Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

$869.2B in Federal Contracts — How to land one for your startup

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While I don’t agree with all of the authors points, statistics and statements, the general sentiment expressed in the article below, that relationship building is important to achieve success and to build trust in the government space makes this article worth the read.  – Andrew Smith, GTPAC

Only 10% of what you see on SAM.gov is actually available for you to bid.  This is because most businesses already have relationships with procurement officers before the opportunity goes online.

I didn’t know this as an entrepreneur.  I pushed my business through this never-ending cycle of bidding on government applications with no results.  I would apply to every opportunity that seemed to match my business services, only to be disheartened by an unresponsive agent.  So I blamed it on the system, saying, “the government is slow.”

But there’s no denying how our country spends more than the amount of Sweden’s economy on contracts in one year.  The sheer volume requires efficiency.

I figured I must’ve been doing something wrong.  So, I met a business advisor who specializes in government procurements at the Small Business Administration.  She helped me see my simple mistake: I wasn’t building relationships with government procurement officers.

She showed me how to identify and approach a list of ideal government buyers (IGBs).  I’d like to share that guidance to help you increase your odds at landing a federal contract for your business.

Continue reading the article at:  Medium.com (The Startup)

5 things you should know about SBA’s ‘all small’ mentor-protégé program

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In late 2016, the Small Business Administration (SBA) rolled out a fantastic tool to help small business grow in the marketplace.

Here are five things you should know about the SBA’s All Small Mentor-Protégé Program:

  1. It’s a business development program.
  2. What type of assistance can be given?
  3. Who’s eligible to participate?
  4. The benefits of participation.
  5. How can your business apply?

Keep reading this article at: http://smallgovcon.com/five-things/asmpp/

Eligibility requirements are here: https://www.sba.gov/contracting/government-contracting-programs/all-small-mentor-protege-program/eligibility-requirements

Why you can’t understand federal contracting without understanding legislation

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Stacy O'Mara - Bloomberg GovtWe’re part of a larger team that focuses on government affairs professionals — the companies, associations and lobbyists trying to influence government action and the Hill staff and federal agencies who make it happen. Our day-to-day activities center mostly around these clients and the type of work they do.

Our work also helps Bloomberg Government’s other client base — the community of government contractors trying to find and win business with the federal government. Those clients are focused primarily on business development, capture and proposal activities — securing their current work and pounding the pavement to land future work.

Keep reading this article at: http://about.bgov.com/blog/why-you-cant-understand-federal-contracting-without-understanding-legislation/

 

International tech companies join new Georgia Tech ‘Internet of Things’ research center

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The recently established Center for the Development and Application of Internet-of-Things Technologies (CDAIT) at the Georgia Institute of Technology announces that AirWatch, AT&T and Samsung Electronics constitute the inaugural group of founding members. The involvement of these companies reflects their continuing commitment to the advancement of the transformational capabilities of the Internet of Things (IoT).

“Internet of Things” refers to the ability for all types of devices to communicate with each other through networks like the Internet, radio frequencies and other forms of transmission. Devices could include the equipment in cars, homes, trucks, cargo, health care, and other everyday objects. This new area of technological innovation is receiving increasing attention around the world because of its potential impact on all sectors of the economy and society.

Together with Georgia Tech and GTRI, the founding members will closely monitor and actively participate in the expansion of the rapidly growing IoT industry. Other leading global companies involved in IoT have indicated their interest in getting engaged with CDAIT.

“Having companies of this stature join Georgia Tech in this effort speaks volumes about what we’re trying to accomplish,” said Andrew Gerber, Georgia Tech Senior Vice President and Director of the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). “We are proud to be recognized as a trusted collaborator in the Internet-of-Things arena. We are eager to harness the unique expertise of our professors, researchers and students throughout the Internet-of-Things value chain.”

For more than a century, AT&T has consistently provided innovative, reliable, high-quality products and services. With more than 120 million wireless customers, AT&T’s mission is to connect people with their world, everywhere they live and work, and do it better than anyone else.

