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Government Contract RFP Consultants

Government RFP & Proposal Writing Tips

Meet Tough Deadlines – Avoid Confusion – Hire Proposal Writing Experts That Have Been on the Other Side

Call 1 (866)601-5518 Today

 

Government Proposal Writing: Responding to government Requests for Proposals (RFP) requires a sound strategy that focuses on convincing the agency that your company has what it takes to solve its problem. Many contractors make the fatal mistake of simply responding to the basic requirement set forth in the solicitation and nothing more. At best this sets you in a pile of bidders that are responsive. However, your goal is to reach the competitive range (those bidders that stand a chance of award) and ultimately to win. As proposal consultants, the government contract staff at Watson & Associates, LLC ensures that your proposal writing efforts do not go unnoticed. We understand what it takes to be successful with RFP bids. You can expect a sound strategic approach that focuses on four critical aspects of responding to a government RFP. They are:

  • Convincing the government that you understand the contents on the solicitation
  • Proving that your company has the technical capability and management to perform without substantial risk
  • Your pricing is fair and reasonable
  • Ensuring that your proposal contains the best value to the government

 

Understanding the Government RFP process is the key to increasing your chances of winning a bid. As proposal consultants, we help you to clearly understand the bidding process. Government proposal are heavily regulated by the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Generally, the technical experts develop the requirements and assist in writing the statement of work. The procurement experts in the government contracting office then finalize all requests for proposals and publish them on the government opportunities website. Sometimes there are mistakes made in the solicitation that you must be aware of.

Tip: Review the RFP to see if the requirements contain an incorrect North American Industry Classification Code (NAICS). Also see if the solicitation is written in a way that is too restrictive.

Learn what successful bidders do to win a government contract. Because proposal writing for government contracts is a unique task, some contractors hire proposal writers. However, the successful companies ensure that they retain proposal writing services from consultants that clearly understand the federal procurement process inside and out. At Watson & Associates, our government contract proposal writers and consultants have actually been on the other side of the fence.

 

Members of our consulting team have:

  • Sat on source selection teams
  • Distinguished good RFP packages from bad ones
  • Successfully led companies to award
  • Awarded government contracts
  • Served as Contracting Officers
  • Managed small business programs

 

Successful bidders understand that proposal writing for government contracts is a tough and very competitive business. Having a qualified proposal writer that understands the process is the key to increasing your probability of award. Businesses that receive awards over and over simply invest in the experts. They are seeking award of contracts worth millions and sometimes spend $20,000 to $50,000 to get those millions.

 

Our team also works closely with your key players by:

  • Helping you understand the solicitation
  • Providing complete proposal preparation services
  • Proposal review & critique
  • Drafting subcontracting plans
  • Quality Assurance Plans
  • Assistance with your technical approach
  • Past performance
  • Teaming agreements for HUBZone and 8a Firms
  • Interpreting the legal language in government RFPs

 

In addition to our government bid services, Watson represents contractors across the United States in a variety of other capacities including:

 

Tip: Merely hiring a technical writer that has no knowledge of the federal procurement process simply puts you to the bottom of the heap.

Tip: Never rely solely on price and past performance to show best value. The government contracting officer has to look at price and past performance to determine best value under the FAR. However, if you give them nothing else then you may or may not win the bid. Let our government RFP and proposal writers guide you down the right path.

 

Overcome past performance hurdles. Many potential government contractors run away from bidding on government contracts because they are misinformed about the past performance rules.

