3 Tips for Stimulus Proposals
The Stimulus, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 (ARRA), continues to release solicitations, all for projects to be completed in the next few years. Since I work with folks who are inventing new solutions, a good deal of funding is available for their work from the Department of Energy (DOE), USDA and other agencies.
And many of the applicants I’m helping have never written a proposal to the federal government. If this is your situation, here are a few ” How to ” tips:
- Read the RFP -
Some of my clients don’t want to wade through 60 pages before they get started writing. This is a big mistake. Don’t write a word until you’ve read the solicitation and understand what they want. You have limited time and need to focus on the requirements, not your own opinion of the best way to describe your technology. - Get your registrations in order -
You’ll likely need a CCR, and this takes time and needs to be started first. If they have a specific portal to which you will load the proposal, get yourself registered there right away. You’ll need a DUNS number for your CCR, so even if you are undecided, get that application started. - Allow time for the upload process -
What should take 10 minutes may take you hours. Don’t plan on rushing to upload your proposal at the last minute. If the servers are backed up, or you have a problem with one of your files loading, you may not make deadline. If you don’t, you will not be considered. No, this is not unfair. If you can’t read the instructions and follow them, the government doesn’t want to do business with you. Would you?
Some applicants I’m helping have experienced proposal teams in place but are getting help for the extra load. Here are a few tips for the more seasoned proposal teams:
- Since the crash/debilitating delays/failure of the government-wide portal last year, agencies have set up their own portals. Each of them has a little different flavor, so register early and be extra careful to read each screen carefully. I’ve found several surprises.
- The good news is that the page limits are severe. The bad news is that the agencies are receiving many proposals and have the same number of staff to review them. Do not veer from the evaluation criteria. Your TOC should mimic the RFP. Give them a way to speed through your proposal and they’ll have time to digest your message. Let your executives convolute the proposal away from the scoring criteria and reviewers won’t try to ferret out the point score, they’ll just skim and move on to the next proposal.
- I’m finding it easy to construct strawman RFPs to get a jump on production. Agencies are tweaking RFPs from the early posts under ARRA, so you can work from these to storyboard and get your first review cycle complete by final release. Changes are nominal between rounds.
Let me know if I can help you! I’m on a roll with stimulus proposals and winning good work for great people.
Reader (RSS)
Email