“We’ve had a long-standing relationship with Georgia Tech for many years as we share a common commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation and taking education to new levels,” said Chris Penrose, senior vice president, Internet of Things Organization, AT&T Mobility. “The opportunity for IoT is real.  It’s already reshaping industries and solving real business issues for companies around the globe.  We’ve been a leading participant in the IoT space for nearly eight years and look forward to extending our thought-leadership with innovators in our own backyard.”

AirWatch® by VMware® is the leading enterprise mobility management platform. With more than a decade in business, AirWatch continues to develop solutions that empower companies to focus on innovative uses of mobile technology rather than dealing with the complexities of managing mobility.

“AirWatch is a longtime supporter of Georgia Tech innovation, and our support of CDAIT furthers our commitment to collaborate on strategic initiatives,” said John Marshall, senior vice president and general manager, AirWatch. “We see an incredible opportunity for the Internet of Things to redefine enterprise mobility and our daily lives. We look forward to working alongside Georgia Tech on building these transformative technologies of tomorrow.”

Headquartered in Suwon, South Korea, Samsung Electronics seeks to inspire the world and shape the future with transformative ideas and technologies, redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances, printers, medical equipment, network systems, and semiconductor and LED solutions. Samsung Electronics also leads in the IoT space through, among others, the company’s Smart Home and Digital Health initiatives.

“Samsung Electronics is looking forward to working closely with the CDAIT’s outstanding members to drive the IoT research areas and core technologies,” said Jin Wook Lee, Vice President of Software R&D Center at Samsung Electronics. “We will support CDAIT in its efforts toward providing in-depth research into the various aspects of IoT technology.”

Housed at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), the Center for the Development and Application of Internet-of-Things Technologies (CDAIT pronounced sedate) is a global, non-profit, partner-funded center located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, that fosters interdisciplinary research and education while driving general awareness about the Internet of Things. It aims at efficiently identifying, understanding and solving for its sponsors challenges and problems that may arise along the whole IoT value chain. CDAIT bridges sponsors with Georgia Tech faculty and researchers as well as industry members with similar interests.

“Our center will greatly benefit from having a continuous and close dialogue with premier technological companies of the caliber of AirWatch, AT&T and Samsung Electronics,” said Alain Louchez, CDAIT Managing Director. “With their help, we are looking forward to making significant contributions to the IoT industry.”

Learn more about CDAIT at www.cdait.gatech.edu.

Source: http://gtri.gatech.edu/news/tech-companies-join-new-internet-things-research-c 

Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center is a startup powerhouse

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When he enrolled as a Ph.D. student in Georgia Tech’s College of Computing five years ago, Vijay Balasubramaniyan never expected to become the CEO of one of Atlanta’s hottest young information security companies.

Today, the phone call fingerprinting technique he developed provides the foundation for Pindrop Security. The three-year-old company has attracted $12 million in investment from Andreessen Horowitz, one of Silicon Valley’s most prestigious venture capital firms. Pindrop already has customers among the top U.S. companies, including two of the nation’s five largest banks.

As CEO, Balasubramaniyan handles duties that are vastly different from his Ph.D. days, such as meeting with marketing and engineering staff and dashing off to customer meetings on the West Coast. In addition, he regularly checks a large computer screen that monitors potentially fraudulent calls going into call centers of the company’s customers.

From an office in Georgia Tech’s Technology Square, the company is building a business to help battle the multi-billion dollar problem of fraud committed using the telephone.

On March 27, Pindrop will be one of three companies celebrating their success with “graduation” from the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), Georgia Tech’s startup incubator. The ATDC was started 33 years ago to create technology jobs and economic growth for the state of Georgia.

Three companies show the technology diversity of ATDC

  • Pindrop Security​
    Pindrop Security provides solutions to protect enterprise call centers and phone users from fraud.
  • SalesLoft
    Headed by Georgia Tech graduate Kyle Porter, SalesLoft helps companies find prospective customers using information available on the Internet.
  • MessageGears
    MessageGears helps clients customize their email marketing messages while keeping customer data securely behind firewalls.

“These three companies demonstrate the kind of diversity that we have in the ATDC,” said K.P. Reddy, an entrepreneur, author, and Georgia Tech graduate who serves as the incubator’s interim general manager. “If you look at any ecosystem – and we are part of a larger technology ecosystem – diversity like this is what drives its health.”

