GTSC has engaged some of the foremost experts in government and industry to provide attendees with practical advice on:

>>the five essential ingredients of a successful prime contractor

>>operational and business development essentials for excellent execution and delivery

>>real-world case studies from successful small and mid-term firms

>>how the government sees success

>>how winning these contracts is a core element of strategic growth

>>a strategic pipeline for future priming opportunities 

Register HERE.

Event Chair Andrea McCarthy, President, HARP

GTSC: What is your first piece of advice for a company entering the Federal homeland and national security market right now? 

Babs Doherty: Prepare for a long road.  The acquisition cycle is over 2 years now due to sequestration and other budget cuts.  A small company cannot keep a bench of qualified candidates on hand for 2 years so you will need to plan ahead and keep your candidates up to date on the progress of any new business you are going after.  If you have an 8(a) status, then you may be able to move things along faster than 2 years but even those contracts are seeing delays longer than before.  So have a plan on how to grow your business over the long haul and be patient and persistent.  The work will come.   Also do not hesitate to team with solid primes.  Pay particular attention to any work share opportunities or areas that you are considered a subject matter expert to get the attention from the primes.  Most important, execute on any current work you have flawlessly.  You’ll need good, solid references to win additional work.

GTSC: What is one thing you “learned the hard way” and could help mentor another company?

Babs Doherty: When you are getting started in the business, you usually are a subcontractor before a prime.  Many times the primes provide you with “target” rates in order to be on their team.  Be careful to analyze EVERY rate carefully and do not bid on labor categories that are not your sweet spot, even though it is tempting.  Once you have provided your rates to the prime, they can, and do, bid any mix of those labor categories to win the work.  If you are not prepared to deliver a qualified person at that labor category price, you will be in trouble.  Check every labor category in a realistic way to ensure you can deliver a qualified candidate before you provide that rate to the prime.  Be prepared to negotiate but also be prepared to walk away if the prime cannot give you the rates under which you can deliver successfully

GTSC: The environment is very competitive.  How are you staying ahead of the curve/or afloat?

Babs Doherty: I am paying attention to my competition and the bidding trends.  The bidding trends are changing as the budget environment dictates tighter and tighter profit rates and escalation.  The government is desiring a true partnership from industry and wants to see that reflected in your bid (lower escalation, lower profit margins, creative bidding) to save money.  We are always looking at ways to deliver our services better than our competition and analyze other projects to see what works and what doesn’t.  We also want to show a strong bench or the ability to obtain highly qualified staff in a creative way.  Everyone says they have a data base of candidates.  It’s important to show other ways beyond a data base to maintain a qualified staff.  Lastly, be quick to respond to requests from your customers.  They will find other means to get what they want if it takes too long to get to an agreement or get the requirement fulfilled.

Babs Doherty     CEO                 Eagle Ray, Inc.

Eagle Ray, Inc. is a Lion’s Den member of the Government Technology & Services Coalition. Eagle Ray, Inc. takes a pragmatic, common-sense approach to organizational transformation, tailoring our  proven, systematized processes to meet your unique requirements. Our transformational approach is based first and foremost on common sense. Learn more about Eagle Ray, Inc. here. 

E-mail introductions provide the opportunity to customize the information in the capability statement to the company you are targeting. In too many cases the e-mail introduction makes reference to the attached capability statement with a request to meet to discuss the capabilities of the company. Good email introductions link the product or service offerings to the targeted company’s core service areas or to a specific customer.

For example, I received an email that stated that Alion was the Prime on a specific contract that will soon be expiring and that he wanted to be part of our team for the re-compete. He outlined the services he provides to that customer in another area and the knowledge he had for that specific customer.  He was in discussions with our program manager for that contract the next day.  He was specific in his request, showed that he researched Alion, provided  value-add information with regards to additional service offerings he could bring to Alion as well as his knowledge of the customer.

The SBLO helps to navigate your information to the appropriate team, so be specific. What account team do you want to meet with and why? What is unique about your product or service that warrants a meeting with the account team?  This question is particularly important for IT companies. Many of your capability statements contain the same information as your competitors. What is your unique value add? Don’t be afraid to try new approaches.  Build your capability statement around a couple of your key customers, then use that information to show breadth and depth of service offerings to the company you are targeting.

In summary, corporations look for teaming partners that can provide complimentary products or services to their core competencies, innovation and additional customer knowledge. Does your capability statement or e-mail introduction provide the necessary information to determine whether your company can provide value to us?

Clairesse Jackson  Small Business Liaison OfficerAlion Science and Technology

Clairesse Jackson is the Small Business Liaison Officer for Alion Science and Technology, a Lion’s Den member of the Government Technology & Services Coalition.

Alion Science and Technology delivers advanced engineering, IT and operational solutions to strengthen national security and drive business results. For customers in defense, civilian government and commercial industries, Alion’s engineered solutions support smarter decision-making and enhanced readiness in rapidly-changing environments.