Introduction

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is seeking proposals for the Scientific and Technical Engagement Partnership (STEP) 2.0 Program, a five-year, $188 million contract that aims to advance the Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP) mission by establishing and leveraging a robust pool of scientific and technical expertise to efficiently and effectively execute planned and emerging BTRP requirements. The STEP 2.0 Program builds from the previous STEP effort, which supported BTRP in enhancing global biosafety and biosecurity, improving disease surveillance and outbreak response, and strengthening biological research and development capabilities.

If you are interested in pursuing this opportunity, you need a reliable and experienced partner who can help you navigate the complex and competitive federal contracting landscape. That’s where GDI Consulting comes in. GDI Consulting is a leading provider of capture management and proposal development services to government contractors at the federal, state and local level. With a high win rate of 82% and over $16.6 billion worth of successful proposals in 2022 alone, GDI Consulting has the expertise, resources and track record to help you win the DTRA STEP 2.0 Program.

In this article, we will provide an overview of the historical background, RFP description, eligibility criteria, and challenges of the DTRA STEP 2.0 Program, and explain how GDI Consulting can assist you in preparing a winning proposal.

Historical Background

The DTRA STEP 2.0 Program is a continuation of the previous STEP effort, which was awarded in 2017 to four contractors: Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, PAE National Security Solutions, and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). The previous STEP contract had a ceiling value of $480 million and a period of performance of five years.

The previous STEP contract supported BTRP in implementing its cooperative biological engagement activities in over 30 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Some of the key tasks performed by the previous STEP contractors included:

The previous STEP contract was instrumental in advancing BTRP’s mission of reducing biological threats worldwide by strengthening partner country capacities to prevent, detect, diagnose, report, and respond to biological incidents of security or public health concern.

RFP Description

The DTRA STEP 2.0 Program is expected to be released in October 2023 as a full and open competition under NAICS code 541690 (Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services). The solicitation number is HDTRA123R0003. The contract will have a five-year base period with an estimated value of $188 million.

The DTRA STEP 2.0 Program will require the contractor to provide scientific and technical expertise to support BTRP’s cooperative biological engagement activities in four regions: Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe/Eurasia, and Middle East/North Africa. The contractor will be responsible for performing the following tasks:

  • Task 1: Strategic Planning Support
  • Task 2: Program Management Support
  • Task 3: Monitoring & Evaluation Support
  • Task 4: Stakeholder Engagement Support
  • Task 5: Biosafety & Biosecurity Support
  • Task 6: Disease Surveillance & Outbreak Response Support
  • Task 7: Biological Research & Development Support

The contractor will be required to deliver various deliverables under each task, such as reports, plans, briefings, assessments, training materials, databases, software applications, etc.

The contractor will also be required to comply with various regulations, standards, policies, and guidelines related to biosafety, biosecurity, export control, human subjects protection, animal welfare, environmental protection, etc.

Who Should Participate

The DTRA STEP 2.0 Program is open to any entity that meets the eligibility criteria specified in the solicitation. The eligibility criteria may include:

  • Having relevant experience in providing scientific and technical consulting services to federal government agencies or international organizations in the areas of biosafety, biosecurity, disease surveillance, outbreak response, and biological research and development.
  • Having a proven track record of successfully performing similar or related contracts in the regions of interest (Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe/Eurasia, and Middle East/North Africa).
  • Having a robust network of qualified and vetted scientific and technical experts who can be deployed to support BTRP’s requirements in a timely and cost-effective manner.
  • Having the necessary certifications, accreditations, clearances, licenses, permits, etc. to perform the required tasks in compliance with applicable regulations, standards, policies, and guidelines.

The DTRA STEP 2.0 Program is a highly competitive and complex opportunity that requires a thorough understanding of the customer’s needs, expectations, and preferences, as well as the competitive landscape, market trends, and best practices. Therefore, potential offerors should conduct a comprehensive market research and analysis to assess their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and determine their bid-no bid decision.

The Challenges

The DTRA STEP 2.0 Program poses several challenges for potential offerors, such as:

  • Developing a compelling value proposition that demonstrates how the offeror’s solution will meet or exceed the customer’s requirements and expectations, and provide superior benefits over the competitors.
  • Crafting a clear and concise proposal that addresses all the solicitation instructions, evaluation criteria, and technical specifications, and showcases the offeror’s relevant experience, qualifications, capabilities, and past performance.
  • Pricing the proposal competitively and realistically, taking into account the cost drivers, risks, uncertainties, and contingencies involved in performing the contract.
  • Managing the proposal development process efficiently and effectively, ensuring that all the proposal team members are aligned on the proposal strategy, schedule, roles and responsibilities, quality standards, etc…

Conclusion

The DTRA STEP 2.0 Program is a lucrative opportunity for entities that have the expertise, experience, and resources to provide scientific and technical consulting services to support BTRP’s cooperative biological engagement activities worldwide. However, winning this opportunity requires a strategic approach that involves conducting a thorough market research and analysis, developing a compelling value proposition, crafting a clear and concise proposal, pricing the proposal competitively and realistically, and managing the proposal development process efficiently and effectively.

To learn more about how GDI Consulting can help you win the DTRA STEP 2.0 Program or any other federal opportunity you are interested in pursuing contact us today at www.gdicwins.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon.