Government Proposal Writing
Adjust Your Proposal Writing Strategies to Avoid Common Mistakes and Win Government Contracts
By Theodore Watson, Government Contracts Attorney & Consultant. When deciding to submit a bid for a federal government proposal, many businesses attempt to fly by the seats of their pants. The result is non-selection. Then, they repeatthe cycle only to get the same results. As government contract attorneys who handle bid protests on a daily basis, and having successfully led companies to winning proposals, we find that there are common mistakes made when it comes to government proposal writing.
10 Biggest Mistakes in Government Proposal Writing
- Have you ever actually read the entire Request for Proposal? Government Contracting agencies publish solicitations for the public to bid on. There various sections that address certain aspects of the proposal. In order to effectively stand a chance of winning, you must understand the entire proposal requirement. Are you a company that merely skips to sections L and M? These sections are important. However, the other sections are equally important. For example, Section K (Representations and Certifications) mean that you must attest and certify certain things. For example if you are a small business, you must ensure that all questions are answered completely and truthfully. If not, your competitor may do your homework for you and file a bid protest to challenge your representations. This is common is a size protest. Reading the contents of an entire government contract proposal can be stressful and confusing. Sometimes, having an expert consultant on your team can make this process easier and more meaningful. However, never become tempted to avoid reading the entire proposal.
- Do you understand the government’s problem in the proposal? Does this seem like an obvious question? It may be. Government contract proposals are often evaluated on the bidders understanding of the requirements. This means not only telling the government that you have done the same thing for so many years but also explaining the underlying problem. In a construction project, a further reading of the proposal can reveal unique site conditions. An explanation of the various problems that can arise on such situations may put you ahead of the competition. Another example is a proposal for facility services on a remote island in the tropics. Here, you may want to discuss the various problems that may arise such as shipment of supplies and limited transportation avenues to the island. Nevertheless, many companies hire proposal writers that have no clue what the agency’s problem is. You can increase credibility by putting this in your proposal.
- What have you done in the past that is similar in size and scope to this proposal? This is where many companies lack in their proposal writing efforts. Many make the mistake of just listing the past projects but never digging deeper to explain to the agency why the project is similar in scope and size. Many companies simply copy and paste the same projects used in a previous proposal. They do this simply because they won the last project and hope to repeat the same end result here. Big mistake! As government contract attorneys and consultants, we often see and attack such traps in bid protest, where the past performance submitted either was outside the time period stated in the solicitation or showed no relevance. The burden is on you to demonstrate similar projects both is scope and size. This problem especially arises in construction proposals. A bidder may simply state that it had previously built a building for the Army Corp of Engineers. However, the proposal does not state the square footage or the level of electrical raceways included in the project. Nor did it state that the building was mostly concrete-based. In this situation, the government contracting agency and source selection team reads the proposal at face value. The result? You meet the competitive range but no award.
- Have you ever looked into the benefit of teaming agreements? This is one of the most underutilized strategies in government proposal writing efforts. Bidding on federal contracts often means going after larger projects. As mentioned in mistake # 3, when you go after large projects, it often means that you may be lacking in previous projects of similar size and scope. Hence the term “larger projects.” The simplest way to try to overcome this hurdle is to propose a teaming partner that has the experience with such large projects. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subsection 9.6 allows you to do this. Here, you then up play the success and experience of the teaming partner. This can supplement any deficiencies that your proposal may have. This mistake often leads to no award.
- Does your proposal accurately present the strengths of your management and key personnel? If it does not, your proposal will end up on the “possible awardees” and not the winner. When there are millions of dollars at stake, government contracting agencies want to look at the key players, the management staff, and frankly who is behind your business if they award the contract to you. Inexperienced proposal writers merely copy existing resumes into the proposal package. However, there is no analysis of the resume to see if it speaks to the important parts of the Statement of Work (SOW). This is a common mistake that ends up costing you points in your technical proposal. You must also tell the government how the key personnel will contribute to the performance of the contract. Never let the agency assume. They simply don’t.
- Do you actually tell the government HOW you will perform the various aspects of the SOW? One point that most successful companies WILL NOT tell you, is that a successful government proposal actually tell the source selection team HOW it intends to perform each aspect of the SOW. Never assume that any part of the SOW is a “no brainer.” You actually have to spell it out in your proposal. The Source Selection Team MUST justify in the record how it got to the award decision. It is common for bidders to simply summarize what they will do. This is a big mistake. Also never simply state that “ we have read, understand and will comply with….” Your proposal will be tossed into the losers pile.
- Do you propose a sound Quality Assurance Plan? If not, then you are failing to let the government contracting agency see that you have actually thought this project out. With every project or contract there are risks. Your task in successful proposal writing is to tell the government that you can see the problems and propose a way to minimize/solve them. Although many government proposals may not expressly ask for them – do it anyway.
- Does your pricing even come close to the government’s estimate? Many bidders lose out on federal contract because their prices are too high or too low. Each agency often conducts research to arrive at an independent government estimate (IGE). Always keep in mind that the United States Government is not a ‘cash cow.’ Government contracts are paid for by tax payers’ dollars. Many companies, especially in construction proposals, simply get their estimators to put the numbers together and then roll the dice. The key to adequate pricing is to also see what the market is charging for such services or products. The analysis is not just what you need to make in profit. Yes, there must be a go/no-go business decision. However, the government (if it does an adequate job in its research) will also inquire into market prices. You must come within the government estimate. Another point is that the lowest price is not the legal standard for award in government contracts – most solicitations expressly state that low pricing can send a message that the bidder does not understand the requirements. Instead, best value is the key. You should also go over and beyond to tell the government what else you can offer besides sending them the widget it asks for. If you offer warranties, then tell them. An agency may pay other than lowest price for that warranty. Inadequate pricing is the biggest reason why government proposals fail.
- Are you one of those companies that focus on customer satisfaction? If so, don’t spend unnecessary time talking about it in a government proposal. Frankly, the government doesn’t care. All it want to know is can you perform the work with minimal risk and at a fair and reasonable price. In the commercial sector, consumers want to know that you care about them individually. However, in government contracts, avoid the “fluff” in proposal writing. It simply will not get you points.
- Have you developed a winning strategy based upon the award criteria? Many bidders for government contracts jump right into proposal writing. However, they do not sit back for a minute to really analyze the award criteria and the approach to how they intend to maximize their scores. Government proposal writing means thinking things through and then putting the results on paper in a way that makes you more competitive. Again, the agency is required to grade your proposal against the stated award criteria in the solicitation. This is your road map. Follow it and learn to beat the competition in every aspect.
Conclusion
Submitting a successful government contract proposal is demanding and requires a well thought plan of action. Understanding the rules and clauses are also critical. You must thoroughly read each and every proposal as though it were your first. Pay attention to the award criteria and focus on telling the government that you understand the requirements, the risks associated with the requirement, and how you intend to overcome them. Contemplate the strengths of your management team and learn how to overcome any weaknesses. Finally, ensure that you know what the market calls for in pricing. The government does its homework by conducting its own estimate.
For help with your next government proposal, contact Watson & Associates, LLC. Call toll free 1-866-601-5518.
Tags: govenment contracts, goverment rfp, government proposal writers, proposal writing
