Skyway Wire
How Should I Structure and Organize My Proposal?
Organizing your proposal in response to a government solicitation is one of the most important aspects of proposal writing, and often, one of the most difficult. On the one hand you have the desire...
Gaining Past Performance with the Federal Government as a New Company
Whether you are a new company or you are new to the federal marketplace, it may seem that it is impossible to win your first contract. Every solicitation requires you to show your “past...
Contracting with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
The FAA has a unique set of contracting rules and regulations. While they use Federal Business Opportunities (FBO), it is not their primary site for posting opportunities. They have been given a...
How Do I Recognize an Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI)?
According to FAR Part 2, “Organizational conflict of interest” means that because of other activities or relationships with other persons, a person is unable or potentially unable to render...
How Do I Select the Best Past Performance References for My Proposal?
Past performance is an important element of almost every government procurement process. The larger the procurement, the more importance you will see being given to past performance within the...
Finding the Right Point of Contact – Part 2
When you are getting ready to sell your product or service to a government agency, finding the right person to talk to, and knowing what’s important to that individual and what is not, can be...
8(a) Business Development Program
The Small Business Administration (SBA) created the 8(a) Business Development Program to help small, disadvantaged businesses compete in the marketplace. What is the 8(a) Business Development...
SBA Final Rule on Non-Manufacturer Rule and IT Contractors
On January 26, 2016, SBA issued its final rule regarding proposed size standard increases to numerous NAICS codes. However, there is a new clarification from SBA that Information Technology Value...
Make Your Proposal Better: (Part 5 of a Series) Never Assume that the Benefit of Your Technical Proposal is Obvious to the Customer
Writing a more compelling and persuasive proposal than your competitors can significantly improve your chances of winning. In this series, we will provide some tips professional proposal writers...
SBA Publishes Final Rule to Allow Sole Source Awards to WOSBs/EDWOSBs
On September 14, 2015, the Small Business Administration (SBA) published their final rule allowing sole source awards to Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs) or Economically Disadvantaged...
Have We Sacrificed Quality for Price?
This blog post was written by a guest author. Nearly 40 years ago I got my first job in the Federal Contracting world working for an aerospace company. The acquisition environment back then was very...
VA Proposes Substantial Changes to VOSB/SDVOSB Verification Program
On November 6, 2015, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued a proposed rule to amend regulations for the VA’s verification program for veteran owned small businesses (VOSBs) and...
Exchange or Sale of Similar Items (US Code 40 U.S.C. § 503)
This blog was written by a guest author. The Department of Defense has, by practical necessity, had to keep certain systems in use much longer than originally intended. Also in developing systems...
Interesting Federal Contracting Policy Tidbits
Protests and Funding: According to the Red Book: Principles of Federal Appropriations Law: Third Edition, Volume I, Page 5-76, Exemptions from the Account Closing Procedures (excerpt): Section...
Finding the Right Point of Contact
When you are getting ready to sell your product or service to a government agency, finding the right person to talk to, and knowing what’s important to that individual and what is not, can be...
SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) Shows Some Flexibility on the Ostensible Subcontractor Rule
The Small Business Administration (“SBA”) is changing its views on small business prime contractors who propose to hire “key personnel” from their subcontractors when looking at the “ostensible...