Tim Linker
NC Procurement Technical Assistance Center
NC State University
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PTAC Program was Established by the
Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) in 1986.
Headquartered at NC State, NC PTAC
functions as the government procurement
extension service of the University of North
Carolina System.
NC PTAC assists with all levels of government
contracting (local, state, and federal).
From 2004-2006, NC PTAC assisted NC
business in obtaining $4 billion dollars of
government contracting.
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Finding available resources to identify
government opportunities
Understanding government rules and regulations
Completing necessary government registrations
Completing government certifications
Understanding solicitation requirements
Responding to a solicitation
Reviewing completed bids
Researching award histories
Getting paid
Creating a win-win team.
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What is required for the particular project?
◦ Are you building a hospital, commissary, or water
treatment plant?
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What are your core competencies and where
will you need assistance?
Who are you working with now or in the past?
◦ Has it been successful or worked well?
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What are your potential partner’s strengths and
weaknesses?
◦ Key: Does your potential partner have the ability to
act as a team player and possess the requisite
knowledge base?
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Skill Level
Reputation
Relevancy/Past Performance
Rapport/Communication
Technical Competence
Commitment to Creating the Best Value
Commitment to Containing Costs
Resources
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Explicitly define the roles and responsibilities
for each partner.
What is the best way to bind the partners
together for this project?
1. Teaming Agreement
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AGC Document No. 499, Teaming Agreement for
Design-Build Project
Joint Venture (JV)
Partnership
Limited Liability Corporation (LLC)
S-Corporation
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Determining who is the lead on the project
◦ Which partner discovered/marketed the project,
and do they have an existing relationship with the
buying entity?
◦ Who brings the greatest amount of resources to the
project ?
◦ Who has the greatest amount of risk involved in the
project?
◦ Who has the greatest amount of integration
experience?
The art of convincing the
Government Evaluators that
your proposal is the best.
What not to do in your proposal preparation!
Your team must be able not only
to comprehend a RFP, but accurately
to demonstrate that comprehension while
proposing and describing an effective
solution to the issue at hand.
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Get the correct solicitation and keep checking
for amendments or modifications.
Determine the solicitation and contract type.
Assemble all the attachments and materials
incorporated by reference (FAR clauses, etc.).
Read the entire solicitation… twice.
◦ Many companies do not fully comprehend what they
are being asked to provide and, consequently, are
not able to provide a proposal that completely
meets the requirements of the solicitation.
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Federal solicitations provide you with details of
what the government wants and with details of
how it will evaluate your proposal.
For instance, Solicitation # (R3-07-19a)
◦ Lost Lodge Ranger Station, US Forest Service, USDA
 Section C, Statement of Work: Provides a detailed
description of what the government is seeking.
 Design on the construction of four buildings (23K sq. ft. total)
 Section M, Evaluation Factors of Award
 Technical Approach: 25 %, LEED Silver Certification and Energy
Star methodologies
 Past Performance: 75%, Quality of Product/Service, Timeliness
of Performance, Business Relations
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Make a proposal requirements task list and a
contract performance task list.
Create a plan that details what the
responsibilities of each team member are and
when each task is due.
Focus on meeting the proposal due date.
Provide all the required information in enough
detail so that the evaluators know that you
understand the requirements thoroughly.
◦ Follow the solicitations format!
 Page limits, numbering, section titles, etc.
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Gather, assemble, compile, and edit all the
items specified by the task lists you created.
Arrange them in the specified sequence.
Prepare a brief cover letter or executive
summary.
Provide the required number of copies of the
proposal in the layout the solicitation
dictates.
Define &
Analyze
Identify &
Gather
Plan &
Execute
Assemble
& Edit
Submit &
Debrief
Follow all the instructions.
 Follow the sequence.
 Focus on the customer’s mission and goals.
 A proposal’s purpose is to describe in detail
what you can do to support the mission.
 Check and recheck your cost data.
 Start with the executive summary and end
with a full-scale bragging section. In
between, provide supportable facts.
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Responsive: Did your submit the required
documents in the required format?
Responsible: Is your company qualified and
eligible to receive the contract/award?
Competitive: Is your price “fair and
reasonable” under the circumstances?
Technically Acceptable: Does your product
meet the customer’s requirement?
What you need to know.
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The federal government has social goals that it tries
to satisfy through Preference Programs.
◦ Federal goals
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Small Business: 23%
Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB)/8(a): 5% *
Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB): 5%
Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Zone: 3% *
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB): 3%
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 19.702
requires that all construction projects over $1
million dollars must have an approved
subcontracting plan.
* Small Business Administration (SBA) Certified Preference
Programs
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FAR Clause 52.219-9 provides a model
subcontracting outline
◦ Elements include:
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Type of subcontracting plan: Master, Individual
Goals for each type of segment: VOSDB, SDB, WOSB, etc.
Description of supplies and services to be subcontracted
Method of identifying sources and developing goal
percentages
Individual responsible for the subcontracting program
Description of the efforts to identify subcontractors
Various assurances of reporting and clause flow down
Record keeping requirements
920 Main Campus Drive, Venture II, Suite 101
Centennial Campus, NCSU
Raleigh, NC 27606
919.424.4453, tlinker@sbtdc.org
WWW.NCPTAC.ORG