Tips

  • You do not have to have federal past performance
  • Experience in the commercial sector will suffice
  • You must demonstrate performing projects of similar size (our proposal writing consultants also provide you with strategies even if you don’t meet this requirement)
  • The contracting officer can consider past performance of your subcontractors
  • Past performance is generally within the past three years and must be relevant

 

 

Understand the skills required for writing a proposal.  Responding to federal bids and government contract proposals requires more than just submitting a quote as in the commercial sector. The first order of business is to:

  • Revamp old habits and create powerful strategies
  • Knowing how the government thinks ( this is where our government bid services will help you)
  • Overcome some of the most common landmines in government contract proposal writing
  • Learn how to strengthen your technical approach

 

When responding to government proposals your content must:

  • Be simple and easy to read
  • Explain to the selection team how you will perform the contract
  • Show that you have performed similar and relevant projects in the past

Tip: Never include too much fluff in your RFP package (the government hates it)

Tip: It is up to you to explain how past projects are relevant to this RFP. Don’t expect the government to figure it out

Tip: You should never just repeat the requirements in the statement of work. You have to talk about how you will perform the work 

 
Also look at the  Ten Commandments of Proposal Writing for Government Contract RFPs?

 

Hire proposal writers that understand the legal language. As government proposal writers and consultants, we are also government contract attorneys. We understand the legal language that is incorporated in the RFP. Most contractors worry about this after the fact. However, this can be a very costly practice.

 

Avoid templates and generic proposal writing software. This statement speaks for itself. Simply don’t do it!

  • The government wants to see creativity
  • Sound management staff
  • High-level quality assurance programs
  • A “how-to” approach to problem solution

 

PROPOSAL PITFALLS – Don’t Let These Happen to You!

You must carefully follow RFP organization instructions. This includes inclusion of required information, page limits, and volumes. Failure to do this may cause you to be unresponsive. We can help you avoid common pitfalls including:

  • Failure to take evaluation criteria and allocated points into consideration when preparing your response
  • Failure to understand and to demonstrate an understanding of the problem (i.e., the reason the agency is issuing the RFP)
  • Failure to submit your proposal on the required date and at the appointed time
  • Failure to include all of the information requested by the agency
  • Failure to tailor your response to the specific RFP
  • Proposal is poorly written (information is not presented/organized in a logical manner, proposal is difficult to follow, poor grammar is used)
  • Proposal does not explain how or by whom the project will be managed
  • Proposal does not contain RELEVANT information about your firm, its capabilities, and/or its management and staff
  • Response does not demonstrate that your firm/organization and personnel have the experience and capability to carry out the project
  • No risk mitigation approach in the response to solicitation (quality assurance)
  • Focusing on lowest price as the winning strategy

 

Other Tips

  • Never team with a company you just met – perform your due diligence
  • Although price is important, you should focus on showing value
  • Get someone on your team that understands the RFP process
  • Develop genuine relationships with small businesses
  • Learn how to avoid bid protests
  • Ensure that your staff has government contract training

 

Get Nationwide RFP and Proposal Writing Services

Our government contracts proposal writers and RFP consultants serve clients throughout the United States, including: Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Kansas, Nebraska, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arkansas, Denver, Colorado Springs, Utah, California, Oklahoma, Ohio, Maine, Tampa, Florida, Texas, Nevada, Las Vegas, Georgia, Hawaii, Florida, Alaska, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Florida, Indiana, Washington, Mississippi, Tennessee, Miami, Virgin Islands, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Virginia, Delaware, Connecticut, California, Arizona, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Texas and Montana.

 

Contact us for Help Today

If your company has seen a decline in government bid awards, or you simply need help responding to a government RFP, contact the Colorado federal government proposal writers and RFP consultants at Theodore Watson & Associates, LLC. 720.941.7200 or Toll Free 1-866-601-5518.

Small Business Administration Office of Federal Procurement Policy Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Our government contracts consulting services  Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals GAO U.S. Supreme Court

Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Kansas and Nebraska, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arkansas, Denver, Colorado Springs, Utah, California, Oklahoma, Ohio, Maine, Florida, Texas, Tampa, Nevada, Las Vegas, Georgia, Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Florida, Indiana, Washington, Mississippi, Tennessee, Miami, Virgin Islands, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Virginal, Delaware, Connecticut, Arizona, New Hampshire, Florida, Massachusetts and Montana RFP & Proposal consultants.