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THE US FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: A VIABLE CUSTOMER FOR SWEDISH COMPANIES

JSchaus & Associates
JSchaus & Associates

THE US FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: A VIABLE CUSTOMER FOR SWEDISH COMPANIES. US FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING FOR FOREIGN OR NON-US FIRMS, COVERED BY JENNIFER SCHAUS.

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THE US FEDERAL GOVERNMENT A VIABLE CUSTOMER FOR SWEDISH COMPANIES US FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING FOR FOREIGN OR NON-US FIRMS Presented By: JENNIFER SCHAUS, Washington, DC http://www.JenniferSchaus.com JSchaus@JenniferSchaus.com LINKEDIN: https://www.Linkedin.com/in/jenniferschaus + 1 2 0 2 3 6 5 0 5 9 8 REVISED: July 2015
F旦renta staternas regering 辰r den st旦rsta k旦paren av varor och tj辰nster i v辰rlden, spenderar mer 辰n $ 450 miljarder per 奪r. Den federala regeringen k旦per b奪de produkter och tj辰nster. Produkterna str辰cker sig fr奪n tandkr辰m till kontorsmateriel och artilleri. De beh旦ver ocks奪 tj辰nster av olika professionella alltifr奪n arkitekter, sjuksk旦terskor, pr辰ster, fris旦rer, konsulter och IT IT-s辰kerhet proffs. F旦r vanliga "business-to-business" f旦retag som s辰ljer till den amerikanska federala regeringen 辰r ett s辰tt att diversifiera kundportf旦ljen och minska riskerna vittring sv辰ngningar i ekonomin, s辰rskilt med tanke p奪 den instabila EU klimat. Dessutom, n辰r du 辰r en etablerad USA: s federala entrepren旦r och har utf旦rt tillfredsst辰llande inom kontraktsvillkor, uppfyller regeringarnas uttalandet av arbete "- 旦kar sannolikheten f旦r stadig 奪terkommande kunder, med 旦kade marginaler (om 辰n smal) i fler奪rsavtal . ven dina vinstmarginaler inte kan vara det h旦gsta i denna konkurrensutsatta sektorn, n奪got f旦ruts辰gbara budgetar och k旦pm旦nster (n辰r du 辰r "i") kan vara en motiverande faktor f旦r m奪nga f旦retag att etablera statliga kontrakt. En annan motiverande faktor 辰r att veta att du 辰r garanterad betalning fr奪n regeringen. Ibland, men det kan vara ett hinder p奪 de tidsramar i samlande. Detta kan vanligtvis kringg奪s genom att s辰kerst辰lla att du levererade just p奪 de villkor och att fakturan exakt matchar best辰llning meddelas av regeringen. Det finns s辰rskilda nyanser som m奪ste f旦ljas. "Vem" av den amerikanska regeringen Den amerikanska regeringen best奪r av flera myndigheter och tusentals k旦pare av l奪ngtg奪ende produkter och tj辰nster. De flesta amerikanska federala myndigheter har sitt huvudkontor i Washington DC, men har ocks奪 kontor 旦ver hela landet och v辰rlden d辰r ink旦p g旦rs ocks奪. Till exempel har den amerikanska milit辰rbaser i m奪nga andra l辰nder. ven om du kan s辰lja till n辰stan vem som helst genom att anv辰nda teknik, 辰r det f旦rdelaktigt att ha en fysisk n辰rvaro i Washington DC storstadsomr奪de eftersom det 辰r d辰r de flesta beslutsfattare 辰r bel辰gna. Detta kan 奪stadkommas genom att anv辰nda en heltidss辰ljteam, beh旦ll konsult, lobbyist, ett partnerf旦retag eller n奪gon kombination d辰rav. M奪nga deltidskontors f旦retag har vuxit under 奪rens lopp genom att erbjuda en Washington DC adress, telefonnummer, telefonsvarare och n奪gra timmar per m奪nad f旦r att anv辰nda en delad konferensrum och sk奪p. Detta bidrar till att lindra oro fr奪n risken negativa regeringen att du 辰r trov辰rdig och har en verklig n辰rvaro. Det finns stora regeringskontor 旦ver hela landet och om du har en tj辰nst eller produkt f旦r en nischmarknad som en milit辰rbaser eller en av de nationella laboratorierna eller annan s辰rskild inr辰ttning, s奪 kan du enkelt placera ditt s辰ljteam n辰rmare slut anv辰ndare. N辰r regeringen KPER: Den amerikanska regeringen r辰kenskaps奪r k旦rs p奪 en 1 oktober-30 september cykel, med toppar vanligtvis intr辰ffar i slutet av det fj辰rde kvartalet till f旦ljd av en "use it or lose it" systemet. Om det finns of旦rdelade dollar som 奪ret st辰ngs, det finns en h旦g sannolikhet att k旦parna, b奪de programansvariga och avtalsslutande Officers kommer att k旦pa dina varor / tj辰nster under dessa sista m奪naderna juli, augusti och september. Det finns andra faktorer 辰n den "slutet av 奪ret dollar" som spelar en roll i regeringens beslut att tilldela ett kontrakt f旦r din organisation. Relationsbyggande, som i vanliga business-to-business transaktioner och vissa mitten av h旦g dollar konsument-to-business transaktioner, 辰r ocks奪 betydelsefull och viktig del av f旦rs辰ljningsprocessen.
Att s辰lja till regeringen inte ske 旦ver en natt. Det finns en stor investering i tid p奪 s辰ljcykeln, och som tidigare n辰mnts, 辰r regeringen en risk negativ klient. Denna tidsrymd kan variera fr奪n 12 till 36 m奪nader - ibland kortare eller ibland l辰ngre. Du kan g旦ra 10 eller fler telefonsamtal innan du n奪r r辰tt regeringen kontakt. (Public data finns tillg辰ngliga f旦r att s辰kra marknadsf旦ringssamtalslistan och namn p奪 k旦pare som k旦per dina artiklar tillsammans med vilande information och budgetprognos.) N辰r du n奪r r辰tt kontaktperson, kan du ha m奪nga m旦ten med potentiella kunden innan du g旦r det till sann beslutsfattare som best辰mmer om och n辰r det beh旦vs din produkt / tj辰nst och om det kommer att finansieras. Fr奪n dessa m旦ten, presentationer och demonstrationer kan du bed旦ma om det finns ett behov av din produkt / tj辰nst i detta organ eller avdelning eller om du skapar detta behov. Vissa f旦rs辰ljare och kvinnor kan vara oense och k辰nna att s辰ljare 辰r ansvarig f旦r att skapa behov, men ibland n辰r samverkar med regeringen du kan vara i en reaktiv l辰ge och svarar p奪 beg辰ran - formell eller inte. B奪da scenarierna kommer att ge viss intelligens p奪 dina chanser f旦r tilldelning och ber辰knade tidsramar. Om du svarar p奪 en beg辰ran formellt kallas en uppmaning, 辰r det viktigt att veta (eller fr奪ga), d辰r regeringen 辰r i beslutsprocessen. Om det finns en formell beg辰ran om information eller en Sources s旦ks (SS) eller Request for Information (RFI) f旦r produkter / tj辰nster som du tillhandah奪ller, d奪 regeringen genomf旦r en s旦kning f旦r att avg旦ra vilka produkter / tj辰nster 辰r tillg辰ngliga som uppfyller deras specifika behov . De kan ocks奪 vara intresserad av att avg旦ra om en viss typ av verksamhet kan uppfylla de villkor, s奪som ett litet f旦retag, en ligger i en historiskt underutnyttjade Aff辰rsomr奪de (HUBzone), minoritets辰gda, missgynnade, veteran 辰gs och / eller kvinnor 辰gda f旦retag. (Mer information om vad som kan betraktas som ett litet f旦retag kan hittas p奪 den amerikanska Small Business Administration webbplats http://www.SBA.gov eller http://www.JenniferSchaus.com D辰rf旦r 辰r dessa k辰llor S旦kt eller RFI: s stora m旦jligheter att ge information om ditt omr奪de av expertis, markera tidigare resultat med andra myndigheter, ge prisinformation eller uppskattningar, och bidra till att hj辰lpa det utf辰rdande organet best辰mma det finns ett behov av att ing奪 avtal med organisationen och visar n奪gra merv辰rdes komponenter du besitter. att f奪 in i b旦rjan faser av regerings s旦kning - K辰llor s旦ks eller RFI - processen 辰r mycket f旦rdelaktigt. Om dina produkter / tj辰nster 辰r noterade p奪 General Services Administration (GSA) schema, 辰r detta en klar f旦rdel och b旦r ing奪 i ditt svar. GSA Schedule 辰r en "jaktlicens" eller "biljett till regeringen dance" och g旦r det m旦jligt f旦r regeringen att p奪skynda sina ink旦p fr奪n dig. Detta 辰r en f旦rhandsgodk辰nda entrepren旦r kort lista 旦ver b奪da tj辰nsterna (timtaxor) och produkter. Utl辰ndska f旦retag har m旦jlighet att vara h奪lla GSA scheman men de m奪ste se till att deras produkter 辰r TAA (handelsavtalet Act) kompatibel. Detta TAA Noteringar fr奪n g奪ng till g奪ng baserat p奪 USA: s utrikesf旦rbindelser. Den federala regeringen (och vissa statliga och lokala myndigheter) kan enkelt handla som man skulle p奪 Amazon p奪 http://www.gsaAdvantage.gov f旦r granskats f旦retag med f旦rf旦rhandlade priser. Mer information om att bli en GSA schema h奪llare kan hittas p奪 http://www.GSA.gov eller http://www.JenniferSchaus.com
