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