Making a difference for startups

ATDC assists companies spinning out of Georgia Tech, those headed up by Georgia Tech alumni, and companies that have no direct Georgia Tech connection. The common denominator is fit with the ATDC program.

ATDC emphasizes coaching, support from a community of entrepreneurs, and connections to a broad range of resources. The companies receive access to Georgia Tech resources – students, faculty, and research facilities. Additionally, they can connect to industry giants such as AT&T, which recently located one of its Foundries in Technology Square to be close to the startup community there.

“We are not trying move the needle 5 percent or 10 percent,” Reddy explained. “We are trying to make orders of magnitude differences for startup companies. We are able to help companies do much more than they could on their own.”

Everything an entrepreneur needs

Each of the 2014 graduates cites a different benefit from ATDC, which isn’t surprising, said Reddy.

“We are all about supporting entrepreneurs,” he explained. “It isn’t just about space. It isn’t just about coaching or mentoring. It isn’t just about investors or customers. We have all the things that an entrepreneur needs at ATDC.”

Among the newest programs are Industry Connect and Campus Connect. Industry Connect brings in representatives from Atlanta’s largest corporations to learn about startups that may have solutions to the challenges they face. In 2013, ATDC’s Industry Connect program facilitated more than 20 contracts between ATDC startups and Global 1000 companies.

Campus Connect helps ATDC companies leverage Georgia Tech resources, connecting them to one of the nation’s top ten 10 publicly-supported universities, with a science and engineering research program that is among the largest in the United States.

“There is a lot of brain power and a lot of talent at Georgia Tech, and we are leveraging that,” said Reddy. “Being connected to a top university really makes a difference.”

Beyond faculty and research assistance, the Georgia Tech connections also lead to great students. A recent career fair held with the Georgia Tech College of Computing and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering attracted 150 students, who learned about opportunities at 25 startups. Internships and new hires will likely result, Reddy said.

ATDC companies tend to fall into two categories: those with high market risk and low technical risk – such as social media companies, and those with high technical risk and low market risk, including many of the science-based startups spinning out of Georgia Tech. Those two groups help one another, and build a robust ecosystem.

“Our scientists have to learn how to market, and our marketers have to learn about science,” Reddy noted. “That’s where the ecosystem gets really strong.”

Reddy believes ATDC has a great reputation, one that should make it top of mind for any technology entrepreneur in Georgia.

“If I’m looking for hash browns, I go to Waffle House,” he added. “If I’m going to start a company, I go to ATDC.”

Click here to view video about ATDC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0KUcUJE4LSQ

Government contractor profits continue to rise

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While the federal contracting industry is by no means recovered, the future looks a good deal brighter than it did just a few months ago.

The two-year budget agreement has partially mitigated the impact of sequestration and greatly reduced the risk of a government shutdown. The agreement brought some stability and predictability to a market that has been starved of both for several years.

Each year, Deltek conducts a Clarity study assessing critical business metrics in the government contracting industry, such as growth rates and profit margins, plus operating metrics and trends, in areas such as business development, program management and financial operations.

The early results reflect the improved outlook resulting from the budget resolution. Yet, as one would expect, certain financial metrics — such as profits, mergers and acquisitions and win rates — reflect the difficult year that was 2013.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/deltek-contractor-profits-continue-to-rise/2014/03/14/e2f0ffc0-a8ab-11e3-8d62-419db477a0e6_story.html 

Applications for SBA’s “Emerging Leaders” program now open

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What is Emerging Leaders?

The Emerging Leaders is an intensive training initiative to accelerate high-potential small businesses’ growth in America’s inner-cities. This comprehensive curriculum provides the tools to catapult participating companies to the next level and help them emerge as growing, self-sustaining businesses in their community.  In Atlanta, the Emerging Leaders initiative is supported by a coalition of local economic and business development entities.

What does the Emerging Leaders advanced training entail?

Over seven months, participants are required to participate in approximately 60-80 hours of classroom instruction, generally two three-hour sessions per month. The method used is primarily instructor-facilitated discussion of the training curriculum. Outside subject matter experts are included as guest speakers to bring a “real world” perspective. Additionally, class participants meet and work in smaller CEO Peer Mentoring Groups for an additional 15-20 hours during the training period.

