The General Services Administration (GSA) Contracting Office released a pre-solicitation packet with early draft attachments on April 10, 2024. GSA anticipates releasing the final solicitation in Q3 FY2024. GSA requests offerors provide feedback on the draft attachments to alliant3feedback@gsa.gov by no later than Thursday, April 18, 2024. GSA indicated that feedback sent to this email will be reviewed, and any changes based on that feedback will be reflected in the official Alliant 3 RFP solicitation. The government increased the planned number of awards from 60 to 76 (plus ties). The draft s ..read more

While no artificial intelligence (AI) tool can ingest your request for proposal (RFP) requirements and pop out a winning proposal, AI can be your partner in enhancing proposal development. In this guide, we explore 100 ways that Generative AI (GenAI) can help improve the speed and quality of your proposal development. In Table 1, 7 Ways GenAI Can Help Save Time and Money, we describe the tangible benefits of integrating GenAI into your proposal development workflows. In Table 2, 8 Tips for Formulating GenAI Prompts, we share practical advice for creating effective GenAI prompts that yield usef ..read more

Venturing into the challenging yet rewarding realm of government contracting requires more than ambition; it demands meticulous planning, unwavering dedication, and strategic resource allocation. Crafting a government proposal necessitates significant investment in time and money, so companies must manage their resources wisely to ensure each proposal serves as a deliberate step toward achieving their government contracting objectives. Top 10 Strategies for Crafting Winning Government Proposals If Lohfeld Consulting were to start a new government contracting business and wanted to create winni ..read more

Each section of your proposal resembles a coveted piece of real estate in a bustling proposal metropolis. Here, every word counts, every sentence holds weight, and the space on each page is invaluable. Imagine navigating the crowded streets of Proposalville, where space is at a premium, competition is intense, and real estate costs skyrocket. Within this context, the art of using your proposal’s limited real estate becomes crucial. The challenge is daunting, yet it opens a gateway to significant opportunities for those who master the craft of concise and persuasive proposal writing. 10 Strateg ..read more

I recently read an insightful article, Why Is the Length of Time That GovCon Capture Managers Stay with a Company Getting Shorter?, by Peter Lierni, CAP.APMP, CP.APMP. Peter indicated that, in the past, a capture manager in the government contracting arena usually stayed on a job for 18-24 months, but that time has decreased to a mere 6-9 months. Even as capture managers come and go, their work remains. Program directors, program managers, and project managers are often charged with filling the gaps when the capture manager is unavailable. The question then becomes, how can organizations nurtu ..read more

The popularity of self-scoring proposals demands a new level of preparedness from bid and proposal professionals. This adaptive method, where contractors evaluate their qualifications against criteria and substantiate their capabilities with evidence, has become increasingly popular among federal agencies. Understanding and mastering self-scoring proposals is not just advantageous—it’s imperative for winning government-wide acquisition contracts (GWACs) and many indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts (IDIQs). The Emergence of Self-Scoring Proposals Introduced with the General Servic ..read more

Join us for our two-part Generative AI for Proposal Development: Insights and Innovations in GovCon webinar series, which dives into the integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) within the GovCon bid and proposal lifecycle. We’ll describe GenAI’s current application and showcase its pivotal role in refining proposal processes and enhancing competitive positions. We’ll also present the findings of our study comparing the performance of public and GovCon domain-aware private GenAI platforms and reveal the operational efficiencies GenAI platforms can produce to jumpstart you ..read more

Our free Winning Your Next Government Grant webinar, which will air on APMP TV on April 4, 2024, provides invaluable insights into navigating the complex landscape of government-funded technology and manufacturing grants, such as the $280 billion CHIPS Act grants. It emphasizes the necessity of strategic planning, meticulous structuring of funding proposals, and the cultivation of community support to meet the rigorous requirements of these lucrative grants. This webinar is designed to empower organizations with the knowledge and tools to craft compelling applications that stand out in a compe ..read more

For proposal managers, the journey towards success is filled with numerous obstacles, with one of the most daunting challenges being the infamous trio: Sections C, L, and M. The misalignment, ambiguity, and other difficulties in these sections can turn creating a winning proposal into an ordeal. This blog post describes the notorious trio, outlines the challenges they pose, delves into a scenario encountered by a proposal manager navigating the trio, and offers strategies to overcome difficulties.   Understanding the Notorious Trio: C, L, and M Table 1 defines and describes the notorious ..read more

As we transition into Fiscal Year Quarter 3 (FYQ3), it’s crucial to look ahead and prepare for the substantial increase in Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that FYQ4 brings. This period is marked by a significant surge in government RFP releases, making it both a critical and a challenging time for bid and proposal professionals. For context, in FY22 Q4, the government accounted for 34% of all FY22 obligations, highlighting the quarter’s importance (Q4 Spending Statistics in Government Contracting, The Pulse of GovCon, Thursday, January 25, 2024). Effective preparation now ensures you’re poised f ..read more