Background:
Issues:
Summit Insight Solution:
For eight months, the company team relied on Judy Bradt’s book, “Government Contracts Made Easier,” and acting on the tips, guidance, and advice suggested in the book. They started to develop partnerships with three major prime contractors and two smaller SDVOBs, including an 8(a). They kept their expenses tight! Beyond staff costs, they invested in:
- Certifications (technical support, and third party WOSB certification): $700
- Legal services (Including FARS compliance and teaming agreement support): $15,000.00
- Relocation costs to move into Hubzone: $5,000.00
- Four SBDC conferences on government topics: Just our time. These were free.
- Books and other reference manuals: $210.00
- Physical security enhancements to meet federal contracting requirements: $ 750.00
- Additional sundry expenses: $1,000.00
- Travel to meet partners: $5,500.00 over a two year period.
Results:
Over four months, that investment — a little under $30,000 — came to fruition.
- The company won their first award, for a military subcontract task order: the base plus options was worth $50,000.00.
They also identified opportunities that fit their capabilities and experience, and submitted bids for:
- One military subcontract potentially worth $125,000.
- A civilian agency subcontract worth $345,000.00.
- Another civilian agency subcontract with an estimated value of $1.5 million
- A Military prime contract IDIQ for one year with two option years, which includes an initial task order with expected value of about $2 million.
- And what the CEO described as “Our crowning achievement…we submitted our first prime contract bid. It was for a small business set aside. We primed it, with a top-ten federal prime as our technology subcontractor and an 8(a) small business as our video production firm.
“In summary, today we’ve either won, or are in consideration for, a total of over $4 million in federal business.
“The success for us right now is not whether we win this prime contract, but the fact that we have reached a level where we could prime a contract like that, and have the trust of such outstanding partners.
“I am writing this, most importantly, to thank you. Your guidance along our path has been helpful. Your methods work. I truly appreciate your LinkedIn posts, your book, and the seminar you gave at the Lehigh University Small Business Development Center. From our whole Sahl Comm team: THANK YOU! Keep doing what you do. Your advice works.”
~ Kim Plyler, CEO & Founder, Sahl Communications