TArticles tagged with: Lohfeld Consulting Group

Top 10 free government websites and databases for supporting your bid

The Federal Government publishes an inordinate amount of free information for jumpstarting your bids.

The Federal Government publishes an inordinate amount of free information for jumpstarting your bids. We summarize our top 10 favorites below. Many of these free databases are hosted by the General Services Administration (GSA), so visit GAO.gov for a comprehensive list of the agency’s assets. While we rely on these free databases, we combine them with paid database subscriptions (we subscribe to Deltek GovWin) to get the best of both worlds. Free tracking databases to support capture and proposal System Award for Management (SAM) (SAM.gov): This website provides a one-stop shop for identifying and tracking bid and contract information. Sam.gov enables users to register their business with the Federal Government, track contracting opportunities, capture contractor performance information, view contract data, and search assistance listings. Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) (sba.gov/pro-net/search/dsp_dsbs.cfm): Helps you to find small business contractors for potential teaming on upcoming bids. Individual Agency Acquisition sites: Some agencies maintain … Continue reading Top 10 free government websites and databases for supporting your bid →

Get ready—the government flood gates are opening with 2023 bids

Are you ready for these multi-billion-dollar RFPs?

Thankfully, many government agencies held off on releasing their requests for proposals (RFPs) during the December 2022 holiday season. However, government agencies are now opening the floodgates and releasing numerous multi-billion- and multi-million-dollar RFPs in the January – March 2023 timeframe, including the 15 listed below, which represent a sampling of more than 350 bids we are tracking in the first quarter (timeframes may shift based on the agencies’ schedules). Top RFPs coming in the January – March 2023 timeframe Army Enterprise SIPR Modernization from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). It is valued at $1B. Contractor Operated and Maintained Base Supply Services for the T6ABD Texan II Aircraft (COMBS) from the U.S. Air Force Materiel Command, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Mobility and Training Aircraft Directorate. It is valued at $2.2B. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Technical and Analytical Support Services (TASS) … Continue reading Get ready—the government flood gates are opening with 2023 bids →

Lessons Learned in Strength-Based Winning® from GAO’s Protest Docket

The best sources to learn about how the government grades best value competitions

One of the best sources to learn about how the government grades best value competitions is the General Accountability Office (GAO) Protest Docket. The Docket explains the proposal requirements, how the government graded the proposal, and provides their justification for the score. The five cases presented below from GAO’s November Protest Docket provide lessons we can use to improve proposals. We deleted references to the solicitation name, protester, and winners(s) to focus on key messages from GAO’s findings. Agency: Defense Mission Agency (MDA) The Score: The protester’s proposal had 4 strengths, 2 weaknesses, 5 significant weaknesses, and 3 deficiencies. According to the government, the proposal did not demonstrate technical knowledge in multiple areas that are important to the MDA mission. The Issue: With 3 deficiencies the government stated that the proposal was “unawardable” due to the unacceptable rating under a key mission capability factor. The Source Selection Authority (SSA) found … Continue reading Lessons Learned in Strength-Based Winning® from GAO’s Protest Docket →

Did GSA get it wrong on Alliant 3?

I think GSA came up short in three areas

UPDATED December 19, 2022 GSA released its draft for the Alliant 3 procurement on October 19, 2022 and is accepting bidder comments until January 6, 2023. You can submit your comments to A3DraftRFP@GSA.Gov using the comment template released with the draft RFP. I’ve been through the Alliant 3 draft, and I think GSA came up short in three areas. First, it failed to state the number of points needed to win a seat on its new contract. Second, it capped the number of winners at 60, and third, it failed to take advantage of all the lessons learned when it crafted the OASIS+ Draft Request for Proposal. 1. Unpublished award score GSA is not disclosing the number of points needed to win the new Alliant 3 contract and instead is saying it will award to the 60 highest-scoring bidders. If GSA proceeds with an unpublished award score, it invites protests … Continue reading Did GSA get it wrong on Alliant 3? →