Formell beg辰ran fr奪n regeringen kan ocks奪 komma som Beg辰ran om f旦rslag (RFP), Inbjudan till bud (ITB) och Offertf旦rfr奪gan (RFQ). Dessa formella kontakter (eller RFP: s och RFQ s) f旦r ink旦p av $ 25.000 kr辰vs att publiceras p奪 www.FedBizOpps.gov Denna webbplats kan du s旦ka efter m旦jligheter av m奪nga kriterier, bland annat byr奪 och 辰ven produkt / tj辰nst. M奪nga av dessa m旦jligheter inte bara "s辰tta ut att bjuda" utan att ha en avsedd stag. F旦retag som har kontinuerligt n辰tverk, deltar m辰ssor och presentera deras f旦rm奪ga att regeringen f旦r 6-24 + m奪nader, 辰r mest sannolikt de viktigaste akt旦rerna i skapar ett behov av deras l旦sning som lett till RFP. Dessa RFP 辰r typiskt b旦rjade som en K辰llor S旦kte meddelande eller en RFI. I meddelandet om Work (SOW) i RFP m奪nga g奪nger 辰r skrivna med spr奪ket skr辰ddarsydda f旦r ett specifikt f旦retag, en elitgrupp av entrepren旦rer eller s辰rskilt utsedda f旦retag, d辰ribland GSA Schema innehavare, sm奪f旦retag eller arealuttag kategorier inom sm奪f旦retag samh辰llet (dvs.. Veteran 辰gda). Dessa kontakter 辰r en enkel p奪minnelse om att bygga relationer 辰r den viktigaste komponenten f旦r att vinna aff辰rer. Eftersom regeringen inte kan ta emot g奪vor eller tas till lunch eller middag, grundl辰ggande s辰ljf旦rm奪ga och att veta din produkt / tj辰nst inifr奪n och ut 辰r helt relevant f旦r din framg奪ng i denna vertikala marknaden. K辰nna till reglerna f旦r regeringens upphandlande spelet finns i FAR, 辰r Federal Acquisition Regulation http://www.acquisition.gov viktigt. En utbildad och best辰mda s辰ljk奪r med en stark ledningsgrupp 辰r viktigt. S辰ljstyrkan m奪ste vara obevekliga och kreativ f旦r att bryta igenom regerings v辰ggar och hitta m辰stare f旦r sina l旦sningar. De m奪ste vara bra f旦rbindelser p奪 olika niv奪er - topp, mitten och botten - och presentera sin l旦sning som ett s辰tt att g旦ra saker "l辰ttare" f旦r regeringen, utan att hota deras anst辰llningstrygghet. Det finns en m辰ngd olika k辰llor f旦r s辰ljare att erh奪lla kontakter. N辰tverks "inuti ringleden" 辰r viktig och det finns ett 旦verfl旦d av platser f旦r en att sk旦ta, som vissa 辰r industri baserad. Dessutom kommer http://www.FedBizOpps.gov publicera information om industri dagar. Dessa 辰r "旦ppet hus" f旦r sm奪 f旦retag v辰rd den s辰rskilda myndighet OSDBU, Office of Sm奪 och missgynnade aff辰rsenhet. Dessa OSDBU s 辰r de sm奪f旦retag f旦respr奪kar. Som tidigare n辰mnts finns det kommersiella f旦retag som aggregerar myndighetsuppgifter och s辰ljer listor - inklusive namn och kontaktuppgifter f旦r k旦pare inom regeringen. Det finns olika niv奪er av s辰ljare som ett f旦retag kan bedriva. Den ideala kandidaten och kan vara en enskild tidigare anst辰lld av regeringen i en byr奪 d辰r det finns ett stort behov av dina tj辰nster. Det finns gr辰nser och lagar som omger anst辰lla personer i denna kapacitet som kan ha kontakter f旦r att hj辰lpa din organisation. Ibland, beroende p奪 storleken p奪 din organisation, kan dessa personer sitta p奪 styrelsen eller vara ditt huvudsakliga statliga f旦rs辰ljnings guru. Dessa m辰nniskor f旦rst奪r oftast regering, (f旦rhoppningsvis din produkt eller tj辰nst som erbjuds) och de har varit kunden och f旦rst奪 de processer genom vilka statliga ink旦p. terigen, beroende p奪 f旦retagets storlek, budget och m奪l f旦r regeringen marknaden, kan du vill ha en fullst辰ndig s辰ljteam eller bara vill betr辰da l辰tt i denna arena. Det finns m奪nga varianter och grader av s辰ljrepresentation i Washington, DC. Det finns agenter
som kommer att s辰lja f旦r dig, vara din n辰rvaro i USA och be om en h旦g procentuell provision utan en m奪natlig h奪llare. Den vanligaste strukturen i f旦rs辰ljningen skulle strukturera ett kontrakt f旦r att inkludera en m奪natlig h奪llare och provision. Ytterligare andra kan bara ta ut en h奪llare och begr辰nsas till vissa delar av deras expertis som f旦rslag att skriva ett best辰mt antal timmar per m奪nad. De flesta av de personer kommer att ha ett visst omr奪de av expertis eller anslutningar i specifika organ. M辰ssor 辰r riklig samt och vissa 辰r statliga specifika (General Services Administration Expo, Small Business Administration konferenser), andra 辰r branschspecifika (dvs.. FOSE och GovSec och F-Ped). Dessa 辰r l辰gliga arenor f旦r att m旦ta de statliga k旦pare och umg奪s med dem, eftersom de 辰r f旦rbjudna att ta emot g奪vor, lunch, middag / golf utflykter, etc. De kan vara ett dyrt f旦retag, men det finns kreativa s辰tt att minska kostnaden. N奪gra av de konferenser s旦ker industrin och 辰mnesexperter som h旦gtalare f旦r sm奪grupper. Genom att bli en av talarna, f奪r du mer exponering, en levande publik, fri press p奪 konferens broschyrer och mer uppm辰rksamhet och dragning p奪 din monter. Med mer dragkraft, blir denna grundl辰ggande f旦rs辰ljning och 辰r en lek med siffror. Det 辰r en tanke p奪 att hinder i f旦rs辰ljningsprocessen 辰r uppfyllda och det 辰r en uppgift f旦r s辰ljteamet att 旦vervinna dessa hinder. En effektiv business-to-government (B2G) s辰ljare penetrerar regeringen p奪 olika niv奪er - slutanv辰ndaren, programchefen (s) och de personer som har ink旦p eller inflytelserika auktoritet. Ibland finns det h旦gre fr奪gor som kan hj辰lpa eller hindra en produkt / tj辰nst fr奪n att komma till marknaden eller kanske eskortera ut. Lobbyist och public affairs yrkesverksamma inom Washington DC kan ocks奪 spela en roll f旦r att bist奪 med att generera medel f旦r din l旦sning. Dessa yrkesgrupper arbetar p奪 niv奪erna i regeringen - i f旦rsta hand p奪 Capitol Hill, d辰r de kan hj辰lpa till att p奪verka r辰kningar och anslag f旦r specifika tj辰nster och produkter. Deras avgifter kan vara h旦gre 辰n en erfaren statliga s辰ljare, men kommer ocks奪 att kunna leverera till dig p奪 en annan (mer politisk) niv奪. Dessa personer kan ha tidigare arbetat f旦r eller med senatorer, representanter och / eller andra valda tj辰nstem辰n. Mest framg奪ngsrika f旦retag kommer att ha kontakter p奪 b奪da sidor av det politiska landskapet som h奪ller dem starka i tider n辰r det finns en f旦r辰ndring i kraft p奪 alla niv奪er inom regeringen. ven om dessa f旦retag kan vara ett kraftfullt k辰llor att utnyttja, de 辰r inte en silverkula. Alla dessa verktyg lobbyist, s辰ljteam, konsulter, agenter och f旦rslag f旦rfattare, m奪ste anv辰ndas kollektivt f旦r att f奪 ut det mesta av din "jakt expedition. 80/20 regeln g辰ller statliga kontrakt ocks奪. ttio procent av kontrakten tilldelas de 20 entrepren旦rer. Dessa huvudentrepren旦rer 辰r stora f旦retag och 辰r v辰l k辰nda, s奪som Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, SAIC, BAE, etc. Dessa organisationer uppr辰tth奪lla oftast en liten sambands kontor. Det kan vara f旦rdelaktigt att tr辰ffa dessa kontor, registrera i deras sm奪 f旦retag leverant旦r databas och ger en 旦versikt p奪 dina produkter / tj辰nster. M奪nga g奪nger, n辰r regeringen arbetar f旦r att uppfylla sina sm奪f旦retag arealuttag upphandlande m奪l (24%) dessa organisationer kommer att tvingas att 辰ven tr辰ffa sm奪 aff辰rsm奪l (36%). Resultat genom agentur om hur de tr辰ffades dessa m奪l kan hittas p奪 SBA Scorecard p奪 SBA webbplats eller p奪 http://www.JenniferSchaus.com Denna information b旦r ocks奪 spela en roll i din strategi n辰r de riktar organ.
