Federal Contracting: Realities and Opportunities in North Central PA. Gloria Larkin

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1 Presented By: Gloria Larkin President, TargetGov President Gloria Larkin 2 Nationally recognized federal contracting business development expert Author of The Basic Guide to Government Contracting Consultant & Trainer Clients have won billions in federal contracts Quoted in Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, INC Magazine, Bloomberg Educational Foundation Board Vice-Chair for WIPP 1

2 Agenda 3 Understanding government procurement jargon Registration -what's needed as a government contractor Certifications-an effective business development tool Purchase Process Purchase Vehicles Finding contracting opportunities Finding your target market; who buys what you sell What Does the Federal Government Buy? 4 World s Fortune 1 Customer $500 Billion spent annually Buys from large and small business nationwide Buys every imaginable product and service 2

3 Federal Contracts Performed in PA in FY 2014 Total in PA State: $16,660,577,002 Total in North Central Counties: $27,974,128 Sample Counties; Clearfield $3,584,444 Elk $20,370,933 McKean $2,739,198 5 Sample Federal Agencies in PA FEDERAL PRISON SYSTEM RURAL HOUSING SERVICE DEPT OF THE ARMY DEPT OF THE NAVY ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY FEDERAL PRISON SYSTEM INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE PUBLIC BUILDINGS SERVICE UNITED STATES MINT VETERANS AFFAIRS DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 6 3

4 Tactics for Success 7 Recognize the differences in federal contracting Build relationships Mitigate risk Separate yourself from competition Know the Differences in the Federal Market 8 1. Rules and regulations 2. Registrations required 3. Contract vehicles required 4. Past Performance is critical 5. Long business development cycle 6. Relationships matter! 4

5 Procurement Jargon 9 Alphabet soup --- Acronyms galore! New terminology, words not recognized by spellcheck Specific legal and industry jargon Answer: Acronym List & Glossary me for a complimentary copy: GloriaLarkin.com Required Registrations 10 System for Award Management How you are PAID! Optional: SBA Dynamic Small Business Search Profile How you are found! 5

6 Business Size: Large or Small? 11 Determined by SBA Size Standards Depends on industry $ Annual Revenues Range: $3.5M to $33M # Employees Range: 100 to 1,500 23% Goal to Small Business Certifications: Socio-economic 12 Small business: self certified 8a: SBA certified HUBZone: SBA certified VOSB: self certified SDVOB: self certified but verified WOSB and EDWOSB self certified but documented on SBA web site 6

7 Business Strategies 13 You as the Prime Contractor You as the Subcontractor You as the Teaming Partner Business Strategies: Targets 14 Your Company Your Target You as a Prime contractor AGENCY You as a Subcontractor PRIMES You as a Team member Other Vendors 7

8 Target Market: Who Buys What You Sell Past: Present: FedBizOpps FBO.gov Future: Agency Forecasts Competition: USASpending.gov Primes: USASpending.gov Teaming: Small Business Dynamic Search 15 Layers of Decision-makers 16 Contracting and acquisition staff CO, KO, COTR Legal authority to buy Program and technical managers PM, end-user Technical knowledge Small business representatives OSDBU, OSBP, SBLO Door opener 8

9 Where to Find Decision Makers 17 Person to person Conferences Vendor outreach sessions Agency and base events Matchmaking Associations, social events Referral From other decision-makers Virtual , public relations, blog, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter Purchase Process 18 Rules about dollar thresholds $0 - $3K - $25K - $150K $$$MM Budget and fiscal year motivation Full & open competition Set-asides Negotiated contracts Purchase vehicles 9

10 Purchase Vehicles 19 Make it easy to do business with you! Credit Cards: P-card, purchase card GSA schedules Agency-specific vehicles Government-wide contracts (GWAC) Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA) Indefinite-Delivery/Quantity (IDIQ) Powerful Marketing Tools 20 Government registrations SAM, DSBS Your business card A Capability Statement Your web site 10

11 Capability Statement 21 5 Key elements Call it a Capability Statement! Core Competencies Past Performance Differentiators Specific company data Effective Marketing Processes 22 Build relationships Specific to the target s needs Individualized Matchmaking pitch Professional Persistent Mitigate risk! 11

12 Contracting Opportunities 23 FedBizOpps.gov GSA ebuy & Advantage Army Single Face to Industry Agency-specific web sites LinkedIn Twitter Mistakes to Avoid 24 Do NOT start at the top Do not say introduce Do not ask what they need Do not confuse the different decisionmakers Do not use a generic Capability Statement Do not give up! 12

13 Review 25 Understanding government procurement jargon Registration -what's needed as a government contractor Certifications-an effective business development tool Purchase Process Purchase Vehicles Finding contracting opportunities Finding your target market; who buys what you sell Contact 26 Gloria Larkin President, TargetGov GloriaLarkin.com 13