Government Contract Proposal Writing - Ten Commandments
Government Proposal Writing – Avoid Fatal Mistakes
By: Theodore Watson, Esq : Federal Government contracts are a very lucrative business. However, learning how to acquire projects takes time, effort and investment. Proposal writing for government contracts is by no means a simple
process. However, if you attempt to respond to the agency’s Request For Proposal (RFP), you will have to bring more to the table than just having a good technical writer. The reality is that the “status quo” no longer gets the win. You have to do more than the basic RFP requirements.
Many people will frown at this comment. However, as former government contracting officials and members of source selection teams, we have actually reviewed eloquent proposals and perfected efforts by technical writers – we know firsthand that only the proposals that have substance and give the government what they need to know actually win the contract. There is a big difference.
Reasons Why Government Proposals Fail
When you engage in government contract proposal writing, companies tend to look for the cheapest proposal writers to help them gain contracts worth millions. We personally have received requests for proposal writing services from companies wanting proposal writing efforts for $1500 to $3,000.00. The result for this level of service will almost guaranty no award because sound experience and quality in federal proposal writing is the key to getting the award. When responding to a government Request for Proposal, we have found that the following summarizes why proposal fail.
1. The response is not specific and to the point. Government proposal writing requires the bidder to articulate the key areas to the solicitation. Never try to write a book and expect the agency to understand what you are trying to say. Proposal writers must be very specific and to the point.
2. Too much focus on “we can do the work” instead of “how we are going to do the work.” When grading proposals, the government places a significant emphasis and weight on the bidders technical approach. Winning government proposals focus on the “how.”
3. No emphasis on your risk management and quality assurance. One of the fatal mistakes in government contract proposal writing is that bidders miserably to address and highlight their risk management and quality assurance. The government is not going to award a contract worth millions and never pay attention to the risk involved. Each proposal writer that understands government contracting must include risk management into the response to the solicitation.
4. Failure to understand best value. In federal contracts, price alone is not the criteria for award. Sometimes, agencies will consider a price/ past performance trade-off when considering awards. However, effective proposal writing includes more than just these factors. Congress has suggested that taxpayers’ money should get the “best bang”. Since the government generally buys commercial services and products, bidding on government contracts should incorporate factors commonly used in the commercial industry. At Watson & Associates, our success stems from the ability to see the big picture in federal procurement and educate the agency when writing government proposals.
5. Relying too heavily on teaming partners and subcontractors. Failure to understand this rule can be the kiss of death in government proposal writing. Many companies offering proposal writing services, do not understand this commonly-made mistake. Although FAR 9.6 allows for teaming and subcontracting, there are also limitations on subcontracting. The government does not like to see a ‘pass through.’ Bidding on government contracts means that the prime contractor (you) must perform the required percentage of the work.
As a general rule, there are ten basic principles that will put you on the right track to success in government RFP and proposal writing
- Always learn, learn and learn again the nature of the government’s problem. If you cannot understand and respond to the agency’s problem, you simply will end up with an eloquently written document with no substance and lacking depth. The federal government publicizes its opportunities in a series of solicitations. As an effective proposal writer, you have to read, reread and understand the solicitation. For example, average responses to a Request For Proposal ( for medical supplies) simply inject paragraphs of how committed to customer service the bidder maybe; then, the bidder simply submits its pricing and past performance. The winning proposal uses a different strategy. Instead of drowning the RFP response with ‘fluff’, the experienced proposal consultant will advise his client to first discuss the industry and problems associated with this particular industry including problems experienced by other customers – this sets the stage for letting the government know that you are ahead of the competition. You then describe how you can prevent these problems and describe what if anything you will do to minimize risk (this substantiates cost and shows additional value to the government.)
- Never think that the government has no idea of what your service or product costs. Successful bidders understand the theory of the government estimate. The procurement rules require the government to establish some sort of estimate. Most agencies do their homework. However, some still use the outdated methodology that puts potential bidders at risk. Caution: The method arriving at the government estimate does not always work in your favor – the agency should conduct research in the commercial sector to see what similar products and services cost. Unfortunately, many agencies simply rely on other agency pricing to come up with the government estimate.
- Always focus on beating your competitor. This is a mindset that swallows up inexperienced proposal writing staff. Many simply focus on responding to ‘only what the solicitation calls for’ and nothing more. At best, this line of thinking will get you within range but not win you the award.
Our proposal writing consultants teach our successful clients to focus on beating the competitor – nothing else matters. Yes, you always have to respond to the criteria accurately as set forth in the solicitation. However, this sets the stage (and a common trap) for only the basic requirements. You simply have to include more.