Du kan anv辰nda resurser f旦r att avg旦ra om det finns en marknad i den amerikanska regeringen f旦r din produkt / tj辰nst. Kommersiella f旦retag kan hyras f旦r att g旦ra detta f旦r dig och s旦kningar kan g旦ras f旦r att avg旦ra hur mycket av din produkt / tj辰nst har k旦pts under de r辰kenskaps奪r, som kan delas upp per kvartal och f旦retagsnamn. Det 辰r ocks奪 bra att s旦ka efter konkurrenter och f旦rst奪 deras position p奪 marknaden att best辰mma din potentiella aktie. Statsbudgeten 辰r inte hemliga och denna information 辰r relevant (och finns) n辰r man fokuserar p奪 dina m奪l klient. Med denna information kan du best辰mma att vissa organ kan vara b辰ttre l辰mpad och utrustad f旦r att k旦pa dina l旦sningar 辰n andra. Genom att minska ditt m奪l klient till 3 b辰sta byr奪er b辰st linje f旦r din produkt / tj辰nst som bygger p奪 deras budget, din budget och dina kontakter inom byr奪n, kan du strategiskt placera dig sj辰lv f旦r framg奪ng. Skapa en kapacitet uttalande och st旦dja litteratur inriktad mot regeringen, kommer att hj辰lpa k旦paren att f旦rst奪 hur din l旦sning kommer att hj辰lpa dem. Varje f旦rvaltning har republikan eller demokrat specifika m奪l och fokusomr奪den. N奪gra av dessa best辰ms av v辰rldsh辰ndelser (krig och ekonomisk kris, etc.) och andra 辰r helt enkelt omr奪den som de anser vara viktiga (dvs.. Gr旦na och milj旦v辰nliga produkter). Genom att vara medveten om dessa fr奪gor, l辰sa facktidskrifter och statliga s辰rskilda publikationer, kan du f奪 en tydligare f旦rst奪else f旦r dina kunders mentalitet och utmaningar, vilket 辰r b辰ttre p奪 att ge en l旦sning. Genom att g奪 f旦reningar i Washington DC som r旦r din bransch du kommer att gynnas av en lokalt baserad advokat, en inbyggd statliga relationer laget (vanligtvis en given i f旦reningar) arbetar f旦r din r辰kning och eventuellt samarbete med andra f旦retag i din bransch. P奪 samma s辰tt, g奪 en internationell kammare, Svensk-Amerikanska Handelskammaren du kan ocks奪 dra nytta av att bygga relationer med USA-baserade partners som 辰r i den federala regeringen upphandlande utrymme. Det finns ocks奪 f旦reningar avsedda enbart amerikanska federala regeringen upphandlande d辰r f旦retag kan sk旦rda bel旦ningar, relationer och hitta teaming partner f旦r regeringen entreprenad. F旦r utl辰ndska f旦retag, inr辰ttande av en amerikansk n辰rvaro 辰r inte absolut n旦dv辰ndigt, men kan vara till nytta. De flesta amerikanska regeringens kontrakt har tilldelats amerikanska f旦retag som 辰r fysiskt bel辰gna i DC storstadsomr奪de. (En del av detta beror p奪 Buy America Act, BAA). Grundl辰ggande s辰ljf旦rm奪ga ber辰ttar att verksamheten intj辰nas och tilldelas bolaget / individ d辰r det finns ett samband. F旦r att bygga dessa relationer, den s辰ljare och / eller konsult f旦r ditt f旦retag ska placeras n辰ra beslutsfattaren och d辰r arbetet sker, ibland tv奪 olika st辰llen. Dagens moderna teknik har gjort det m旦jligt f旦r oss att videokonferens, e-post och kommunicera p奪 ett s辰tt d辰r vi inte beh旦ver fysiskt vara n辰rvarande. N辰r man arbetar med en risk negativ klient, 辰r det en god praxis att fysiskt vara d辰r. Dessutom, f旦r att utl辰ndska f旦retag kan ocks奪 旦verv辰ga att inr辰tta en amerikanska dotterbolag har en juridisk person och starkare n辰rvaro i USA. Statliga ink旦p kan - och 辰ven baseras p奪 en m辰ngd olika faktorer, inklusive pris och kvalitet. De nuvarande milj旦n (2016) statliga kontaktorer befinner sig i LPTA, l辰gsta pris
tekniskt godtagbart. Detta inneb辰r att kontrakt tilldelas baserat p奪 l辰gsta pris oavsett av f旦retagen tidigare resultat eller erfarenhet. Detta g旦r att nya spelare i branschen som inte har n奪gon erfarenhet av regerings upphandlande helst. Typiskt kvalitet offras, ibland kontrakt 辰r inst辰llda p奪 grund av d奪lig prestanda eller f旦retagets g奪 i konkurs p奪 grund av att inte kunna uppr辰tth奪lla sin aff辰rsmodell "ink旦pskontrakt" p奪 eller under marginalen. Utl辰ndska f旦retag ska s辰kra en DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) fr奪n Dun & Bradstreet Corporation p奪 http://www.DnB.com D辰rifr奪n b旦r registrera sig i systemet f旦r Award Management p奪 http://www.SAM.gov som kommer att kr辰va inmatning av grundl辰ggande f旦retagsinformation, inklusive dina bransch NAICS koder (North American Industry Classification System) och i de flesta fall en Tax ID-nummer (TIN). Utl辰ndska f旦retag kan arbeta med ett registrerat ombud i USA, etablera ett dotterbolag eller utforska andra alternativ f旦r att erh奪lla en tenn. Utl辰ndska f旦retag m奪ste 辰gna stor uppm辰rksamhet 奪t lagen handelsavtalet och Buy American Act. TAA 辰r mer inriktad p奪 ursprungsland avseende tillverkning och produkter - hur och var slutprodukten best奪r. BAA ger fr辰mst f旦retr辰de till amerikanska f旦retag 旦ver utl辰ndska f旦retag om avtal. Vissa undantag g辰ller bland annat vissa byggmaterial, priss辰ttning och unika l旦sningar. Andra BAA undantag avser den amerikanska regeringen koppleri icke-amerikanska varor som inte 辰r tillg辰ngliga i handeln i USA. * Kontakta 25 則 Federal Acquisition Regulation och 辰ven General Services Administration hemsida f旦r aktuell information och spr奪k om Buy America Act och handelsavtalet lagen f旦r utl辰ndska f旦retag, eftersom dessa best辰mmelser genomg奪r f旦r辰ndringar vid tidpunkten f旦r denna publikation. http://acquisition.gov/far/ Sammanfattningsvis 辰r den amerikanska regeringen 辰r v辰rldens st旦rsta ink旦pare av varor och tj辰nster. Det 辰r en komplicerad och konkurrensutsatt marknad, men det 辰r inte om旦jligt att vara framg奪ngsrik. Etablera ditt f旦retag som en statlig leverant旦r och vinna aff辰rer 辰r konkurrenskraftig och komplexa 辰nnu inte m旦jligt och mycket l旦nsamt f旦r m奪nga. Att veta dessa regler och identifiera regerings kunniga experter f旦r att guida dig genom regeringen pussel - kan vara skillnaden i att vara en annan regering leverant旦r och att vara framg奪ngsrika och f旦redragna regeringen l旦sningar.
The United States Federal Government is the largest purchaser of goods and services in the WORLD, spending over $450 Billion annually. The Federal Government buys both products and services. The products range from toothpaste to office supplies and artillery. They also need the services of various professional ranging from architects, nurses, priests, hairdressers, consultants and information technology cyber security professionals. For standard business-to-business companies, selling to the US Federal Government is a way to diversify the customer portfolio and mitigate risk weathering the fluctuations in the economy, particularly given the volatile European Union climate. Additionally, once you are an established US Federal contractor and have performed satisfactory within contract terms and conditions, fulfilling the governments the statement of work - increases your likelihood for steady repeat business, with increased margins (albeit slim) in multi- year contracts. Although your profit margins may not be the highest in this competitive sector, the somewhat predictable budgets and buying patterns (once you are in) can be a motivating factor for many businesses to establish government contracts. Another motivating factor is knowing that you are guaranteed payment from the government. Sometimes, however there may be a hurdle upon the time frames in collecting. This can usually be circumvented by ensuring that you delivered precisely on the terms and conditions and that your invoice exactly matches the Purchase Order issued by the Government. There are particular nuances that must be adhered to. The WHO of the US Government The US government is comprised of multiple agencies and thousands of buyers of wide ranging products and services. Most US federal government agencies are headquartered in the Washington DC area, but also have offices across the country and the world where purchases are also made. For example, the US military has bases in many foreign countries. While you can sell to virtually anyone by utilizing technology, it is beneficial to have a physical presence in the Washington DC metropolitan area as this is where the majority of the decision makers are located. This can be accomplished by employing a full-time sales team, retained consultant, lobbyist, a partner company or some combination thereof. Many part-time office firms have grown over the years by offering a Washington DC address, phone number, answering service and a few hours per month to use a shared conference room and cubicle. This helps alleviate concerns from the risk adverse government that you are credible and have a real presence. There are large government offices all over the country and if you have a service or product for a niche market such as a military bases or one of the national laboratories or other specialized institution, then you can easily situate your sales team closer to the end-user. WHEN THE GOVERNMENT BUYS: The US government fiscal year runs on an October 1 to September 30 cycle, with the peaks typically occurring at the end of the fourth quarter due to a use it or lose it system. If there are unallocated dollars as the year closes, there is a high probability that the buyers, including both Program Managers and Contracting Officers will purchase your items/services during these final months of July, August and September. There are other factors besides the end of year dollars that plays a role in governments decision to award a contract to your organization. Relationship building, as in regular business-to-business transactions and some mid to high dollar consumer-to-business transactions, is also significant and crucial part of the sales process.
