Skyway Blog
Court of Federal Claims Invalidates Key component of the SBA’s non-manufacturer rule
For the 33 years I’ve done Federal contracting, it’s been understood that the SBA’s non-manufacturer rule applies only to supply buys. It was never considered to cover services even if the service...
Small Business Found Non-Responsive Wins GAO Protest because CO Did Not Request a COC
Government Accountability Office (GAO) has ruled that the Contracting Officer (CO) should have done a Certificate of Competency (COC) with the Small Business Administration (SBA) before deciding not...
Has the Government Already Picked A Winner?
I hear contractors say “Why bother proposing when the government has already decided who’s going to get the contract?” There was a time when that was a valid question. Acquisition rules are getting...
How to Prepare for GSA Audits and Contractor Assistance Visits
GSA sends out an Industrial Operations Analyst (IOA) to offer help AND check up on you in what they call Contractor Assistance Visits (CAV). Basically, they are performing an audit. A typical review will take 2 – 5 hours depending on the complexity of the tracking system. Follow-up visits may be necessary if they find inconsistencies. The IOA will ask
Improving Processes for Awarding Cost-Reimbursement Contracts
On 7 Nov 14, a DOD Inspector General (DOD IG) Audit Report was published to address whether DOD was complying with interim Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) revisions on the use of...
Price is Always a Factor
For those who follow our blog, you may remember the post about the 80/20 Rule. (http://skywayacquisition.com/sales-relationships-8020-rule/) As a recap, the 80/20 Rule in government contracting...
Understanding Section M
Requests for Proposals for government contracts can be complicated. Between all the different sections, clauses, factors and sub-factors, and detailed-ish descriptions of the requirement, they can...
Misconception #5: Can the Government Share my Proprietary Data?
Misconception: If I meet one-on-one with agency personnel, they may share my proprietary data with my competition. The truth is that all agency personnel have a responsibility to protect...
Using proposals for marketing is expensive (in time, money and image)
Proposals are expensive. Proposals that are just an extension of your Government Marketing Plan are not only expensive, but are not going to be very effective either. By using proposals as...
Why Your Team Matters
A company’s real competitive advantage is its people. Many leadership and management books tout the value of things like “human capital” and “interpersonal relations” to address the bigger issue of...
Have Federal Agencies Already Determined the Requirement and Acquisition Approach?
Misconception #4 – “Federal Agencies generally have already determined their requirements and acquisition approach so our impact during the pre-RFP phase is limited.” In accordance with FAR...
Managing Subcontractors during a Proposal Response Part 2 – Participation and Respect
This is the second of a 2-part blog series that walks you through the 6 most important aspects of managing a proposal team with subcontractor participants. Make sure your subcontractors...
Is There Value in Attending Industry Day?
Misconception #3 – “Attending industry day/outreach events is not valuable because the agency doesn’t provide new information.” Unfortunately, much of industry feels that there is no value in...
Managing Subcontractors during a Proposal Response Part 1 – Communication
Managing subcontractors during a proposal response is a crucial element of a successful proposal submission. A proposal or capture manager without a handle on the entire proposal team (including...
Government Contracting Myth – Who Should Contractors Bring to Government Meetings?
Government Contracting Myth #2 – “It is a good idea to bring only business development and marketing people to meetings with the agency’s technical staff.” In truth, you should bring your subject...
How Do I Know What’s Going on in Federal Contracting?
When it comes to Federal contracting, the most important thing is to know your target market - FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS. Do not just go to every website and sign up or submit capabilities packages or...