With so much competition out there for every contracting opportunity, it is more and more challenging to win federal contracts. Those opportunities that are competed on a “Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable” basis are the “easiest” to win – just provide an acceptable technical proposal (pass/fail) and be the lowest offer. But for those that are based on “best value,” convincing the agency to select your proposal for award requires a different approach.
The approach many offerors use is to claim that they are “the only company who can possibly do the work the agency requires.” In my experience, this is never true and impossible to prove. Others think that if they say they offer “the most experienced team of subject matter experts” and “over 150 combined years of experience” that they will be selected over their competitors. And while experienced personnel and a good track record of past performance are important to establishing your ability to perform the work well, it is not likely to distinguish your company from all the others. What these companies have forgotten is that what matters most is what the customer wants and needs.
Start by collecting as much intel as you can on the agency, its priorities, its mission, and in particular why they are getting ready to pay money for the particular product or service you offer. If this is a follow-on contract (i.e., this is a recurring service that the agency buys), find out who the current contractor is and research them as well. Find out what the agency likes about the incumbent (the current contractor) and what they do not like about their performance. Have they been late? Have they performed marginally in some areas? Is their approach antiquated or inefficient? If you have a better approach (more efficient perhaps or more effective), then you’ve identified a couple of areas that you will want to emphasize in your proposal.
Be sure and attend any pre-solicitation conferences or industry days that are provided by your potential customer. Listen carefully to what the agency emphasizes during their presentations. Use the opportunity to network with other attendees to find out who else is interested enough to attend. These may well be your competitors or they might be potential teammates who can make your offer stronger in areas that your company is not as strong in.
Once the solicitation is published, read everything carefully – then read it again! Pay close attention to exactly what the evaluation criteria say and be sure that your proposal addresses these areas specifically, providing your very best approach to solving the problems of your customer. Don’t say you understand what they want – show them you understand and how you will provide it. Back it up with your experienced team, your outstanding track record of past performance, and how your proposal not only meets their requirements, but is the best value solution to meet their needs.
Best value is a subjective determination so no one can predict exactly which offeror will be selected every time. But you can improve your chances by putting your customer first, not only in your performance, but in your proposal. You get it – make sure they do!