Selling to the government does not happen overnight. There is a large time investment on the sales cycle, and as mentioned earlier, the government is a risk- adverse client. This time span can range from 12 to 36 months sometimes shorter or sometimes longer. You may make 10 or more phone calls before you reach the appropriate government contact. (Public data is available to secure marketing call list and names of buyers who purchase your items along with incumbent information and budget forecast.) Once you reach the right contact person, you may have many meetings with your potential client before you make it to the true decision maker who decides if and when your product/service is needed and if it will be funded. From those meetings, presentations and demonstrations you can assess if there is a need for your product/service in that agency or department or if you are creating that need. Some salesmen and women may disagree and feel that the sales rep is responsible for creating the need, but sometimes when interfacing with the government you may be in a reactive mode and responding to request formal or not. Both scenarios will provide some intelligence on your chances for award and estimated time frames. If you are responding to a request formally called a Solicitation, it is important to know (or ask) where the government is in the decision making process. If there is a formal call for information or a Sources Sought (SS) or Request for Information (RFI) for products/services that you provide, then the government is conducting a search to determine what products/services are available that meet their specific need. They may also be interested in determining if a specific type of business can fulfill the terms and conditions, such as a small business, one located in a Historically Underutilized Business area (HUBzone), minority owned, disadvantaged, veteran owned, and/or women owned business. (More information on what qualifies as a small business can be found on the US Small Business Administration website at http://www.SBA.gov or http://www.JenniferSchaus.com Therefore, these Sources Sought or RFIs are great opportunities to provide information about your area of expertise, highlight past performance with other government agencies, provide pricing information or estimates, and assist in helping the issuing agency determine there is a need to contract with your organization and demonstrating any value- added components you possess. Getting in during the beginning phases of the government search -- Sources Sought or RFI -- process is highly advantageous. If your products/services are listed on the General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule, this is a clear advantage and should be included in your response. The GSA Schedule is a hunting license or ticket to the government dance and allows the government to accelerate their purchase from you. This is a pre-vetted contractor short list of both services (hourly rates) and products. Foreign companies are able to be hold GSA Schedules however they must ensure their products are TAA (Trade Agreement Act) compliant. This TAA List changes from time to time based on US foreign relations. The federal government (and some state and local governments) can easily shop as one would on Amazon at http://www.gsaAdvantage.gov for vetted firms with pre-negotiated prices. More information about becoming a GSA Schedule holder can be found at http://www.GSA.gov or http://www.JenniferSchaus.com Formal request from the government may also come as Request for Proposals (RFP), Invitation to Bid (ITB) and Request for Quote (RFQ). These formal solicitations (or RFPs and RFQs) for purchases of $25,000 are required to be published on www.FedBizOpps.gov This website allows you to search for opportunities by many criteria, including agency and also product/service. Many of these opportunities are
not simply put out to bid without having an intended awardee. Companies that have been continually networking, attending trade shows & presenting their capabilities to the government for 6-24+ months, are most likely the key players in creating the need for their solution which brought about the RFP. These RFPs typically began as a Sources Sought notice or an RFI. The Statement of Work (SOW) in the RFP many times are written with language tailored for a specific company, an elite group of contractors or for specially designated companies including GSA Schedule holders, small businesses, or set-aside categories within the small businesses community (ie. Veteran Owned). These solicitations are a simple reminder that relationship building is the key component to winning the business. Because government cannot accept gifts or be taken to lunch or dinner, basic sales skills and knowing your product/service inside and out are absolutely pertinent to your success in this vertical market. Knowing the rules of the government contracting game found in the FAR, Federal Acquisition Regulation http://www.acquisition.gov is essential. An educated and determined sales force with a strong management team is important. The sales force must be relentless and creative in breaking through the government walls and finding champions for their solutions. They must be well connected at various levels top, middle and bottom and present their solution as a way to make things easier for the government, without threatening their job security. There are a variety of sources for the sales rep to obtain contacts. Networking inside the beltway is important and there are an abundance of venues for one to attend to, as some are industry based. Additionally, http://www.FedBizOpps.gov will publish information on Industry Days. These are open houses for small businesses hosted by the particular agency OSDBU, Office Of Small & Disadvantaged Business Unit. These OSDBUs are the small business advocates. As previously mentioned, there are commercial companies who aggregate government data and sell lists including names and contact information for buyers within government. There are various levels of sales reps that a company may pursue. The ideal candidate and may be an individual previously employed by the government in an agency where there is a great need for your services. There are limits and laws surrounding hiring individuals in this capacity who may have the contacts to help your organization. Sometimes, depending upon the size of your organization, these individuals may sit on the Board of Directors or be your main government sales guru. These folks typically understand government, (hopefully your product or service offering) and they have been the customer and understand the processes by which the government purchases. Again, depending upon your company size, budget and objectives for the government market, you may want a full sales team or just want to tread lightly into this arena. There are many flavors and degrees of sales representation in Washington, DC. There are agents who will sell for you, be your US presence and ask for a high percentage commission without a monthly retainer. The most common structure in sales would structure a contract to include a monthly retainer and commission. Still others may only charge a retainer and be confined to certain areas of their expertise such as proposal writing for a designated number of hours per month. Most of the individuals will have a certain area of expertise or connections in specific agencies.
Trade shows are abundant as well and some are government specific (The General Services Administration Expo, Small Business Administration Conferences), others are industry specific (ie. FOSE and GovSec and F-Ped). These are opportune venues to meet the government buyers and spend time with them, since they are prohibited to accept gifts, lunch, dinner/golf outings, etc. They can be an expensive undertaking but there are creative ways to reduce your cost. Some of the conferences are looking for industry and subject matter experts as speakers for the breakout sessions. By becoming one of the speakers, you gain more exposure, a live audience, free press on the conference brochures and more attention and traction at your booth. With more traction, this becomes basic sales and is a numbers game. It is a given that in the sales process roadblocks are met and it is the job of the sales team to overcome these obstacles. An effective business-to-government (B2G) sales representative will penetrate the government at a variety of levels the end-user, the program manager(s) and the individuals who have purchasing or influential authority. Sometimes there are higher issues which could help or hamper a product/service from coming to market or perhaps escorting it out. Lobbyist and public affairs professionals within the Washington DC area can also play a role in assisting with generating funding for your solution. These professionals work at the levels in government primarily on Capitol Hill where they can help influence bills and appropriations for specific services and products. Their fees may be higher than a seasoned government sales rep, but will also be able to deliver for you at a different (more political) level. These individuals may have previously worked for or with senators, representatives and/or other elected officials. Most successful firms will have connections on both sides of the political landscape which keeps them strong at times when there is a change in power at any level within the government. Although these firms can be powerful sources to leverage, they are not a silver bullet. All of these tools lobbyist, sales team, consultants, agents and proposal writers, must be used in collectively to get the most out of your hunting expedition. The 80/20 rule applies in government contracts as well. Eighty percent of the contracts are awarded to the top 20 contractors. These prime contractors are large businesses and are well-known, such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, SAIC, BAE, etc. These organizations usually maintain a small business liaison office. It can be beneficial to meet with these offices, register in their small business vendor database and provide a synopsis on your products/services. Many times, when the government is working to meet their small business set-aside contracting goals (24%) these organizations will be forced to also meet small business goals (36%). Results by agency on how they met these goals can be found on the SBA Scorecard on the SBA website or at http://www.JenniferSchaus.com This information should also play a part in your strategy when targeting agencies. You can employ resources to determine if there is a market in the US government for your product/service. Commercial companies can be hired to do this for you and searches can be conducted to determine how much of your product/service has been bought over the fiscal years, which can be segmented by quarter and company name. It is also useful to search for competitors and understand their position in the marketplace to determine your potential share. Government budgets are not secret and this information is pertinent (and available) when focusing on your target client. With this information, you may determine that certain agencies may be better suited and equipped to purchase your solutions than others. By narrowing your target
client to the top 3 agencies best aligned for your product/service based on their budget, your budget and your contacts within the agency, you can strategically positioning yourself for success. Creating a capabilities statement and supporting literature geared toward the government, will help the buyer in understanding how your solution will assist them. Each administration, Republican or Democrat has specific goals and focus areas. Some of these are determined by world events (wars and economic crisis, etc.) and others are simply areas that they deem important (ie. green and environmental products). By being cognizant of these issues, reading trade journals and government specific publications, you can gain a clearer understanding of your clients mentality and challenges, thus being better able to provide a solution. By joining associations in Washington DC related to your industry you will benefit from a locally based advocate, a built in government relations team (usually a given in associations) working on your behalf and possible collaboration with other firms in your industry. Likewise, joining an international chamber, Swedish-American Chamber Of Commerce you may also benefit from building relationships with US based partners who are in the federal government contracting space. There are also associations dedicated solely to US Federal Government contracting from which companies can reap rewards, relationships and find teaming partners for government contracting. For foreign companies, establishing a US presence is not absolutely necessary, but can be beneficial. Most US Government contracts have been awarded to US companies who are physically located within the DC metropolitan area. (Part of this is due to the Buy America Act, BAA). Basic sales skills tell us that business is earned and awarded to the company/individual where there is a relationship. In order to build those relationships, the sales rep and/or the consultant for your company should be located close to the decision maker and where the work is taking place, sometimes two different places. Modern day technology has allowed us to video- conference, email and communicate in ways where we do not have to physically be present. When dealing with a risk-adverse client, it is a best practice to physically be there. Additionally, foreign companies may also consider establishing a US subsidiary to have a legal entity and stronger presence in the US. Government purchases can and are also be based on a variety of factors including price and quality. The current environment (2016) government contactors find themselves in LPTA, Lowest Price Technically Acceptable. This means contracts are awarded based on lowest price regardless of the firms past performance or experience. This allows new players into the sector who have no experience in government contracting whatsoever. Typically quality is sacrificed, sometimes contracts are cancelled due to poor performance or the firm going out of business due to not being able to sustain their business model of buying contracts at or below margin. Foreign firms should secure a DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) from Dun & Bradstreet Corporation at http://www.DnB.com From there, they should register in the System for Award Management at http://www.SAM.gov which will require input of basic company information, including your industry NAICS Codes (North American Industry Classification System) and in most cases a Tax ID Number (TIN). Foreign companies can work with a Registered Agent in the US, establish a US subsidiary or explore other alternatives for obtaining a TIN.
Foreign businesses will have to pay close attention to the Trade Agreement Act and Buy American Act. The TAA focuses more on country of origin relating to manufacturing and products how and where the end product is composed. The BAA primarily gives preference to US companies over foreign entities on contracts. Certain exceptions apply including some construction materials, pricing and unique solutions. Other BAA exceptions relate to the US government procuring non-US goods that are not reasonably available commercially in the US. *Please consult Section 25 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation and also the General Services Administration website for current information and language regarding The Buy America Act and Trade Agreement Act for foreign companies, as these regulations are undergoing changes at the time of this publication. http://acquisition.gov/far/ In conclusion, The US Government is the worlds largest purchaser of goods and services. It is an elaborate and competitive market, but it is not impossible to be successful. Establishing your business as a government vendor and winning business is competitive and complex yet possible and very profitable for many. Knowing those rules and identifying government savvy experts to guide you through the government puzzle - can be the differential in being another government vendor and being the successful and preferred government solution provider. Jennifer Schaus runs a government consulting firm in Washington, DC. She is the founder and principal of Jennifer Schaus and Associates. Ms. Schaus has domestic and international clients who provide both services and products to the US Federal Government. Her expertise is in representing clients to compete for US Federal Contracts, securing Set-Aside certifications and supporting the sales process via proposal writing, marketing and business development. She is a frequent speaker at government contracting forums and associations including WIP (Women Impacting Public Policy), NCMA (National Contract Management Association), APMP (Association Of Proposal Management Professionals, NDIA/WID (National Defense Industry Association/Women In Defense), WAVE (Women As Veteran Entrepreneurs) and more. She has been featured or quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Washington Business Journal, Government Product News and more. Ms. Schaus holds a BA from Towson University, a Leadership Accelerator Certificate from UC Berkeley and a Certificate in Executive Leadership from Cornell University. She sits on the Board of Directors for GovLish a data aggregator of government acronyms. For more information and to contact Jennifer Schaus & Associates, please visit: www.JenniferSchaus.com or JSchaus@JenniferSchaus.com or call us + 1 - 2 0 2 3 6 5 0 5 9 8.

