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Building better mousetraps by adding value to technical proposals

December 28, 2018 By Andrew Smith

“Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door” is the old saying, but the federal government seldom beats a path to the door of a contractor. Nevertheless, companies can win contracts by adding value to their proposals with technical discriminators.

Assuming a contractor is responsible, contract awards by federal agencies are generally determined by three sets of factors: price, past performance, and technical approach. Where contracts are awarded based on the government’s assessment of best value, distinctions among technical proposals are critical to determining the contract award. In best value acquisitions, technical discriminators, which serve to differentiate one proposal from another, are often what determine success or failure.

To increase the value of their technical proposals, contractors must make maximum use of technical discriminators. Yet, not all technical discriminators that could lend a competitive advantage to a proposal may be readily apparent. For that reason, it can be useful to look at best value assessments in other procurements. Many such evaluations are reviewed in bid protest decisions. These decisions frequently discuss the technical discriminators that agencies find significant.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=760726

Filed Under: Contracting Tips Tagged With: discriminator, past performance, price, proposal, proposal evaluation, proposal preparation, technical approach

Don’t play hide-and-seek with technical details in your proposals

August 15, 2016 By Andrew Smith

Contractors that want to improve their proposal drafting skills (and win more contract awards) should always keep an eye on the news and learn from others’ mistakes. Understanding an agency’s award rationale can provide a competitive advantage and keep you well-positioned to receive the next contract.

And, sometimes, simply following instructions and staying within the lines can make the difference between winning and losing.

GAO-GovernmentAccountabilityOffice-SealTake, for example, a recent GAO decision discussing the merits of an agency’s technical evaluation. The protest argued that the agency unreasonably overlooked technical details included in the “past performance” and “personal experience” sections of the contractor’s proposal.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=516702

Filed Under: Contracting Tips Tagged With: GAO, proposal, proposal evaluation, proposal preparation, RFP, technical approach

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