By: Lane F. Kelman
In making an award on initial proposals, is a tradeoff only between the two (2) highest-rated, highest-priced proposals appropriate? The GAO, in a recent decision,Coastal Environments, Inc., B-401889, dated December 18, 2009, provides important clarification. The decision beckons closer scrutiny of awards by unsuccessful offerors.
A seminar on “How to Win Federal Construction Contracts with Teaming Arrangements” is being held on February 23, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Hotel in Orlando, Florida. The program is scheduled to take place from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and the seminar fee is $195, with a fee of $95 for additional
By: Edward T. DeLisle
On Wednesday, January 20, 2010, President Obama signed a presidential memorandum directing the Internal Revenue Service to conduct an audit of all federal contractors. As reported by Nextgov.com, the audit is designed to identify those federal contractors that have failed to pay taxes and prevent them from obtaining additional federal
By: Michael H. Payne and Edward T. DeLisle
In order to qualify as a Historically Underutilized Business Zone (“HUBZone”) contractor, a firm must be a “small business” based on the size standards provided by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS); the firm must be at least 51% owned and controlled by citizens of
By: Michael H. Payne and Craig A. Schroeder
Acceleration is defined as a directive to increase efforts in order to complete performance on time, despite excusable delay. If the government does not agree that the contractor is entitled to acceleration costs, a contractor must file a request for an equitable adjustment (“REA”), or a claim
By: Michael H. Payne and Craig A. Schroeder
There has been a great deal of interest in the potential liability that a government contractor has for harm to third parties during or following the performance of a federal construction project. Although the government frequently enjoys sovereign immunity, the transfer of the government’s immunity to a
By: Lane F. Kelman
As opportunities in the private sector remain, at best, stagnant, the public sector has become increasingly competitive. The desire to gain a competitive advantage, however, must be tempered by compliance with ethical obligations. When attempting to gain a competitive advantage, it is crucial to avoid the appearance that your advantage is
By: Edward T. DeLisle
In recent testimony provided to the House of Representative’s Committee on Small Business, a disturbing fact was revealed: millions of dollars earmarked for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses (“SDVOSBs”) have been paid to companies that do not qualify for the program. Compounding the problem is the fact that insufficient fraud-prevention programs exist to
The recent decline in non-federal construction opportunities has resulted in a rapidly growing interest in the federal contracting market. The much-publicized American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“ARRA”), often referred to as the “Economic Stimulus Program,” has made billions of dollars available to federal agencies to fund construction projects. Add to that the billions of dollars being spent on the Hurricane & Storm Damage Risk Reduction System in New Orleans (‘HSDRRS”), the Base Realignment & Closure program (“BRAC”), and countless other military and civil works construction programs nationally, and it is easy to see why the federal market is generating so much interest. These federal opportunities are not necessarily easy for contractors to take advantage of, however, because increased opportunities have been accompanied by increased competition.
If your company is interested in getting into federal contracting for the first time, you can be certain of one thing – you are not alone. We have received dozens of requests from existing and new clients asking us to advise them about the best ways to get involved in the federal market. The answer is not always easy, because contractors who have never performed federal work may be at a disadvantage when participating in negotiated, “best value,” procurements. Unlike sealed bidding, where the competition is based on price alone and an award is made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, awards under negotiated contracting procedures not only consider price, but also consider evaluation factors like technical merit, past performance, experience, quality of personnel, and small business subcontracting. In a negotiated procurement it is not uncommon for an award to be made to a higher priced offeror who is evaluated as technically superior to the lowest-priced offeror. Past performance, when the offeror has not previously been awarded a federal contract, can be a serious obstacle.
The obstacle is not insurmountable, however. If a contractor has equivalent experience in the non-federal sector, and effectively demonstrates the value and relevance of that experience in its proposal, there are many federal agencies that will recognize the capabilities of the “new” contractor. It is important to present an effective proposal and to communicate your company’s capabilities in a clear and concise way. The good news is that awards are being made to construction contractors who have not performed federal work before, and federal agencies are always looking for enhanced competition. Your task, as an interested federal contractor, is to prepare an effective proposal that responds to each and every requirement of the solicitation and that addresses each and every evaluation factor. Our affiliate, FedCon Consulting, provides former government contracting officers and construction management personnel to assist contractors in the preparation of proposals.Continue Reading Federal Construction Contracting – Does a Newcomer Have a Chance?
The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has decided two cases that assure the continued use of the Multiple Award Task Order Contract (“MATOC”) in federal construction contracting. In the first case, Weeks Marine, Inc. v. United States, the United States Court of Federal Claims decided a bid protest in favor of Weeks