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Government Contracting

STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING:


1) Evaluate your business's compatibility with government work. (i.e. Does the product/ service qualify for government procurement in terms of quality, delivery requirements and pricing? Would the government represent a substantial customer in the long term?)

2) Identify government contracting offices in your targeted geographical area that purchase your product/service. Potential contacts are city, county and state purchasing offices, military bases, federal government agencies and hospitals, school districts, colleges and universities, and penitentiaries.

3) Develop a marketing plan. Get on bidder's lists; make telephone contacts; send current product/service information and advertisements; establish credibility by sending published articles; establish a systematic contact plan; make personal visits to purchasing offices, etc.

4) Submit proposals. Generally the state or federal solicitation is in the form of an Invitation for Bid (IFB), which is a formally advertised, non-negotiable procurement. Request for Proposal (RFP) is a solicitation involving competitive negotiation. Read and reread solicitation packages to determine whether your product/service will meet all specifications and you can comply with all of the stated terms and conditions. Following are common reasons for disqualification of bid proposals: a) Placing conditions on the bid; b) Not stating a fixed price; c) Submitting the bid late; d) Not acknowledging an amendment to the IFB or RFP; e) Improper signature on the bid proposal; f) Repeated failure to meet the delivery schedule; g) Unapproved product substitutions; h) Repeated billing errors; i) Offering gifts or bribes to purchasing personnel.

5) Follow up on the contract award. If your company did not receive the award, you have the opportunity to learn a lot about your competition. Most solicitations outline the procedure for obtaining information on who was awarded the contract and under what terms. It is a good idea to keep this on file so that you will be better equipped to submit your next proposal.

LOCAL CONTACTS: Kansas Department of Purchases Lawrence Public School District Director USD 497 Leo Vogel, Assistant Director Board of Education Service Center 900 SW Jackson, Room 102N. 3705 Clinton Parkway Topeka, KS 66612 Lawrence, KS 66047 (785) 296-2376 (785) 832-5000
City of Lawrence
Purchasing Department
6 East 6th Street
(785) 832-3212

University of Kansas Purchasing
Carruth O'Leary Hall, Room 150
Lawrence, KS 66045
(785) 864-3416
KU Small Business Development Center
734 Vermont Street, Suite 104, Lawrence, KS 66044; Phone (785) 843-8844; Fax (785) 843-8878
web site: http://www.kusbdc.net; e-mail: kusbdc@idir.net

Douglas County Purchasing Department
1100 Massachusetts
Lawrence, KS 66044
(785) 832-5286

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