and favoritism• Perception of not saving Government money

• Agencies don’t exactly follow the rules:• Ex: IG reviewed 107 DOD contracts valued at $1.4

billion, and another $500M of contract modifications• Found that DOD’s competition advocates failed to

follow single-bid guidance in 31 cases• The Pentagon also neglected to “develop adequate

plans to increase competition because Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy (DPAP) did not provide effective oversight of the plans”

• DOD did not develop specific steps to improve competition rates in their plans or “develop specific steps to prevent 39 of 47 contract modifications, valued at $390.9 million, from exceeding the three-year limitation on awarding contract modifications without first recompeting.”

Government Executive, Oct 2012


Sole Source Process for Large Business

1. Determine the need for sole source contract

2. Develop an RFQ or RFP and request the proposal or quote

3. Vendor (BDer) responds with quote (technical and price proposals) with good J&A fodder

4. The government evaluates the offer and prepares the J&A using the proper J&A form

5. The government obtains approval from the appropriate authority

6. The government requests Procurement office to issue a PO for a Sole Source Contract

BDer submits

unsolicited proposal

BDer learns

about a need

BDer helps

develop a good SOW

A good BDer participates actively through phases 1-4 to learn about the needs and assist the Government in justifying the sole source award

BDer submitsproposal

BDer helps with

market research

Download the full presentation atwww.ostglobalsolutions.com/training/webinars/


Techniques Appropriate for Market Research

o Contacting knowledgeable individuals in Government and industry

o Reviewing the results of similar recent market research

o Publishing formal RFIs in technical or scientific or business publications

o Querying databases and other procurement instruments available to multiple agencies at www.contractdirectory.gov and elsewhere

o Participating in on-line communication among industry, acquisition personnel, and customers

o Obtaining source lists of similar items from other contracting activities or agencies, trade associations or other sources

o Reviewing catalogs and other generally available product literature

o Conducting interchange meetings or holding pre-solicitation conferences to involve offerors

Use this knowledge to augment any government efforts to ensure they know where and what to look for

2. Develop an RFQ and request the quote

BDer helps

develop a good SOW

BDer helps with

market research

Industry publications, symposiums, and conferences

Databases examples:• IBISWorld Industry

Market Research• IEEE Computer

Society Digital Library• Jane's Defense • Jane's Security News • Jane's World

Insurgency and Terrorism

http://www.contractdirectory.gov/


8(a) Sole Source Limitations

o Sole source award up to $4 Million in Serviceso Up to $6.5 Million in Manufacturing

o Super 8(a)so An 8(a) Alaskan Native firm, an 8(a) tribally-owned

Native American firm, or an 8(a) firm owned by a Native Hawaiian Organization

o Unlimited contract value, no protests allowed [13 CFR 124.506(b)]

o Written J&A required for awards over $20 Million by the Section 811 of the fiscal 2010 National Defense Authorization Act; must be approved by an appropriate official and made public after award

o Some agencies require J&A for anything over $4 Million (incorrectly)

o Don’t have to justify your uniqueness, but have to document why sole source

Sole Source eliminates time consuming process of RFP development, waiting for contractor responses, evaluating all submissions; and mitigates potential protests

Minimum J&A requirements for contracts over $20 million:

(1) A description of the needs of the agency concerned for the matters covered by the contract

(2) A specification of the statutory provision providing the exception from the requirement to use competitive procedures in entering into the contract (see 19.805-1)

(3) A determination that the use of a sole-source contract is in the best interest of the agency concerned

(4) A determination that the anticipated cost of the contract will be fair and reasonable

(5) Such other matters as the head of the agency concerned shall specify for purposes of this section

Download the full presentation at www.ostglobalsolutions.com/training/webinars/

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/current/html/Subpart%2019_8.html


Download the Full Presentation athttps://www.ostglobalsolutions.com/training/webinars/

https://www.ostglobalsolutions.com/training/webinars/

https://www.ostglobalsolutions.com/training/webinars/


Contact Us for Your Proposal and Training Needs in Federal Business Development

Alex Brown

Director, Services

Main 301.384.3350

Direct 240.316.3748

Cell 301.356.2909

[email protected]

Olessia Smotrova-Taylor

President & CEO

Office 301.384.3350

Cell 240.246.5305

[email protected]

www.ostglobalsolutions.com

Julia Pochekueva

Marketing, Operations and Training Services Manager

Main 301.384.3350

Direct 301.769.6603

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



Sole Source and Unsolicited Proposals Webinar

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