FA8750-21-R-1004 Proposal Suggestions and Comments_20210301.pdf

Mike Verlinden Rules

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Proposal Suggestions and Comments

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Proposal Suggestions

• Follow RFP SOW format and numbering structure

– Government must first determine if the proposal is “complete” (i.e. does it address all areas within the RFP?).

– Proposing in this fashion:

• Makes it obvious to the Government that the proposal addresses EVERY factor

• Helps the writers ensure they have addressed all areas

– Speeds up proposal writing and reviewing process allowing reviewers to concentrate on the approach

• Be Concise!

– Answer simple questions with simple answers

• GOOD - Question: How many employees are in your company? Answer: 342

• BAD - Question: How many employees are in your company? Answer: A couple pages detailing company history, different working locations, and number of employees per location that the reviewer can extract and add together to obtain the answer to the question.

– No extra credit for using up all of the allotted pages

– Focus on RFP items and evaluation criteria

• While reading about corporate history and values is interesting, use those pages to highlight information relevant to the evaluation criteria.

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Proposal Suggestions

• Ensure continuity across all proposal volumes

– Avoid submitting an “inconsistent” proposal

• Did you propose to build a hardware/software solution in your technical volume? Are the hardware costs included in your cost volume?

• Did you propose to build a team of “X number” of companies to solve a technical problem? Are each one of those companies included in your cost proposal?

• Did you propose to work at a Government location as well as Contractor location? Did you propose both “on-site” and “off-site” labor rates (if applicable)?

• Tailor your approach to this specific acquisition

– Be careful of “one size fits all” management approaches. How do you propose to apply it to this unique acquisition?

– Beware of reutilizing content from other proposals.

• Many times this practice sticks out as an obvious standard pitch

• Very easy to accidently include details that only pertained to the original proposal thereby confusing the source selection team

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General Comments on Approach

• No preference to pre-existing locations or presence in particular areas

– For general management purposes, a Rome NY office or representative is not needed nor is one in any other particular city or state. Base support for technical performance is determined on an order by order basis.

– This being said, the ability to rapidly expand a technical team into additional geographic areas during performance may facilitate “agility”.

• Exclusive teaming agreements

– May not be in the best interest for this type of work

– To promote agility, flexibility, and availability of niche talent on all task orders, AFRL does not restrict teaming to the companies proposed

• Subcontractors are encouraged to join multiple teams

• Primes are encouraged to subcontract to the most qualified subcontractors during performance regardless of proposed team

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General Comments on Approach

• Be realistic and cost effective in approach

– This is particularly applicable for portions of the management approach not directly related to a specific task order (i.e. paid out of company overhead)

– Did you propose frequent reoccurring advisory meetings by panels consisting of costly consultants? When multiplied out over the duration of the contract, is the cost realistic? What is the likelihood the approach will be sustained for the life of the contract?

• Bringing relevant outside business to the table could be beneficial

– Often AFRL partners with industry to transition technology to the warfighter.

– Other Government efforts your company is executing likely have synergy with AFRL developments. Mentioning these efforts and relationships along with a proposed approach to leverage them for technology transition could be part of a well rounded approach.

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Agile Cyber Technology II

For Solicitation related questions:

Patrick.Cerminaro@us.af.mil