Businesses are constantly looking for innovative ways to expand their opportunities and increase their profits. One of the best ways to achieve this goal in the USA is to become a federal contractor. Our Government is the largest acquirer of supplies and services in the world. Each year, it buys about $450B through the federal contracting mechanism, 23% of which are exclusively reserved for small businesses.
Given that the federal market is extremely large and complex, the chances of doing business with the government are also numerous. There are dozens of Federal Agencies that issue Request for Proposals for the procurement of various goods and services. There is a specific online portal, FedBizz Opps, where you can find different contracting opportunities.
Private sector companies that compete for these contracts understand that the process is lengthy, and should be carefully thought out. Companies assign special teams that identify suitable opportunities for their business; conduct various researches to analyze the market, the competition, and the customer; perform a risk assessment to ensure that their company has the capabilities to perform the contract; ensure that the company is positioned to win and has a competitive advantage; and analyze many other aspects.
As I previously mentioned, the government contracting space is pretty intricate and requires great commitment. Every RFP is different, and each customer has specific requirements for the bid. To develop the most successful win strategies and perform well in the Federal market, you need to comprehensively understand what the Government is asking for and all the regulation that comes with the solicitation.
Below you can find some winning strategies that will help you focus on what’s important and do your best to meet all the RFP criteria.
Strategies to Become a Government Contractor
There are cases when the Federal Agency gives you clear instructions on what you need to do to win the award. On the other hand, there are cases when you need to be attentive and carefully examine the solicitation to understand what the solution is for your customer’s problem.
When they clearly tell you what to bid, remember that everyone is bidding the same thing, trying hard to establishing the best value in their proposal. But in other cases, when they’re asking you to propose your unique solution to their unique problem – here is what you need to do:
- Show them your values:
The Government needs to figure out the difference between you and your competitors. Show them that you understand their problem thoroughly and that you have the qualities that can add value to their performance. Point out your advantages, tell them what really matters. Do your best to develop a proposal that describes accurately the way they can benefit from your products/services.
- Tell them that you understand their needs:
As in every regular relationship, listening and understanding is the key to a successful outcome. Showing the Government that you understand their requirements
, is of a significant importance. Your offer must be customer-oriented and be persuasive enough to convince them that it will meet all their specific needs.
Make a careful assessment of every detail and try to resolve each issue presented in the solicitation in the same way that the customer would. This will help you gain an advantage when the federal agency compares your proposal against what they want, and against the competition.
- Show them that they can trust you.
An RFP that doesn’t specify what to bid expects you to prepare a proposal that makes a difference. It’s up to you to figure out how your proposal will convince them that your solution is the best for their needs, that you will deliver it successfully on time and the budget. Show them that you thought through everything, that you have anticipated and taken into account any possible challenges, and more importantly, that you have what it takes to overcome everything and deliver an outstanding performance.
- Talk about the results
The Government has asked for a solution, and they need to know where yours that heading them. They will compare thousands of different proposals, so demonstrating that their future with you will be fascinating is essential. If you manage to create the right story, they will know that you truly understand them. And you will only do it if you really anticipate the results and describe them in the best way possible!
