Module One

Building Fundamentals

Winning Government Contracts

Objectives: Module OneUpon completion of this module, you

will be able to:• Identify how the government purchases

products and services Define and understand how to use the

Federal Acquisition Regulation• Recognize the federal agencies with

STEM relevance • Locate contract opportunities

The History of Regulatory Agencies1863: Comptroller of the Currency (Chartering and

Controlling banks)Early 1900’s: Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC),

the Food and Drug Administration (FDA ), and the Department of Commerce

1930’s: The Federal Depositors Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and National Institute of Health (NIH)

1947: Department of Defense1950’s: NASA & National Science Foundation 1960’s & 1970’s: Environmental Protection Agency

and Department of Energy1980’s: Department of Education

Grants vs. ContractsGrant: “Transfer of money or property to

accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation as authorized by Federal statute.”* Receives money regardless of outcome

Contract: A legally binding document in which a product or service is promised by one party and paid for by another party Expectation of resultsBased on rules and regulations in the FAR

*The Federal Grants and Cooperative

Agreement Act of 1977

The Federal Procurement Process• Needs determined by department/agency• The agency must promote competition to get the best

deal• Depending on the nature of the procurement, and

which agency you are in, various rules and/or acquisition thresholds apply• >$2,500: “Micro-purchases”* • $2,500-$10,000• $10,00-$24,999• $25,000 or greater: posted to FedBizOpps

• GSA Schedules have their own thresholds• Also referred to as Multiple Award Schedules and

Federal Supply Schedules • Establishes long-term government-wide contracts

with commercial firms to provide access to over 11 million commercial supplies (products)

• Proposals prepared by interested parties• Proposals evaluated and contracts awarded

* Sample thresholds

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)Part of the government’s Code of Federal Regulations

(CFR) 53 partsCodifying and publishing uniform policies and procedures for

the acquisition of goods and services by all executive agencies Specifically outlines how a contracting officer must:

Publicize a contract opportunity (e.g., agency website vs. FedBizOpps)

Define what methods can be used (e.g., sealed bids vs. negotiation)

Define contract types (e.g., fixed price vs. time and materials)Delineate what contract cost principles and procedures must be

followed Define what type of proposal (e.g., request for information vs.

request for proposals) is being sought

Part 15.3—Source Selection 15.302  Source selection objective:

To select the proposal that represents the best value. Three methods for acquiring for goods and services:

Invitation for Bid (IFB), Request for Proposal (RFP), or Request for Quote (RFQ)Sealed bidding process

Well-defined product or serviceThe winner is the lowest bidder

A negotiated acquisition* More complex; requirements not as straightforward/well

defined Contracting Officers solicits proposals from potential

vendors/contractorsProposals evaluated for best value; contract awarded to the

best*Our focus

Negotiated Acquisitions (FAR 15.3): The Process1. A procurement request is announced by the government2. Potential contractors submit proposals 3. Proposals are analyzed and evaluated by the requesting

agency/dept. 4. Proposals deemed potentially successful are identified and

included in what is called a “competitive range”; unsuccessful proposals notified in writing

5. If applicable, the government evaluators ask contractors questions

6. After the questions are answered, contractors whose proposals still fall in the “competitive range” are allowed to issue a BAFO, Best And Final Offer

7. Best And Final Offers are evaluated and a best value winner is chosen

8. Those that were not selected are notified in writing and debriefs held upon request

STEM Supported AgenciesDepartments of

the Executive BranchAgriculture

Agricultural Research Services

Commerce National Institute of

Standards and Technology National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration

Defense Army Navy Air Force Defense Logistics Agency

EducationEnergyHealth and Human

Services National Institute of Health

Transportation

Independent AgenciesEnvironmental

Protection AgencyNational Aeronautics

and Space Administration

National Science Foundation

National Transportation Safety Board

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

•Registering with the Government•Learning to use FedBizOpps•Planned and Forecasted Opportunities•Initiating Points of Contact

Locating Government Opportunities

AcronymsAcronym Meaning

CCR Central Contractor Registration

DAU Defense Acquisition University

DES Data Encryption Standard

FAR Federal Acquisition Regulation

FBO FedBizOpps

GPE Government Point-of-Entry

GSA General Services Administration

IAE Integrated Acquisition Environment

IFB Invitations For Bid

MATO Multiple Award Task Order

NAICS Northern American Industry Classification System

NAIS NASA Acquisition Internet Service

NSPIRES NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System

RFI Request for Information

RFQ Request for Quotation

RFP Request for Proposal

ROSES Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences

North American Industry Classification System

Joint venture between the U.S., Canada and Mexico

Home Page – For Federal Procurement Portal

A multiuse Announcement (Pre-solicitation , Solicitation, and Award)

NASA Procurement Opportunities

Another view of the Goddard Solicitation with details.

Examples of various documents accessible from this portal.

Planned/Forecasted Opportunities•Business Opportunity Development Reform Act of 1988•Forecasts:

• Are not set in stone• Provide insight into potential business opportunities• Fiscal year starts October 1

Summary: Building Fundamentals

•The federal procurement process•Locating contract opportunities