Topics/subjects include:

  • Business & Leadership Assessment
  • Finances
  • Marketing & Sales
  • Business Development Resources
  • Growth Action Plan

Eligibility and Requirements

The Emerging Leaders advanced training series is open to the President, Managing Partner, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, or Chief Operating Officer of small businesses that:

  • Are located in Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties
  • Have been in active operation at least three years
  • Have generated for the past three years an average annual revenue of at least $400,000 not to exceed $10,000,000
  • Have at least one employee besides the owner(s)

In order to successfully complete and graduate from the program, participants must not have more than two unexcused absences from classroom or CEO Peer Mentoring Group sessions. They must also prepare and give a 15-minute presentation at the last class session on a three-year strategic growth plan for their business developed from their learning experience before a panel of business and economic development experts.

There will be up to fifteen small businesses accepted for the 2014/Emerging Leaders program. This program is provided at NO COST to participants.

For more information, please contact SBA’s Dorothy Atkins (404) 331-0100 ext. 305 or Charlotte Johnson, (404) 331-0100 ext. 405.  Formal “Expressions of Interest” to participate must be received by midnight, March 21, 2014.  The 2014 Emerging Leaders class begins on April 21, 2014.

Government cuts cause contractor revenue losses and strategic changes

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Sequestration forced revenue losses among almost two-thirds of contractors in 2013, according to a survey by two consulting firms released last week.

Almost 31 percent of the 220 firms that responded to the survey by Market Connections Inc. and Lohfeld Consulting Group Inc. said their revenue fell by more than 10 percent, while another 30 percent reported declines of nearly 10 percent.

In response to government market pressures, contractors are re-architecting by expanding into adjacent markets (45 percent), modifying lines of business (35 percent), and putting greater emphasis on the front-end of the life-cycle to improve capture strategies an

More contractors are pursuing new opportunities in state and local government, international markets, and energy in 2013 than in 2012. Pursuit of healthcare opportunities is still high on the list of new and adjacent markets contractors are pursuing:

  • State and local government: 48 percent in 2013 vs. 29 percent in 2012
  • Healthcare: 39 percent in 2013 vs. 38 percent in 2012
  • International markets: 36 percent in 2013 vs. 29 percent in 2012
  • Energy: 33 percent in 2013 vs. 20 percent in 2012

“It is clear that sequestration and the government shutdown have had a tremendous impact on the government contracting community,” said Lisa Dezzutti, president and CEO of Market Connections, Inc. “Contractors need to think outside the box, leverage their expertise in adjacent markets and focus on business development and capture strategies that will increase win rates.”

Contractors are making the following investments in the front-end of the lifecycle to enhance the business development and capture process and increase win probability:

  • Improving capture and proposal processes: 40 percent
  • Adding more business development/capture personnel: 39 percent
  • Enhancing capture and proposal tools and infrastructure: 28 percent
  • Increasing use of consulting services: 19 percent
  • Adding more technical personnel to support business acquisition: 15 percent
  • Adding personnel to write proposals: 12 percent

A full copy of the survey results can be downloaded at: http://www.marketconnectionsinc.com/index.php/Infographics/sequestrationgovernmentshutdowninfographics.html?Itemid= 

2014 calendar of free government training seminars announced

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Seminars on government contracting topics are being scheduled at locations throughout the state of Georgia in 2014.   These training seminars are free of charge and are sponsored by the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC).

