Government Contracting Webinars

Training your new employees to submit bids for government contracts doesn’t have to be a daunting task. The key is to think like a government agency. Start by understanding how federal and local agencies perform cost and price analyses. Then, spend a little time studying their price and cost analysis techniques. You’ll make it easier to build your bidding processes around what matters most—and you’ll head into each bidding and negotiation cycle prepared for anything.

Training new employees to submit bids for government contracts doesn't have to be daunting. This guide equips your team to think like a government agency. Understand how federal and local agencies determine "price reasonableness" and conduct cost and price analyses. Examine their techniques closely and follow the steps outlined in this guide. By doing so, you'll streamline your bidding processes, focus on critical elements, and enter each bidding and negotiation cycle with confidence.

Dive into the intricacies of government procurement with our comprehensive 101 guide. Explore how the evolving landscape of procurement shapes your pricing strategies during the proposal process. Gain insights into leveraging modern platforms and selecting optimal pricing processes for your contracting team. With thousands of RFPs issued annually by U.S. federal government agencies, understanding proposal pricing is paramount. Discover how to navigate this critical aspect of the contracting process while ensuring compliance with regulations like the Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA) and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Arm yourself with the knowledge to excel in the competitive realm of government contracting.

This Buyer's Guide is designed for U.S. Federal government contractors seeking contract proposal pricing software. It assists in finding a solution enabling you to analyze cost estimates and pricing parameters, view and present reports from different business angles, iteratively craft "what-if" scenarios, and construct compelling narratives that sync with Basis of Estimate tables—almost instantly.

Big data analytics is crucial in driving innovation and efficiency in the changing government contracting landscape. Government agencies use data analytics to enhance procurement processes, monitor trends, and evaluate strategic reforms. They are also incorporating data analytics as a key service in contracting, allowing firms to bid on providing this service. By leveraging big data, agencies gain valuable insights, predict trends, and optimize efficiencies, ensuring competitive and transparent procurement processes that promote accountability in government spending.

In fiscal year 2023, the U.S. federal government awarded a record $765 billion in contracts, representing a notable 9.5% increase from the previous year. This surge underscores ongoing demands across pivotal sectors like defense, technology, construction, and international affairs support. For ambitious small or midsized contracting enterprises, leveraging government contracts offers compelling advantages. The U.S. government commands the world's largest market, presenting unparalleled opportunities to engage in diverse sectors. Government contracts provide financial stability and growth, offering a dependable revenue stream despite economic fluctuations.

Execute the Basis of Estimate before anything else in government contracting, and watch your proposal workflows become more efficient, economical, and award-worthy. You’re always looking for ways to create a less stressful proposal process with a higher win. Adopting a “BOE first” mindset can move your contracting firm’s stance with any agency in the right direction. For decades, contracting firms have written their Technical and Management Volume narratives before executing BOE justifications during a competitive procurement process. “We’ve always done it this way.” What you’re about to read shuffles the deck. Ready to Learn More? Fill out the form on this page to request a copy of “Rethink Your Basis of Estimate Process".

Taking advantage of both contract award funds and PPP monies for the same expenses can be slippery territory, but much depends on whether the contracts are at the Federal, State, or Local levels. According to the FAR, any PPP fund you receive that doesn’t end up being a loan and duplicates a federal contract or award amount goes to the government. You read that right: If you receive PPP forgiveness on a loan that you’ve used for indirect or direct costs—at the same time that you’re spending a contract or grant award—you owe the government a credit.

Price analysis in government contracts is both a creative and analytical process. And the process perspective is never more true than in service-subcontractor analysis. When acquiring services that aren’t directly solicited, prime contractors and agencies often face unique challenges in knowing if a subcontract provider is proposing a price that’s reasonable. Subcontracts can sometimes represent a major portion of the total dollars spent under a prime contract. So agency Contracting Officers (COs) have to ensure the fairness of prime contract prices by evaluating the prices of the prime’s critical subawards—and so does the prime.

Knowing the difference between the various pre-award notice types and how to respond appropriately can differentiate your firm from the plethora of others who make the mistake of sending the same response for all of them. The agency you’re dealing with wants you to meet the requirements of each communication. Taking the time to provide specific, custom answers to every communication’s questions is a wise investment on your part.

Don’t spend another day, dime, or relationship on another losing proposal until you read our top 12 turnaround tips for those whose intention is there, but whose intuition might not be. From a top-level view, three factors—focus, connection, and consistency—can change your contracting game for good.

The FAR guide to contract negotiation states that “highly skilled negotiators will have a greater probability of success than negotiators who do not have the requisite skills.”
How do you get the practice you need? Study this guide and jump into the game.

Always be learning, training, and investing in yourself to handle any contracting challenges that may come your way. The industry is constantly evolving; we need a skilled workforce to keep innovating and creating successful solutions for both the public and private sectors.

Compliance is no longer an isolated component of Government Contracting work. Its tentacles now extend into nearly every dimension of each proposal.