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THE US FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: A VIABLE CUSTOMER FOR SWEDISH COMPANIES

  • 1. THE US FEDERAL GOVERNMENT A VIABLE CUSTOMER FOR SWEDISH COMPANIES US FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING FOR FOREIGN OR NON-US FIRMS Presented By: JENNIFER SCHAUS, Washington, DC http://www.JenniferSchaus.com JSchaus@JenniferSchaus.com LINKEDIN: https://www.Linkedin.com/in/jenniferschaus + 1 2 0 2 3 6 5 0 5 9 8 REVISED: July 2015
  • 2. F旦renta staternas regering 辰r den st旦rsta k旦paren av varor och tj辰nster i v辰rlden, spenderar mer 辰n $ 450 miljarder per 奪r. Den federala regeringen k旦per b奪de produkter och tj辰nster. Produkterna str辰cker sig fr奪n tandkr辰m till kontorsmateriel och artilleri. De beh旦ver ocks奪 tj辰nster av olika professionella alltifr奪n arkitekter, sjuksk旦terskor, pr辰ster, fris旦rer, konsulter och IT IT-s辰kerhet proffs. F旦r vanliga "business-to-business" f旦retag som s辰ljer till den amerikanska federala regeringen 辰r ett s辰tt att diversifiera kundportf旦ljen och minska riskerna vittring sv辰ngningar i ekonomin, s辰rskilt med tanke p奪 den instabila EU klimat. Dessutom, n辰r du 辰r en etablerad USA: s federala entrepren旦r och har utf旦rt tillfredsst辰llande inom kontraktsvillkor, uppfyller regeringarnas uttalandet av arbete "- 旦kar sannolikheten f旦r stadig 奪terkommande kunder, med 旦kade marginaler (om 辰n smal) i fler奪rsavtal . ven dina vinstmarginaler inte kan vara det h旦gsta i denna konkurrensutsatta sektorn, n奪got f旦ruts辰gbara budgetar och k旦pm旦nster (n辰r du 辰r "i") kan vara en motiverande faktor f旦r m奪nga f旦retag att etablera statliga kontrakt. En annan motiverande faktor 辰r att veta att du 辰r garanterad betalning fr奪n regeringen. Ibland, men det kan vara ett hinder p奪 de tidsramar i samlande. Detta kan vanligtvis kringg奪s genom att s辰kerst辰lla att du levererade just p奪 de villkor och att fakturan exakt matchar best辰llning meddelas av regeringen. Det finns s辰rskilda nyanser som m奪ste f旦ljas. "Vem" av den amerikanska regeringen Den amerikanska regeringen best奪r av flera myndigheter och tusentals k旦pare av l奪ngtg奪ende produkter och tj辰nster. De flesta amerikanska federala myndigheter har sitt huvudkontor i Washington DC, men har ocks奪 kontor 旦ver hela landet och v辰rlden d辰r ink旦p g旦rs ocks奪. Till exempel har den amerikanska milit辰rbaser i m奪nga andra l辰nder. ven om du kan s辰lja till n辰stan vem som helst genom att anv辰nda teknik, 辰r det f旦rdelaktigt att ha en fysisk n辰rvaro i Washington DC storstadsomr奪de eftersom det 辰r d辰r de flesta beslutsfattare 辰r bel辰gna. Detta kan 奪stadkommas genom att anv辰nda en heltidss辰ljteam, beh旦ll konsult, lobbyist, ett partnerf旦retag eller n奪gon kombination d辰rav. M奪nga deltidskontors f旦retag har vuxit under 奪rens lopp genom att erbjuda en Washington DC adress, telefonnummer, telefonsvarare och n奪gra timmar per m奪nad f旦r att anv辰nda en delad konferensrum och sk奪p. Detta bidrar till att lindra oro fr奪n risken negativa regeringen att du 辰r trov辰rdig och har en verklig n辰rvaro. Det finns stora regeringskontor 旦ver hela landet och om du har en tj辰nst eller produkt f旦r en nischmarknad som en milit辰rbaser eller en av de nationella laboratorierna eller annan s辰rskild inr辰ttning, s奪 kan du enkelt placera ditt s辰ljteam n辰rmare slut anv辰ndare. N辰r regeringen KPER: Den amerikanska regeringen r辰kenskaps奪r k旦rs p奪 en 1 oktober-30 september cykel, med toppar vanligtvis intr辰ffar i slutet av det fj辰rde kvartalet till f旦ljd av en "use it or lose it" systemet. Om det finns of旦rdelade dollar som 奪ret st辰ngs, det finns en h旦g sannolikhet att k旦parna, b奪de programansvariga och avtalsslutande Officers kommer att k旦pa dina varor / tj辰nster under dessa sista m奪naderna juli, augusti och september. Det finns andra faktorer 辰n den "slutet av 奪ret dollar" som spelar en roll i regeringens beslut att tilldela ett kontrakt f旦r din organisation. Relationsbyggande, som i vanliga business-to-business transaktioner och vissa mitten av h旦g dollar konsument-to-business transaktioner, 辰r ocks奪 betydelsefull och viktig del av f旦rs辰ljningsprocessen.
  • 3. Att s辰lja till regeringen inte ske 旦ver en natt. Det finns en stor investering i tid p奪 s辰ljcykeln, och som tidigare n辰mnts, 辰r regeringen en risk negativ klient. Denna tidsrymd kan variera fr奪n 12 till 36 m奪nader - ibland kortare eller ibland l辰ngre. Du kan g旦ra 10 eller fler telefonsamtal innan du n奪r r辰tt regeringen kontakt. (Public data finns tillg辰ngliga f旦r att s辰kra marknadsf旦ringssamtalslistan och namn p奪 k旦pare som k旦per dina artiklar tillsammans med vilande information och budgetprognos.) N辰r du n奪r r辰tt kontaktperson, kan du ha m奪nga m旦ten med potentiella kunden innan du g旦r det till sann beslutsfattare som best辰mmer om och n辰r det beh旦vs din produkt / tj辰nst och om det kommer att finansieras. Fr奪n dessa m旦ten, presentationer och demonstrationer kan du bed旦ma om det finns ett behov av din produkt / tj辰nst i detta organ eller avdelning eller om du skapar detta behov. Vissa f旦rs辰ljare och kvinnor kan vara oense och k辰nna att s辰ljare 辰r ansvarig f旦r att skapa behov, men ibland n辰r samverkar med regeringen du kan vara i en reaktiv l辰ge och svarar p奪 beg辰ran - formell eller inte. B奪da scenarierna kommer att ge viss intelligens p奪 dina chanser f旦r tilldelning och ber辰knade tidsramar. Om du svarar p奪 en beg辰ran formellt kallas en uppmaning, 辰r det viktigt att veta (eller fr奪ga), d辰r regeringen 辰r i beslutsprocessen. Om det finns en formell beg辰ran om information eller en Sources s旦ks (SS) eller Request for Information (RFI) f旦r produkter / tj辰nster som du tillhandah奪ller, d奪 regeringen genomf旦r en s旦kning f旦r att avg旦ra vilka produkter / tj辰nster 辰r tillg辰ngliga som uppfyller deras specifika behov . De kan ocks奪 vara intresserad av att avg旦ra om en viss typ av verksamhet kan uppfylla de villkor, s奪som ett litet f旦retag, en ligger i en historiskt underutnyttjade Aff辰rsomr奪de (HUBzone), minoritets辰gda, missgynnade, veteran 辰gs och / eller kvinnor 辰gda f旦retag. (Mer information om vad som kan betraktas som ett litet f旦retag kan hittas p奪 den amerikanska Small Business Administration webbplats http://www.SBA.gov eller http://www.JenniferSchaus.com D辰rf旦r 辰r dessa k辰llor S旦kt eller RFI: s stora m旦jligheter att ge information om ditt omr奪de av expertis, markera tidigare resultat med andra myndigheter, ge prisinformation eller uppskattningar, och bidra till att hj辰lpa det utf辰rdande organet best辰mma det finns ett behov av att ing奪 avtal med organisationen och visar n奪gra merv辰rdes komponenter du besitter. att f奪 in i b旦rjan faser av regerings s旦kning - K辰llor s旦ks eller RFI - processen 辰r mycket f旦rdelaktigt. Om dina produkter / tj辰nster 辰r noterade p奪 General Services Administration (GSA) schema, 辰r detta en klar f旦rdel och b旦r ing奪 i ditt svar. GSA Schedule 辰r en "jaktlicens" eller "biljett till regeringen dance" och g旦r det m旦jligt f旦r regeringen att p奪skynda sina ink旦p fr奪n dig. Detta 辰r en f旦rhandsgodk辰nda entrepren旦r kort lista 旦ver b奪da tj辰nsterna (timtaxor) och produkter. Utl辰ndska f旦retag har m旦jlighet att vara h奪lla GSA scheman men de m奪ste se till att deras produkter 辰r TAA (handelsavtalet Act) kompatibel. Detta TAA Noteringar fr奪n g奪ng till g奪ng baserat p奪 USA: s utrikesf旦rbindelser. Den federala regeringen (och vissa statliga och lokala myndigheter) kan enkelt handla som man skulle p奪 Amazon p奪 http://www.gsaAdvantage.gov f旦r granskats f旦retag med f旦rf旦rhandlade priser. Mer information om att bli en GSA schema h奪llare kan hittas p奪 http://www.GSA.gov eller http://www.JenniferSchaus.com
