Successful proposal strategies for small businesses: using knowledge management to win government, private sector, and international contracts

555 Pages·2002·1.51 MB·English

by  Robert S. Frey

Successful Proposal
Strategies for Small
Businesses:
Using Knowledge Management to Win
Government, Private Sector, and
International Contracts
Third Edition
ForacompletelistingoftheArtechHouseTechnologyManagementand
ProfessionalDevelopmentLibrary,turntothebackofthisbook.
Successful Proposal
Strategies for Small
Businesses:
Using Knowledge Management to Win
Government, Private Sector, and
International Contracts
Third Edition
Robert S. Frey
Artech House
Boston (cid:149) London
www.artechhouse.com
SuccessfulProposalStrategiesforSmallBusinesses
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Frey,RobertS.
Successfulproposalstrategiesforsmallbusinesses:usingknowledge
managementtowingovernment,privatesector,andinternational
contracts/RobertS.Frey.(cid:151)3rded.
p.cm.(cid:151)(ArtechHouseprofessionaldevelopmentand
technologymanagementlibrary)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN1-58053-332-9(alk.paper)
1.Proposalwritingforgrants(cid:151)UnitedStates. 2.Smallbusiness(cid:151)
UnitedStates(cid:151)Finance. I.Title. II.Series.
HG177.5.U6F74 2002
658.8(cid:146)04(cid:151)dc21 2002019678
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData
Frey,RobertS.
Successfulproposalstrategiesforsmallbusinesses:usingknowledge
managementtowingovernment,privatesector,andinternational
contracts.(cid:151)3rded.(ArtechHouseprofessionaldevelopmentand
technologymanagementlibrary)
1.Proposalwritinginbusiness 2.Smallbusiness(cid:151)Finance
3.Proposalwritinginpubliccontracting 4.Lettingofcontracts
I. Title
658.8(cid:146)04
ISBN1-58053-332-9
CoverdesignbyIgorValdman
'2002ARTECHHOUSE,INC.
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Contents
Acknowledgments xiii 1.6 Organizingyourcompanytoacquire
newbusiness 15
Introduction xv
1.7 Effectivestrategicandmission
planning 20
Chapter 1
1.8 Convertingknowledgeintoproposal
Competitive proposals and small success 21
business 1
1.8.1 KMbenefitsproposaldevelopment 27
1.1 Overview 3 1.8.2 Internalandexternalclients: lookingat
1.2 Fromset-asidestofullandopen clientsinawholenewway 33
competition 7 Endnotes 34
1.3 Smallbusinessconstraints 10
Chapter 2
1.4 Maximizingsmallbusiness
strengths 11 Strategic partnering and subcontracting
1.5 SBIRandSTTRprograms12 opportunities 39
vii
SuccessfulProposalStrategiesforSmallBusinesses
2.1 Subcontractingopportunitiesand 3.14 Advertising,tradeshows,and
pathwaystosuccess 40 high-impactpublicrelations 76
2.2 Criticalsuccessfactors 41 Endnotes 80
2.3 Specificstrategiesforachieving
Chapter 4
subcontracts 42
2.4 Becomingpartofagovernmentwide Requests for proposals 83
acquisitioncontract(GWAC)team 45 4.1 Overview 83
2.5 Streamlineddelegationofauthority 4.2 PartI(cid:151)theschedule 85
process 47 4.3 PartII(cid:151)contractclauses 86
2.6 Howmentor-protØgØprogramscanhelp 4.4 PartIII(cid:151)listofdocuments,exhibits,
yourbusiness 47 andotherattachments 86
Endnotes 50 4.5 PartIV(cid:151)representationsand
certifications 86
Chapter 3
4.6 TheimportanceofSectionL
Marketing to and with your clients 53
(instructionstoofferors) 88
3.1 Morethanjustselling 53 4.7 SectionM(evaluationcriteria):toward
3.2 Transactionsarepersonal(cid:151)peoplebuy maximizingyourscore 89
frompeople 55 4.8 Greatestorbestvalueapproach 90
3.3 Listentoyourclient 57 4.9 Emphasisonperformance-based
3.4 Infusemarketingintelligenceinto contracting(PBC) 90
yourproposal 57 4.10 InfluencingthecontentofanRFP
3.5 Intelligencegatheringandanalysis (cid:151)legitimately 91
techniques 59 4.11 Othertypesofsolicitation
3.6 Callplans 62 documents 93
3.7 Maintainmanagementvisibilityonyour Endnote 94
contracts 68
Chapter 5
3.8 Projectmanagersasclientmanagers 69
3.9 Commercialoff-the-shelfacquisi- Private-sector solicitation requests 95
tion 71 5.1 Nongovernmentalorganizations
3.10 Pursuingfirm-fixed-priceand (NGOs) 98
invitation-for-bidopportunities 72
Chapter 6
3.11 Usingtherequestforinformationand
therequestforcommentasvaluablemarketing The federal acquisition process: emerging
tools 73 directions 101
3.12 StandardForm129sandcontractor 6.1 Overview 101
prequalificationstatements 74 6.2 Statutoryandregulatoryrequirements
3.13 Ethicsinmarketingandbusiness forcompetition 102
development 75 6.3 Thesourceselectionprocess 103
6.4 Fullandopencompetition 106
viii