3.
Re: does any one know how to get government or state contracts? Mar 31, 2009 12:19 PM
Government and state contracts are really not much different from regular business contracts with the exception of the requirement for what is called a vehicle. Because the government is such as larger purchaser of goods and services, they can require you to prove that the cost of your goods and services are reasonable (in thier terms). Therefore, you must compete for a contact which you rates are completed against other similar companies. You can win a contract, but that has nothing to do with getting business from the government. It allows you to get business from the government. Once you have the vehicle of contract, you then have to get "task orders" these are specific purchase orders from the customer for your goods and services. Task orders can be competed against those companies with similar goods and services.
The truth is that most "task orders" are developed by government project managers to meet specific requirements of these tasking. These people are referred to as COTR (Contracting Organization Technical Representative). They create the Statement of Work which specifies what requirements must be completed for a given purchase. Where does he get these requirements? Normally from a business development person that is interested in getting the business. Every government contracting person knows that if your not involved when the requirements are being developed, you don't have much of a chance to win the contract or task order. This is where many companies make a mistake they respond to RFP that have been posted on government web sites. What they are really doing is providing the competative "losers" of the contract since they need three bids to award the contract.
In this way the government contracting is not much different then commercial business, its about relationships. You must team with other organizations that can add to their capabilities your capabilities to make a stronger team. There are a lot of disadvantage business contracting strategies that can make it easiler to get government contracts that would require additional time.
Hope this helps:
TechDude
www.asktechdude.com