  • 4. Formell beg辰ran fr奪n regeringen kan ocks奪 komma som Beg辰ran om f旦rslag (RFP), Inbjudan till bud (ITB) och Offertf旦rfr奪gan (RFQ). Dessa formella kontakter (eller RFP: s och RFQ s) f旦r ink旦p av $ 25.000 kr辰vs att publiceras p奪 www.FedBizOpps.gov Denna webbplats kan du s旦ka efter m旦jligheter av m奪nga kriterier, bland annat byr奪 och 辰ven produkt / tj辰nst. M奪nga av dessa m旦jligheter inte bara "s辰tta ut att bjuda" utan att ha en avsedd stag. F旦retag som har kontinuerligt n辰tverk, deltar m辰ssor och presentera deras f旦rm奪ga att regeringen f旦r 6-24 + m奪nader, 辰r mest sannolikt de viktigaste akt旦rerna i skapar ett behov av deras l旦sning som lett till RFP. Dessa RFP 辰r typiskt b旦rjade som en K辰llor S旦kte meddelande eller en RFI. I meddelandet om Work (SOW) i RFP m奪nga g奪nger 辰r skrivna med spr奪ket skr辰ddarsydda f旦r ett specifikt f旦retag, en elitgrupp av entrepren旦rer eller s辰rskilt utsedda f旦retag, d辰ribland GSA Schema innehavare, sm奪f旦retag eller arealuttag kategorier inom sm奪f旦retag samh辰llet (dvs.. Veteran 辰gda). Dessa kontakter 辰r en enkel p奪minnelse om att bygga relationer 辰r den viktigaste komponenten f旦r att vinna aff辰rer. Eftersom regeringen inte kan ta emot g奪vor eller tas till lunch eller middag, grundl辰ggande s辰ljf旦rm奪ga och att veta din produkt / tj辰nst inifr奪n och ut 辰r helt relevant f旦r din framg奪ng i denna vertikala marknaden. K辰nna till reglerna f旦r regeringens upphandlande spelet finns i FAR, 辰r Federal Acquisition Regulation http://www.acquisition.gov viktigt. En utbildad och best辰mda s辰ljk奪r med en stark ledningsgrupp 辰r viktigt. S辰ljstyrkan m奪ste vara obevekliga och kreativ f旦r att bryta igenom regerings v辰ggar och hitta m辰stare f旦r sina l旦sningar. De m奪ste vara bra f旦rbindelser p奪 olika niv奪er - topp, mitten och botten - och presentera sin l旦sning som ett s辰tt att g旦ra saker "l辰ttare" f旦r regeringen, utan att hota deras anst辰llningstrygghet. Det finns en m辰ngd olika k辰llor f旦r s辰ljare att erh奪lla kontakter. N辰tverks "inuti ringleden" 辰r viktig och det finns ett 旦verfl旦d av platser f旦r en att sk旦ta, som vissa 辰r industri baserad. Dessutom kommer http://www.FedBizOpps.gov publicera information om industri dagar. Dessa 辰r "旦ppet hus" f旦r sm奪 f旦retag v辰rd den s辰rskilda myndighet OSDBU, Office of Sm奪 och missgynnade aff辰rsenhet. Dessa OSDBU s 辰r de sm奪f旦retag f旦respr奪kar. Som tidigare n辰mnts finns det kommersiella f旦retag som aggregerar myndighetsuppgifter och s辰ljer listor - inklusive namn och kontaktuppgifter f旦r k旦pare inom regeringen. Det finns olika niv奪er av s辰ljare som ett f旦retag kan bedriva. Den ideala kandidaten och kan vara en enskild tidigare anst辰lld av regeringen i en byr奪 d辰r det finns ett stort behov av dina tj辰nster. Det finns gr辰nser och lagar som omger anst辰lla personer i denna kapacitet som kan ha kontakter f旦r att hj辰lpa din organisation. Ibland, beroende p奪 storleken p奪 din organisation, kan dessa personer sitta p奪 styrelsen eller vara ditt huvudsakliga statliga f旦rs辰ljnings guru. Dessa m辰nniskor f旦rst奪r oftast regering, (f旦rhoppningsvis din produkt eller tj辰nst som erbjuds) och de har varit kunden och f旦rst奪 de processer genom vilka statliga ink旦p. terigen, beroende p奪 f旦retagets storlek, budget och m奪l f旦r regeringen marknaden, kan du vill ha en fullst辰ndig s辰ljteam eller bara vill betr辰da l辰tt i denna arena. Det finns m奪nga varianter och grader av s辰ljrepresentation i Washington, DC. Det finns agenter
  • 5. som kommer att s辰lja f旦r dig, vara din n辰rvaro i USA och be om en h旦g procentuell provision utan en m奪natlig h奪llare. Den vanligaste strukturen i f旦rs辰ljningen skulle strukturera ett kontrakt f旦r att inkludera en m奪natlig h奪llare och provision. Ytterligare andra kan bara ta ut en h奪llare och begr辰nsas till vissa delar av deras expertis som f旦rslag att skriva ett best辰mt antal timmar per m奪nad. De flesta av de personer kommer att ha ett visst omr奪de av expertis eller anslutningar i specifika organ. M辰ssor 辰r riklig samt och vissa 辰r statliga specifika (General Services Administration Expo, Small Business Administration konferenser), andra 辰r branschspecifika (dvs.. FOSE och GovSec och F-Ped). Dessa 辰r l辰gliga arenor f旦r att m旦ta de statliga k旦pare och umg奪s med dem, eftersom de 辰r f旦rbjudna att ta emot g奪vor, lunch, middag / golf utflykter, etc. De kan vara ett dyrt f旦retag, men det finns kreativa s辰tt att minska kostnaden. N奪gra av de konferenser s旦ker industrin och 辰mnesexperter som h旦gtalare f旦r sm奪grupper. Genom att bli en av talarna, f奪r du mer exponering, en levande publik, fri press p奪 konferens broschyrer och mer uppm辰rksamhet och dragning p奪 din monter. Med mer dragkraft, blir denna grundl辰ggande f旦rs辰ljning och 辰r en lek med siffror. Det 辰r en tanke p奪 att hinder i f旦rs辰ljningsprocessen 辰r uppfyllda och det 辰r en uppgift f旦r s辰ljteamet att 旦vervinna dessa hinder. En effektiv business-to-government (B2G) s辰ljare penetrerar regeringen p奪 olika niv奪er - slutanv辰ndaren, programchefen (s) och de personer som har ink旦p eller inflytelserika auktoritet. Ibland finns det h旦gre fr奪gor som kan hj辰lpa eller hindra en produkt / tj辰nst fr奪n att komma till marknaden eller kanske eskortera ut. Lobbyist och public affairs yrkesverksamma inom Washington DC kan ocks奪 spela en roll f旦r att bist奪 med att generera medel f旦r din l旦sning. Dessa yrkesgrupper arbetar p奪 niv奪erna i regeringen - i f旦rsta hand p奪 Capitol Hill, d辰r de kan hj辰lpa till att p奪verka r辰kningar och anslag f旦r specifika tj辰nster och produkter. Deras avgifter kan vara h旦gre 辰n en erfaren statliga s辰ljare, men kommer ocks奪 att kunna leverera till dig p奪 en annan (mer politisk) niv奪. Dessa personer kan ha tidigare arbetat f旦r eller med senatorer, representanter och / eller andra valda tj辰nstem辰n. Mest framg奪ngsrika f旦retag kommer att ha kontakter p奪 b奪da sidor av det politiska landskapet som h奪ller dem starka i tider n辰r det finns en f旦r辰ndring i kraft p奪 alla niv奪er inom regeringen. ven om dessa f旦retag kan vara ett kraftfullt k辰llor att utnyttja, de 辰r inte en silverkula. Alla dessa verktyg lobbyist, s辰ljteam, konsulter, agenter och f旦rslag f旦rfattare, m奪ste anv辰ndas kollektivt f旦r att f奪 ut det mesta av din "jakt expedition. 80/20 regeln g辰ller statliga kontrakt ocks奪. ttio procent av kontrakten tilldelas de 20 entrepren旦rer. Dessa huvudentrepren旦rer 辰r stora f旦retag och 辰r v辰l k辰nda, s奪som Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, SAIC, BAE, etc. Dessa organisationer uppr辰tth奪lla oftast en liten sambands kontor. Det kan vara f旦rdelaktigt att tr辰ffa dessa kontor, registrera i deras sm奪 f旦retag leverant旦r databas och ger en 旦versikt p奪 dina produkter / tj辰nster. M奪nga g奪nger, n辰r regeringen arbetar f旦r att uppfylla sina sm奪f旦retag arealuttag upphandlande m奪l (24%) dessa organisationer kommer att tvingas att 辰ven tr辰ffa sm奪 aff辰rsm奪l (36%). Resultat genom agentur om hur de tr辰ffades dessa m奪l kan hittas p奪 SBA Scorecard p奪 SBA webbplats eller p奪 http://www.JenniferSchaus.com Denna information b旦r ocks奪 spela en roll i din strategi n辰r de riktar organ.
