Insights Blog

Meritorious Strength

DOD procurements have changed their standard definition of a proposal “Strength”

Have you noticed in recent DOD procurements that their standard definition of a “Strength” has changed, however slightly? I first noticed it when an active major RFP amended its Section M definition as part of an amendment. The change summary said that the government was adding the words “has merit or” to the definition. In context: Strength is an aspect of an Offeror’s proposal that has merit or exceeds specified performance or capability requirements in a way that will be advantageous to the government during contract performance. Our client was thrilled! The client is an industry leader in a highly regulated industry, and the government’s requirements read like a best practices list for the industry. It had been difficult figuring out how our solution exceeded requirements in a way that would be advantageous to the government in contract performance. As we began to consider what this meant to our solution, … Continue reading Meritorious Strength →

Six tips for better content reuse

Determine whether it contributes to increased proposal wins both in percentage and in volume

Proposal content reuse at its best improves productivity and make the most of your bid and proposal (B&P) resources. Every company reuses proposal content, whether they have a formal content reuse strategy with tools, technology, and dedicated writers or individuals who reuse their own latest and greatest nuggets independently—or they are somewhere in between. As with any aspect of the proposal life cycle, successful bidders must plan, measure results, and continuously improve. Yet, all too often, companies fail to examine whether their formal and/or informal reuse processes result in content that gets the job done. The best way to measure if content reuse works is to determine whether it contributes to increased proposal wins both in percentage and in volume. Even if content reuse saves time, it doesn’t necessarily increase PWin. Content is an expression of your company Content articulates what your company is, what it does or has done, … Continue reading Six tips for better content reuse →

Help evaluators see ghosts

Ghosting must begin during capture well before RFP drop and include customer and competitor analysis.

Ghosts! Proposal best practices tell us to ghost the competition. Ghosting in the world of proposals means to emphasize competitor weaknesses and downplay their Strengths without naming them. According to APMP, “The goal is to provide the customer with information that supports the view that your solution is superior and to cast doubt on the viability of competitors’ approaches.” In the real world, effective ghosting is extremely difficult. Without deep customer and competitor knowledge, identifying ghosts and making them apparent to evaluators is practically impossible. Ghosting, therefore, must begin during capture well before RFP drop and include customer and competitor analysis. Otherwise, articulating potential but unvetted ghosts in the proposal narrative is simply not going to work. Compare and contrast Let’s assume that a bidder has access to the customer(s) and learns pain points that are creating risks and challenges for the work. Let’s also assume the bidder identifies and researches … Continue reading Help evaluators see ghosts →

[Webinar replay available] An insider’s look at government source selection – how it really works and what you need to know: Part 2

Lohfeld Business Winning Webinar

Our free two-part series examines the Federal Government acquisition and source selection life cycle with our experts in DOD, GSA, and civilian agency acquisition and source selection. We discuss: Procurement Planning – How does the government prepare for their procurements? (Part 1) Proposal Evaluations – What is the evaluator’s approach to evaluating and scoring proposals? (Part 1) Bidder Discussions – What is the government’s approach to conducting discussions? (Part 2) Making the Award – What are the government’s approach and considerations in making the source selection? (Part 2) Click to watch webinar replay Part 1 covers procurement planning and proposal evaluations. Part 2 covers government discussions and source selection Who should watch: Listen to experts with first-hand knowledge of source selection and evaluation processes and gain insights to help improve your solicitation responses. Those involved in Executive Management, Business Development, Capture, Pricing, and Bid and Proposal efforts will benefit from … Continue reading [Webinar replay available] An insider’s look at government source selection – how it really works and what you need to know: Part 2 →