Kevin M Jans President Prior US Government Contracting Officer Skyway Acquisition Solutions, LLC.

Kevin M JansPresident

Prior US Government Contracting Officer

Skyway Acquisition Solutions, LLC

Marketing to theUS Government

16 years as a Department of Defense contracting officer Air Force Material Command, Air Force Space Command

US Special Operations Command

Contracts from $92,000 - $882 Mil

Bought aircraft, weapons, engineering services, specialized vehicles, maintenance services, space systems, simulators, medical equipment, body armor, radios, R&D, professional services…

Certified Federal Contracts Manager (NCMA) Certified in Contracting and Program

Management (DAU)

NOTE: I present as if I’m still a Contracting Officer

Kevin M. Jans

2© Skyway Acquisition Solutions, LLC

How to find the RIGHT

opportunity

How to WINthe contract

3

Federal Market

Winnable Opps

Targeted Opps

Proposal Resources

The Universal B2G Problem

(B2G = Business to Gov’t)


Who is YOUR customer? You know, don’t you?

Some agencies who buy services in Florida,or have buyers in Florida:

DOD3 SOCOM VANOAA DHS DOS DLA

USACE USCG NPS DOJ DARPA USFS

Size of Market


Military & Coast Guard Bases in Florida

Does not include Reserve bases, VA, civilian agencies…


How does thegovernment buy?

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USG Acquisition Strategy

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Get to One

PoLR

GPC Use Preferred

Best Value

Source Selectio

n

Best Value

Source Selectio

n

Lowest-Price

Technically Acceptable

Lowest-Price

Technically Acceptable

Price-Performance

Trade-Off

Price-Performance

Trade-Off

Simplified Acquisitio

n Procedure

s

Simplified Acquisitio

n Procedure

s

Sealed BiddingSealed BiddingMicro

Purchase

Micro Purchas

e

Time Value

Evaluation Criteria

Complexity

Some Acquisition Strategies


Price

Technical AbilityPa

st P

erfo

rman

ce

…Through Process

The Acquisition Strategy details how each of these required elements will relate in the award decision. FAR 15.101-1

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Program Manager (PM)The end customer. Is or represents the “user” Interacts with industry for information (conferences, etc.)Focus: market research, relationships, knowledge, solutions

Contracting Officer (CO or KO)Connect Customer with Industry (manage business

relationship)Determine / approve acquisition strategyNegotiate with offers and is only one who can sign the

contractFocus: competition, process and documentation1/3 have less than 5 years of experienceDoes NOT work for PM (by regulation)

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…Key Personnel


What do youneed to do?

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There is no short cut There is a lot to learn Can take up to a year for first win Estimate $93,000 of “effort” until

first contract Submit up to 12 proposals before

you win If it were easy… Less than 1% of US businesses in

USG market

Know Your Commitment Level(Expectation Management)


Have a plan: “Hope (and darts) is not a plan”

Set federal business baseline (i.e. SAM, SB Status, NAICS, etc)

Determine breadth of federal market Obtain any special skills/knowledge Identify Target Agencies Avenue of Approach (Sub vs. Prime) Target opportunities you can WIN Build and Submit a high probability

proposal13

Where to start

Tampa SBDC

Identify Target Market (Agency, Base,

DODAAC)

• Who Buys Your Goods or Services? When?

• How do they buy? (GSA, Source Selection, SAP)?

• Whom do they buy from? (SB, WOSB, LB)

• Do these align with your capability, strength,

status?

Have a Deliberate Bid / No Bid Process

• The CO is “Trying to Get One” – You Should Be

Too

• Given LOTS of Opportunities (See Target Market)

– Find a Reason NOT to Bid

• Four R’s (Relationship, Response,

Resources, Revenue)

14© Skyway Acquisition Solutions

Filter Ruthlessly

The Evaluators “Already Know What We Can

Do”

• FAR 15.305(a) “...assessment of the proposal...”

The Small Details Don’t Matter in the Big

Picture

• Ex. FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting

Proposals are a Good Marketing Tool

• So is junk mail, but proposals are expensive

The “Wind-Up-Doll” Sales Approach Wins

Business

• Perhaps, but it is expensive – in time, energy, and

image

You Can Win Work You Find After RFP Release

• Many have done it, of course, but at what cost?

15

Myth

Maybe

Proposal Myths


Kevin M Jans President Prior US Government Contracting Officer Skyway Acquisition Solutions, LLC.

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