  • 6. Du kan anv辰nda resurser f旦r att avg旦ra om det finns en marknad i den amerikanska regeringen f旦r din produkt / tj辰nst. Kommersiella f旦retag kan hyras f旦r att g旦ra detta f旦r dig och s旦kningar kan g旦ras f旦r att avg旦ra hur mycket av din produkt / tj辰nst har k旦pts under de r辰kenskaps奪r, som kan delas upp per kvartal och f旦retagsnamn. Det 辰r ocks奪 bra att s旦ka efter konkurrenter och f旦rst奪 deras position p奪 marknaden att best辰mma din potentiella aktie. Statsbudgeten 辰r inte hemliga och denna information 辰r relevant (och finns) n辰r man fokuserar p奪 dina m奪l klient. Med denna information kan du best辰mma att vissa organ kan vara b辰ttre l辰mpad och utrustad f旦r att k旦pa dina l旦sningar 辰n andra. Genom att minska ditt m奪l klient till 3 b辰sta byr奪er b辰st linje f旦r din produkt / tj辰nst som bygger p奪 deras budget, din budget och dina kontakter inom byr奪n, kan du strategiskt placera dig sj辰lv f旦r framg奪ng. Skapa en kapacitet uttalande och st旦dja litteratur inriktad mot regeringen, kommer att hj辰lpa k旦paren att f旦rst奪 hur din l旦sning kommer att hj辰lpa dem. Varje f旦rvaltning har republikan eller demokrat specifika m奪l och fokusomr奪den. N奪gra av dessa best辰ms av v辰rldsh辰ndelser (krig och ekonomisk kris, etc.) och andra 辰r helt enkelt omr奪den som de anser vara viktiga (dvs.. Gr旦na och milj旦v辰nliga produkter). Genom att vara medveten om dessa fr奪gor, l辰sa facktidskrifter och statliga s辰rskilda publikationer, kan du f奪 en tydligare f旦rst奪else f旦r dina kunders mentalitet och utmaningar, vilket 辰r b辰ttre p奪 att ge en l旦sning. Genom att g奪 f旦reningar i Washington DC som r旦r din bransch du kommer att gynnas av en lokalt baserad advokat, en inbyggd statliga relationer laget (vanligtvis en given i f旦reningar) arbetar f旦r din r辰kning och eventuellt samarbete med andra f旦retag i din bransch. P奪 samma s辰tt, g奪 en internationell kammare, Svensk-Amerikanska Handelskammaren du kan ocks奪 dra nytta av att bygga relationer med USA-baserade partners som 辰r i den federala regeringen upphandlande utrymme. Det finns ocks奪 f旦reningar avsedda enbart amerikanska federala regeringen upphandlande d辰r f旦retag kan sk旦rda bel旦ningar, relationer och hitta teaming partner f旦r regeringen entreprenad. F旦r utl辰ndska f旦retag, inr辰ttande av en amerikansk n辰rvaro 辰r inte absolut n旦dv辰ndigt, men kan vara till nytta. De flesta amerikanska regeringens kontrakt har tilldelats amerikanska f旦retag som 辰r fysiskt bel辰gna i DC storstadsomr奪de. (En del av detta beror p奪 Buy America Act, BAA). Grundl辰ggande s辰ljf旦rm奪ga ber辰ttar att verksamheten intj辰nas och tilldelas bolaget / individ d辰r det finns ett samband. F旦r att bygga dessa relationer, den s辰ljare och / eller konsult f旦r ditt f旦retag ska placeras n辰ra beslutsfattaren och d辰r arbetet sker, ibland tv奪 olika st辰llen. Dagens moderna teknik har gjort det m旦jligt f旦r oss att videokonferens, e-post och kommunicera p奪 ett s辰tt d辰r vi inte beh旦ver fysiskt vara n辰rvarande. N辰r man arbetar med en risk negativ klient, 辰r det en god praxis att fysiskt vara d辰r. Dessutom, f旦r att utl辰ndska f旦retag kan ocks奪 旦verv辰ga att inr辰tta en amerikanska dotterbolag har en juridisk person och starkare n辰rvaro i USA. Statliga ink旦p kan - och 辰ven baseras p奪 en m辰ngd olika faktorer, inklusive pris och kvalitet. De nuvarande milj旦n (2016) statliga kontaktorer befinner sig i LPTA, l辰gsta pris
  • 7. tekniskt godtagbart. Detta inneb辰r att kontrakt tilldelas baserat p奪 l辰gsta pris oavsett av f旦retagen tidigare resultat eller erfarenhet. Detta g旦r att nya spelare i branschen som inte har n奪gon erfarenhet av regerings upphandlande helst. Typiskt kvalitet offras, ibland kontrakt 辰r inst辰llda p奪 grund av d奪lig prestanda eller f旦retagets g奪 i konkurs p奪 grund av att inte kunna uppr辰tth奪lla sin aff辰rsmodell "ink旦pskontrakt" p奪 eller under marginalen. Utl辰ndska f旦retag ska s辰kra en DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) fr奪n Dun & Bradstreet Corporation p奪 http://www.DnB.com D辰rifr奪n b旦r registrera sig i systemet f旦r Award Management p奪 http://www.SAM.gov som kommer att kr辰va inmatning av grundl辰ggande f旦retagsinformation, inklusive dina bransch NAICS koder (North American Industry Classification System) och i de flesta fall en Tax ID-nummer (TIN). Utl辰ndska f旦retag kan arbeta med ett registrerat ombud i USA, etablera ett dotterbolag eller utforska andra alternativ f旦r att erh奪lla en tenn. Utl辰ndska f旦retag m奪ste 辰gna stor uppm辰rksamhet 奪t lagen handelsavtalet och Buy American Act. TAA 辰r mer inriktad p奪 ursprungsland avseende tillverkning och produkter - hur och var slutprodukten best奪r. BAA ger fr辰mst f旦retr辰de till amerikanska f旦retag 旦ver utl辰ndska f旦retag om avtal. Vissa undantag g辰ller bland annat vissa byggmaterial, priss辰ttning och unika l旦sningar. Andra BAA undantag avser den amerikanska regeringen koppleri icke-amerikanska varor som inte 辰r tillg辰ngliga i handeln i USA. * Kontakta 25 則 Federal Acquisition Regulation och 辰ven General Services Administration hemsida f旦r aktuell information och spr奪k om Buy America Act och handelsavtalet lagen f旦r utl辰ndska f旦retag, eftersom dessa best辰mmelser genomg奪r f旦r辰ndringar vid tidpunkten f旦r denna publikation. http://acquisition.gov/far/ Sammanfattningsvis 辰r den amerikanska regeringen 辰r v辰rldens st旦rsta ink旦pare av varor och tj辰nster. Det 辰r en komplicerad och konkurrensutsatt marknad, men det 辰r inte om旦jligt att vara framg奪ngsrik. Etablera ditt f旦retag som en statlig leverant旦r och vinna aff辰rer 辰r konkurrenskraftig och komplexa 辰nnu inte m旦jligt och mycket l旦nsamt f旦r m奪nga. Att veta dessa regler och identifiera regerings kunniga experter f旦r att guida dig genom regeringen pussel - kan vara skillnaden i att vara en annan regering leverant旦r och att vara framg奪ngsrika och f旦redragna regeringen l旦sningar.
  • 8. The United States Federal Government is the largest purchaser of goods and services in the WORLD, spending over $450 Billion annually. The Federal Government buys both products and services. The products range from toothpaste to office supplies and artillery. They also need the services of various professional ranging from architects, nurses, priests, hairdressers, consultants and information technology cyber security professionals. For standard business-to-business companies, selling to the US Federal Government is a way to diversify the customer portfolio and mitigate risk weathering the fluctuations in the economy, particularly given the volatile European Union climate. Additionally, once you are an established US Federal contractor and have performed satisfactory within contract terms and conditions, fulfilling the governments the statement of work - increases your likelihood for steady repeat business, with increased margins (albeit slim) in multi- year contracts. Although your profit margins may not be the highest in this competitive sector, the somewhat predictable budgets and buying patterns (once you are in) can be a motivating factor for many businesses to establish government contracts. Another motivating factor is knowing that you are guaranteed payment from the government. Sometimes, however there may be a hurdle upon the time frames in collecting. This can usually be circumvented by ensuring that you delivered precisely on the terms and conditions and that your invoice exactly matches the Purchase Order issued by the Government. There are particular nuances that must be adhered to. The WHO of the US Government The US government is comprised of multiple agencies and thousands of buyers of wide ranging products and services. Most US federal government agencies are headquartered in the Washington DC area, but also have offices across the country and the world where purchases are also made. For example, the US military has bases in many foreign countries. While you can sell to virtually anyone by utilizing technology, it is beneficial to have a physical presence in the Washington DC metropolitan area as this is where the majority of the decision makers are located. This can be accomplished by employing a full-time sales team, retained consultant, lobbyist, a partner company or some combination thereof. Many part-time office firms have grown over the years by offering a Washington DC address, phone number, answering service and a few hours per month to use a shared conference room and cubicle. This helps alleviate concerns from the risk adverse government that you are credible and have a real presence. There are large government offices all over the country and if you have a service or product for a niche market such as a military bases or one of the national laboratories or other specialized institution, then you can easily situate your sales team closer to the end-user. WHEN THE GOVERNMENT BUYS: The US government fiscal year runs on an October 1 to September 30 cycle, with the peaks typically occurring at the end of the fourth quarter due to a use it or lose it system. If there are unallocated dollars as the year closes, there is a high probability that the buyers, including both Program Managers and Contracting Officers will purchase your items/services during these final months of July, August and September. There are other factors besides the end of year dollars that plays a role in governments decision to award a contract to your organization. Relationship building, as in regular business-to-business transactions and some mid to high dollar consumer-to-business transactions, is also significant and crucial part of the sales process.