As you respond to each section of the RFP, always ask yourself, “what is your adversary going to write?” If you don’t ask this question, you will undoubtedly find out during a debriefing of notice of non selection for the bid. - For successful government proposal writing, you must have a thorough understanding of the procurement rules. To say otherwise is analogous to applying for a job at a large corporation without knowing anything about the company. Many companies hire proposal writers who have no clue, or even a basic understanding of the rules involved with procurement.
For example, many government contract proposals require you to discuss your teaming partners and subcontractors. More specifically, to discuss the roles and percentages of the contract. Many companies dive into this head first without knowing the rules and laws of teaming and subcontracting. The result is that many companies subject themselves to losing a bid protest for violation of the NAICS standards. - Proposal Pricing – Always be modest on profit. The old saying that you can price yourself out of business applies to government contracting. As experienced proposal writing consultants, we advise our clients to stay within certain allowable percentages depending on the industry. However, a good proposal writing strategy is to substantiate your pricing by explaining critical processes and the costs associated with them.
- You must describe the ‘horsepower’ behind your company – Aka, Management. This is a critical part of the proposal writing process. Successful bidders learn to how to write effective resumes specifically for federal RFPs. Simply put, traditional resumes don’t lead to awards. The government wants in-depth information about the ‘top brass’ in your organization. Remember, technical proposals are weighted heavily when bidding on government contracts.
- In Government Proposal Writing never discuss your weaknesses. This is one of the most common traps in government contract proposal writing. When you see language in the solicitation that asks you to describe past problems and how you handled them – warning, tread lightly.
For example, if you missed project schedules in a previous construction project, you may simply want to use another project for past performance and discuss it. The government does not want to award a construction project to a company that has a history (even if only once) of missing deadlines. - Never expect to get a million dollar contract for pennies. Many successful bidders invest in experienced proposal writers. Although the skill of a technical writer is critical to the federal proposal writing process, there is a huge difference – experience and knowledge of the rules.
- Successful bidders invest the time and effort in securing skilled and experienced government contract proposal writers. Note: There are overrated technical writers that charge outrageous prices. However, there are also experienced ones that are worth their weight in gold.
Tip – for a million dollar contract, you should expect costs to run about 4%; for a $100,000 contract you should expect to pay between $6000 and $7500 for a solid proposal writer that knows federal government contracting. For contracts above $1 million expect to pay in the range of $16,000 and upwards to $25,000 for contracts above $5million. - Learn how to pick qualified proposal writers. The Internet is swamped with proposal writers for government contracts. However, picking the most qualified ones is the tricky part. Many shoppers typically want to know how many proposals a person has written in that specific industry; or what is their success rate.
To be frank – none of this matters!! Why? Solid proposal writers for government contracts should be able to write a response to a Request For Proposal regardless of the industry – there is simply a set strategy and approach to writing government RFPs – this is similar to asking an expert car racer what experience he or she has driving a Ford versus a Chevy.
When you are looking for QUALIFIED PROPOSAL WRITER OR CONSULTANT, here are relevant points to consider:
- Level of experience in federal government contracting
- Have them describe important issues when writing about best value
- The level of experience they have in responding to government RFPs that involve teaming partners or subcontractors
- Ask what does the government need to know about a prospective bidder to set a high impression
Understand that prior win rates do not guarantee a win in this effort. Most businesses seek proposal writers based on their win rates – only to lose in this particular effort. As government contract lawyers, we also get the same question – what is your win rate? Not only is this misleading but the analysis and inference of prior win rates can be negative.
Each RFP is unique and the focus must be specific to the proposal at hand – how are you going to attack the solicitation and submit a winning proposal on THIS project?
- Point – agencies look for different things in their solicitations
- Point – Not all agencies follow the FAR (See FDIC)
- Point – Rating criteria is different in virtually all RFPs
- Point – Lowest price (alone) is not the statutory requirement for award in federal contracts
High- Caliber Advice Sets You Apart from Your Competitors
As you venture into the market for a government contract proposal writing consultant, you are investing in someone that can convince the government that you are the best candidate for award. This is a skill that goes over and beyond proofreading and editing. Proposal writers must understand and have experience in the actual rules of engagement and the pitfalls associated with losing an award on a bid protest. This foresight sets you apart from your competitors and automatically increases your caliber and probabilities of being successful.
Contact Us
If you are in the market for in-depth advice and guidance in federal government contract proposal writing, contact Theodore Watson & Associates, LLC today at 1.866.601.5518.