The complete list of GTPAC seminars can be found at: http://gtpac.ecenterdirect.com/Conferences.action

Below are highlights of upcoming topics to be covered:

  • Need a solid introduction — or a refresher — to government contract fundamentals?   Then plan to attend our 3-hour “Introduction to Government Contracting.”  This is GTPAC’s most popular training class — and most frequently offered!  You’ll receive an update on all the basics, plus learn how to sign-up for GTPAC’s free services.   In addition, GTPAC offers a 1-hour orientation on this same topic called “Fundamentals of Working with the Government.”
  • Unsure if you are properly registered in the federal government’s vendor database?   Our webinar entitled “Fundamentals of Navigating SAM and Working with the Government” is the event for you.  You’ll learn all about the System for Award Management (SAM) and how it’s used to identify prospective contractors.
  • Want to learn about preferences given to women and other groups such as veterans in federal contracting?  Consider attending our seminars such as “Women-Owned Small Business Programs” and “Small Business Certification Programs.”  Both of these workshops provide solid orientations to all the federal contracting preference programs, including how to qualify.
  • Don’t know how to find or approach small business specialists?  “Working with Small Business Specialists” is the class for you.  We explain the role Small Business Specialists play within government agencies, how to find them, how to present your credentials, and what to expect.
  • Interested in contracting opportunities at the state and local government levels?   Then “Marketing to State and Local Governments” is the workshop you should attend.  You’ll learn about how to find contracting jobs right in your neighborhood, how to get registered as a vendor, and how to pursue local government contract work.
  • Curious about what resources are available to you on the Internet?  Our workshop entitled “Using Your Computer to Win Government Contracts” will teach you all about the free resources and information available on the web that will help you identify government contracting opportunities, conduct market research about upcoming government buying needs, submit bids on-line, communicate with governments, and get paid.
  • Need help preparing a bid or proposal?   GTPAC offers multiple workshops on “Preparing a Successful Bid or Proposal” where we cover downloading a solicitation, initial preparation steps, analyzing the evaluation criteria, building a bid or proposal, following submittal instructions, and obtaining a debriefing.
  • Trying to figure-out whether a GSA Schedule is right for you?   Our “Understanding the GSA Schedule Process” is your ticket to learning whether there is a GSA Schedule that matches your business and, if so, the fundamentals of how to submit a proposal.
  • What about all the other things you need to know?  GTPAC has regularly scheduled seminars on topics like: “Selling to the Military,”  “Wide Area Work Flow,”   “How to Create a Great Elevator Speech,”   “What is a Capabilities Statement and Why You Should Have One,” and much more.

Be sure to visit http://gtpac.ecenterdirect.com/Conferences.action today for a complete list of classes, locations, dates and other details.

Contractors: Cautious optimism for 2012

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Deltek’s annual Clarity government contractor study reveals an industry that is cautiously optimistic but braced for some tough times.

The optimism mostly comes from more than 400 respondents saying their revenue growth was cut in half when comparing 2011 to 2010. The average growth rate in 2011 was reported as 7.3 percent, compared to 14.7 percent the year before. But their expectation for 2012 is a return to double digit growth of 19.6 percent.

There are plenty of reasons for the drop in 2011, particularly with the delayed budget, said Warren Linscott, vice president of GovCon product strategy and management.

“Growth rates just plummeted,” he said as he presented the findings of the Clarity survey.

The survey was taken by 429 organizations that answered questions covering, business development, project management, financial metrics and compliance and risk management.

Among the business development questions, most respondents said that the restrictive spending environment was their biggest challenge, followed by increased competition and limited business development resources.

Program managers said that inexperience project managers were their biggest challenge, followed by issues with collaboration and communications, and accurate project cost forecasting.

The Clarity survey found that companies are taking longer to issue invoices but the average of days sales outstanding dropped by 10 days to 42.8 days.

Linscott said the most likely reason for the longer invoice cycle is that companies are trying to head off challenges to invoices by scrutinizing them more closely before they are sent to customers.

The result is quicker payment because the invoices are of a higher quality and have fewer problems flagged by customers, he said.

“They are taking more time on the invoices to make sure they get paid the first time they are sent out,” Linscott said.

Compliance continues to be an issue for companies with more than 60 percent reporting that government oversight of their company increased in 2011. That compares to 42 percent reporting more oversight in 2010.

Top audit issues were unchanged from 2010 with labor and time-keeping topping the list of issues auditors targeted, followed by indirect rates and internal control systems.

About the Author: Nick Wakeman is the editor-in-chief of Washington Technology.  This article appeared Mar. 14, 2012 at http://washingtontechnology.com/articles/2012/03/14/deltek-clarity-contractor-survey.aspx?s=wtdaily_160312.

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