  • 9. Selling to the government does not happen overnight. There is a large time investment on the sales cycle, and as mentioned earlier, the government is a risk- adverse client. This time span can range from 12 to 36 months sometimes shorter or sometimes longer. You may make 10 or more phone calls before you reach the appropriate government contact. (Public data is available to secure marketing call list and names of buyers who purchase your items along with incumbent information and budget forecast.) Once you reach the right contact person, you may have many meetings with your potential client before you make it to the true decision maker who decides if and when your product/service is needed and if it will be funded. From those meetings, presentations and demonstrations you can assess if there is a need for your product/service in that agency or department or if you are creating that need. Some salesmen and women may disagree and feel that the sales rep is responsible for creating the need, but sometimes when interfacing with the government you may be in a reactive mode and responding to request formal or not. Both scenarios will provide some intelligence on your chances for award and estimated time frames. If you are responding to a request formally called a Solicitation, it is important to know (or ask) where the government is in the decision making process. If there is a formal call for information or a Sources Sought (SS) or Request for Information (RFI) for products/services that you provide, then the government is conducting a search to determine what products/services are available that meet their specific need. They may also be interested in determining if a specific type of business can fulfill the terms and conditions, such as a small business, one located in a Historically Underutilized Business area (HUBzone), minority owned, disadvantaged, veteran owned, and/or women owned business. (More information on what qualifies as a small business can be found on the US Small Business Administration website at http://www.SBA.gov or http://www.JenniferSchaus.com Therefore, these Sources Sought or RFIs are great opportunities to provide information about your area of expertise, highlight past performance with other government agencies, provide pricing information or estimates, and assist in helping the issuing agency determine there is a need to contract with your organization and demonstrating any value- added components you possess. Getting in during the beginning phases of the government search -- Sources Sought or RFI -- process is highly advantageous. If your products/services are listed on the General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule, this is a clear advantage and should be included in your response. The GSA Schedule is a hunting license or ticket to the government dance and allows the government to accelerate their purchase from you. This is a pre-vetted contractor short list of both services (hourly rates) and products. Foreign companies are able to be hold GSA Schedules however they must ensure their products are TAA (Trade Agreement Act) compliant. This TAA List changes from time to time based on US foreign relations. The federal government (and some state and local governments) can easily shop as one would on Amazon at http://www.gsaAdvantage.gov for vetted firms with pre-negotiated prices. More information about becoming a GSA Schedule holder can be found at http://www.GSA.gov or http://www.JenniferSchaus.com Formal request from the government may also come as Request for Proposals (RFP), Invitation to Bid (ITB) and Request for Quote (RFQ). These formal solicitations (or RFPs and RFQs) for purchases of $25,000 are required to be published on www.FedBizOpps.gov This website allows you to search for opportunities by many criteria, including agency and also product/service. Many of these opportunities are
  • 10. not simply put out to bid without having an intended awardee. Companies that have been continually networking, attending trade shows & presenting their capabilities to the government for 6-24+ months, are most likely the key players in creating the need for their solution which brought about the RFP. These RFPs typically began as a Sources Sought notice or an RFI. The Statement of Work (SOW) in the RFP many times are written with language tailored for a specific company, an elite group of contractors or for specially designated companies including GSA Schedule holders, small businesses, or set-aside categories within the small businesses community (ie. Veteran Owned). These solicitations are a simple reminder that relationship building is the key component to winning the business. Because government cannot accept gifts or be taken to lunch or dinner, basic sales skills and knowing your product/service inside and out are absolutely pertinent to your success in this vertical market. Knowing the rules of the government contracting game found in the FAR, Federal Acquisition Regulation http://www.acquisition.gov is essential. An educated and determined sales force with a strong management team is important. The sales force must be relentless and creative in breaking through the government walls and finding champions for their solutions. They must be well connected at various levels top, middle and bottom and present their solution as a way to make things easier for the government, without threatening their job security. There are a variety of sources for the sales rep to obtain contacts. Networking inside the beltway is important and there are an abundance of venues for one to attend to, as some are industry based. Additionally, http://www.FedBizOpps.gov will publish information on Industry Days. These are open houses for small businesses hosted by the particular agency OSDBU, Office Of Small & Disadvantaged Business Unit. These OSDBUs are the small business advocates. As previously mentioned, there are commercial companies who aggregate government data and sell lists including names and contact information for buyers within government. There are various levels of sales reps that a company may pursue. The ideal candidate and may be an individual previously employed by the government in an agency where there is a great need for your services. There are limits and laws surrounding hiring individuals in this capacity who may have the contacts to help your organization. Sometimes, depending upon the size of your organization, these individuals may sit on the Board of Directors or be your main government sales guru. These folks typically understand government, (hopefully your product or service offering) and they have been the customer and understand the processes by which the government purchases. Again, depending upon your company size, budget and objectives for the government market, you may want a full sales team or just want to tread lightly into this arena. There are many flavors and degrees of sales representation in Washington, DC. There are agents who will sell for you, be your US presence and ask for a high percentage commission without a monthly retainer. The most common structure in sales would structure a contract to include a monthly retainer and commission. Still others may only charge a retainer and be confined to certain areas of their expertise such as proposal writing for a designated number of hours per month. Most of the individuals will have a certain area of expertise or connections in specific agencies.
  • 11. Trade shows are abundant as well and some are government specific (The General Services Administration Expo, Small Business Administration Conferences), others are industry specific (ie. FOSE and GovSec and F-Ped). These are opportune venues to meet the government buyers and spend time with them, since they are prohibited to accept gifts, lunch, dinner/golf outings, etc. They can be an expensive undertaking but there are creative ways to reduce your cost. Some of the conferences are looking for industry and subject matter experts as speakers for the breakout sessions. By becoming one of the speakers, you gain more exposure, a live audience, free press on the conference brochures and more attention and traction at your booth. With more traction, this becomes basic sales and is a numbers game. It is a given that in the sales process roadblocks are met and it is the job of the sales team to overcome these obstacles. An effective business-to-government (B2G) sales representative will penetrate the government at a variety of levels the end-user, the program manager(s) and the individuals who have purchasing or influential authority. Sometimes there are higher issues which could help or hamper a product/service from coming to market or perhaps escorting it out. Lobbyist and public affairs professionals within the Washington DC area can also play a role in assisting with generating funding for your solution. These professionals work at the levels in government primarily on Capitol Hill where they can help influence bills and appropriations for specific services and products. Their fees may be higher than a seasoned government sales rep, but will also be able to deliver for you at a different (more political) level. These individuals may have previously worked for or with senators, representatives and/or other elected officials. Most successful firms will have connections on both sides of the political landscape which keeps them strong at times when there is a change in power at any level within the government. Although these firms can be powerful sources to leverage, they are not a silver bullet. All of these tools lobbyist, sales team, consultants, agents and proposal writers, must be used in collectively to get the most out of your hunting expedition. The 80/20 rule applies in government contracts as well. Eighty percent of the contracts are awarded to the top 20 contractors. These prime contractors are large businesses and are well-known, such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, SAIC, BAE, etc. These organizations usually maintain a small business liaison office. It can be beneficial to meet with these offices, register in their small business vendor database and provide a synopsis on your products/services. Many times, when the government is working to meet their small business set-aside contracting goals (24%) these organizations will be forced to also meet small business goals (36%). Results by agency on how they met these goals can be found on the SBA Scorecard on the SBA website or at http://www.JenniferSchaus.com This information should also play a part in your strategy when targeting agencies. You can employ resources to determine if there is a market in the US government for your product/service. Commercial companies can be hired to do this for you and searches can be conducted to determine how much of your product/service has been bought over the fiscal years, which can be segmented by quarter and company name. It is also useful to search for competitors and understand their position in the marketplace to determine your potential share. Government budgets are not secret and this information is pertinent (and available) when focusing on your target client. With this information, you may determine that certain agencies may be better suited and equipped to purchase your solutions than others. By narrowing your target
  • 12. client to the top 3 agencies best aligned for your product/service based on their budget, your budget and your contacts within the agency, you can strategically positioning yourself for success. Creating a capabilities statement and supporting literature geared toward the government, will help the buyer in understanding how your solution will assist them. Each administration, Republican or Democrat has specific goals and focus areas. Some of these are determined by world events (wars and economic crisis, etc.) and others are simply areas that they deem important (ie. green and environmental products). By being cognizant of these issues, reading trade journals and government specific publications, you can gain a clearer understanding of your clients mentality and challenges, thus being better able to provide a solution. By joining associations in Washington DC related to your industry you will benefit from a locally based advocate, a built in government relations team (usually a given in associations) working on your behalf and possible collaboration with other firms in your industry. Likewise, joining an international chamber, Swedish-American Chamber Of Commerce you may also benefit from building relationships with US based partners who are in the federal government contracting space. There are also associations dedicated solely to US Federal Government contracting from which companies can reap rewards, relationships and find teaming partners for government contracting. For foreign companies, establishing a US presence is not absolutely necessary, but can be beneficial. Most US Government contracts have been awarded to US companies who are physically located within the DC metropolitan area. (Part of this is due to the Buy America Act, BAA). Basic sales skills tell us that business is earned and awarded to the company/individual where there is a relationship. In order to build those relationships, the sales rep and/or the consultant for your company should be located close to the decision maker and where the work is taking place, sometimes two different places. Modern day technology has allowed us to video- conference, email and communicate in ways where we do not have to physically be present. When dealing with a risk-adverse client, it is a best practice to physically be there. Additionally, foreign companies may also consider establishing a US subsidiary to have a legal entity and stronger presence in the US. Government purchases can and are also be based on a variety of factors including price and quality. The current environment (2016) government contactors find themselves in LPTA, Lowest Price Technically Acceptable. This means contracts are awarded based on lowest price regardless of the firms past performance or experience. This allows new players into the sector who have no experience in government contracting whatsoever. Typically quality is sacrificed, sometimes contracts are cancelled due to poor performance or the firm going out of business due to not being able to sustain their business model of buying contracts at or below margin. Foreign firms should secure a DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) from Dun & Bradstreet Corporation at http://www.DnB.com From there, they should register in the System for Award Management at http://www.SAM.gov which will require input of basic company information, including your industry NAICS Codes (North American Industry Classification System) and in most cases a Tax ID Number (TIN). Foreign companies can work with a Registered Agent in the US, establish a US subsidiary or explore other alternatives for obtaining a TIN.
  • 13. Foreign businesses will have to pay close attention to the Trade Agreement Act and Buy American Act. The TAA focuses more on country of origin relating to manufacturing and products how and where the end product is composed. The BAA primarily gives preference to US companies over foreign entities on contracts. Certain exceptions apply including some construction materials, pricing and unique solutions. Other BAA exceptions relate to the US government procuring non-US goods that are not reasonably available commercially in the US. *Please consult Section 25 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation and also the General Services Administration website for current information and language regarding The Buy America Act and Trade Agreement Act for foreign companies, as these regulations are undergoing changes at the time of this publication. http://acquisition.gov/far/ In conclusion, The US Government is the worlds largest purchaser of goods and services. It is an elaborate and competitive market, but it is not impossible to be successful. Establishing your business as a government vendor and winning business is competitive and complex yet possible and very profitable for many. Knowing those rules and identifying government savvy experts to guide you through the government puzzle - can be the differential in being another government vendor and being the successful and preferred government solution provider. Jennifer Schaus runs a government consulting firm in Washington, DC. She is the founder and principal of Jennifer Schaus and Associates. Ms. Schaus has domestic and international clients who provide both services and products to the US Federal Government. Her expertise is in representing clients to compete for US Federal Contracts, securing Set-Aside certifications and supporting the sales process via proposal writing, marketing and business development. She is a frequent speaker at government contracting forums and associations including WIP (Women Impacting Public Policy), NCMA (National Contract Management Association), APMP (Association Of Proposal Management Professionals, NDIA/WID (National Defense Industry Association/Women In Defense), WAVE (Women As Veteran Entrepreneurs) and more. She has been featured or quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Washington Business Journal, Government Product News and more. Ms. Schaus holds a BA from Towson University, a Leadership Accelerator Certificate from UC Berkeley and a Certificate in Executive Leadership from Cornell University. She sits on the Board of Directors for GovLish a data aggregator of government acronyms. For more information and to contact Jennifer Schaus & Associates, please visit: www.JenniferSchaus.com or JSchaus@JenniferSchaus.com or call us + 1 - 2 0 2 3 6 5 0 5 9 8.