Choosing and Responding to Government Bids
Have you ever wondered how companies get government contracts? They can’t just fall out of the air and into your lap. There has to be a process. Finding the right government bids is essential if you want the rewards that come with securing a government contract. After all, they can be extremely lucrative and show that your business is a real player in your industry. Successfully submitting a government bid is a beast all on its own. Navigating the government bidding system can seem overwhelming at first, but we’ll get you up to speed in this guide.
Finding Government Bids
There are plenty of resources available online for you to find government bids. For federal bids, you’ll want to visit sites like SAM.gov, which post RFPs (Request for Proposals) from federal contracting offices. State bids usually have a state RFP listing site, like Pennsylvania’s Pennsylvania eMarketplace. For an aggregate of both federal, state and local bids, you can visit specialized RFP search engine sites (such as our very own Bid Banana).
Choosing the Right Government Bid
Now that you know where to find government bids, how do you decide which RFP is appropriate for you? Responding to a federal RFP can be a time-consuming process, and you want to make sure that you target the right one before you bid.
Examining the evaluation criteria in the RFP is a great way to figure out if the RFP is appropriate for you to bid on. The evaluation criteria, in its simplest form, is a scorecard letting you know in advance how your response will be judged. With these criteria, bidders can learn what will be required to submit a successful response. Before starting the writing process, review the evaluation criteria and try to score yourself objectively. A low score on one or more of the evaluation criteria might be a sign to keep searching. So, keep searching for an RFP that has evaluation criteria that you feel you can answer comfortably before digging in and starting the response.
Steps to Completing a Government Bid
There are a variety of different topics and sections you’ll need to complete your government bid. While all RFPs are different, most have similar sections you’ll need to address in your bid. Let’s take a look at some of the sections of the RFP you’ll need to address:
- A Letter of Transmittal: Typically, you’ll start your bid with a letter of transmittal. This is where you briefly introduce your company’s background and intention of submitting your bid. Think of it as a formal introduction serving as a cover letter.
- Executive Summary: An in-depth narrative account of your company’s background and history will benefit the project at hand. The executive summary should also present your history with comparable previous projects and favorable statistics.
- Technical Proposal: Often, the technical proposal will consist of you answering specific questions raised within the RFP. These questions will typically be very straightforward, asking if you can meet certain technical requirements or milestones. If there are no specific questions, you’ll want to detail your proposed solution in depth. You’ll want to have content like what is in your executive summary; however, you want it to be highly specific to the project at hand, providing exact solutions to the project requirements.
These are the main areas you want to pay attention to when completing your government bids. But that’s not all of them!
Other Areas to Address
Now that we’ve addressed the main areas to focus on when completing your government bids, we can turn our attention to other areas that are often overlooked.
- Management Plan: Here is where you want to show how you will manage the government bid, including the background of your management team and their roles. You’ll want to include timelines and milestones, mapping out the project from start to finish. So, think of this as a virtual trial run before you actually work on the project! Include as many key details as possible. Before you know it, there won’t be any doubt that your company is the perfect fit for the project.
- Cost Proposal: The cost proposal is very straightforward. This is where you provide a detailed cost breakdown of what the project will require. Make sure your fee schedule takes into account any budgetary constraints mentioned in the RFP. Also, it is important that your pricing is not only competitive but also realistic.
- Miscellaneous: Other sections might ask for specific documents, such as certifications, licenses, resumes, references, or other straightforward documents needed to submit a successful bid.
Get Your Foot in the Door
For every RFP you respond to, you will be competing against other companies that have already done government work. If you’re new to writing government bids, then that puts you at a huge disadvantage! Also, don’t dig yourself into a hole if you find yourself losing over and over to competing bids. Go ahead and reconsider applying for those smaller, less competitive contracts. Think of it as a loss leader: the experience you may gain from winning a smaller project might make you more competitive in your next bid.
You Don’t Have to Search for Your Government RFP Alone
Need help figuring out how to put your bid in front of the right government agency? We’ve got that process figured out. Check out our related articles in our Learning Center to learn more about bids, proposals, and federal government contracts. Our user-friendly search engine, Bid Banana, can help you locate the right opportunity. So, when you’re ready to draft your response, we at The Bid Lab will be ready to help. Contact us for a free consultation by calling 1-844-4BID-LAB or emailing us at respond@thebidlab.com.
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