In any normal competitive environment involving the pursuit of a multi-billion dollar multiple-award IDIQ, it can be challenging to get the attention of those companies who are perceived as front runners to win a spot, much less to receive an immediate call back.
Well, this is anything but a normal procurement process. Since the surprise announcement this past December, this requirement has been moving at a breakneck pace and with so much on the line and such an aggressive timeline, even the most established VA partners are working overtime to make sure they have the right mix of players in place to maximize scoring opportunities and to ensure they will secure a Prime win and spot on this critically important 10-year Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology Next Generation 2 (T4NG2) IDIQ. Barring a late announcement by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the release of the final RFP is expected out mid next week [updated 02.24.24 – the final RFP is now expected out on 03.14.23], with proposals due one month later.
Why are partner companies in so much demand? The answer: It is the Scorecard
Ok, so not all size and shape of partners are in demand, but those partners who have past performance and that can fulfill key gaps will and should find that they can join many of the top contender teams – even at this late hour. For the first time ever, the VA has chosen to utilize a scorecard approach to evaluate bids.
While this new approach has the potential to help the VA Technology Acquisition Center (the group that is running this procurement) to quickly narrow the playing field and, in theory, more easily hurdle the expected onslaught of protests, the result is that it has leveled the playing field. Unlike any of the predecessor contracts, this evaluation will be less about the Prime bidders’ combined knowledge of VA IT systems and more about their ability to maximize points on the scorecard.
How do I know if I am a partner who will be coveted?
It is easy (kind of). If you can answer Yes to the following three questions, you will be quite in demand.
- Have you served as Prime on at least one Federal IT Contract(s) that is greater than $30M in total contract value (TCV) **Note: Slightly smaller contracts could be of value if they squarely fit all the key subfactor criteria, but less value equates to a lesser score.
- Was this contract completed (or is still active) within the last 5 years and has at least 1 year of performance been completed on the contract?
- Is a CPARS and/or a written “Performance Risk Assessment Questionnaire” score obtainable on this contract that is Satisfactory or above.
Bonus Points Time
- Is this contract Time and Materials or Cost Plus?
- Was this task/contract competed and awarded using a multi-award contract? (e.g., IDIQ, BPA, GWAC, MAC, DWAC, etc)
If you can answer Yes to the first three questions – you will find that most companies will be very receptive to a near immediate conversation. If you can answer yes to the 2 bonus questions – expect even more interest. Does this contract have to be at VA? The answer is no. Do I need to be an SDVOSB to bring value? No. Any contract that meets the criteria above and that can score on the key sub functional areas as defined below (meaning your SOW/PWS aligns with the subfactors) will be in great demand.
What are recommended next steps?
If you are still reading this and you can answer yes on most or many of the items above, take some time to quickly complete the spreadsheet below (download an excel version here). Prepare an email or document that includes the data call and the five questions above.
As far as who to send it to… You will want to send the spreadsheet to as many potential bidders as you can (we will explain more below). This can and should include targeting a number of different types of groups including
- some of the top established large players who have a track record at VA (e.g., Leidos, etc.),
- some of the newer mid-tier and large Primes who have great potential to sneak into the conversation as a Prime or key part of a JV (e.g., Ventech Solutions, Ad Hoc**, CVP, etc.);
- some of the top established SDVOSB partners (and/or their JVs) supporting VA today (e.g. Sierra7**, Sprezzatura**, IMC, etc.);
- some of the top established women-owned and/or HUBZone SDVOSB partners to VA (e.g. Prometheus Federal Services (PFS)**, Aptive**, PGT, etc); and
- it can be harder to predict which emerging SDVOSB partners will be a serious player, but getting your information in front of several likely bidders can prove valuable (e.g., RC4Vets, ITC Federal **, Kinaras **, Aquia **, etc.)
** An Elev8 GovCon Honoree, noted for a corporate culture that demonstrates its own excellence, making the company a beacon for talent, for partners, and for clients.
Another place to look for partners is on social media as many companies are out there publicly expressing their interest in adding partners. Look no further than this post by current and highly successful T4NG Prime contract holder Pingwind** working to identify companies still assessing teaming options for T4NG2 Check it out here. And women-owned SDVOSBs should take note of this very interesting set of posts by Snowbird Agility and others detailing Team WVOSB and their efforts to get the VA to expand the playing field for Women, Veteran-Owned Small Businesses in pursuit of the T4NG2 contract vehicle. There is a very powerful message here.
As you are building out your team for this and other VA bids, you can also use the publicly available and free GovCon Partner Identification tool found here to help identify some of the top partners supporting VA today which is sortable by socio-status, contract vehicle, NAICS, etc.
Lastly, if you are looking for a broader list of partner options, please contact us at support@orangeslices.ai and we would be happy to point you in the direction of known companies that are in a great position to win a Prime spot and that are likely to still be open to adding key partners. Given the timing on this, you will not want to hesitate as all teams will need to lock down shortly after the RFP is released. If you are a Prime bidder or key teammate open to receiving unsolicited data calls, comment below or contact us and we will add you to the list. Note: the full list will not be published.
The Goal for Prime bidders is to get a perfect score
Why reach out to so many companies? The primary reason is that every company has a different set of past performances, and it is like a puzzle for these companies to piece together a top score. A past performance that rates highly could be very attractive to one company as it helps them achieve a top score, while that same past performance may not be of any value to another (even if they need past performance) as it does not improve their chances of getting closer to that elusive perfect. Placing multiple bets is important and it is our understanding that subcontractors can join as many teams as they want to without restriction.
During the AFCEA Monmouth VA T4NG2 strategy event held yesterday, Capture SME Kevin Switaj, discussed the scores that are expected to be needed for a company to get a win, saying that if an SDVOSB bidder does not get at least 95% of the 7940 points, they don’t have a prayer. And the expectation is that a large bidder will likely need to get all of the 7650 points they are eligible for to have a chance at winning.
Plainly stated – the goal is to get a Perfect Score. This is the predominant reason nearly all companies remain open to teaming conversations at this late hour and will remain open to conversations even after the RFP is out. Having spoken to many capture and growth leaders, the expectation is that many bidders will be able to achieve 100% or near 100% scores, with the Veteran hiring and small business subcontracting goals playing a major role in the final decisions.
Three final notes
This could all be blown up come next week if the VA adjusts its evaluation criteria in the final RFP. A seemingly simple change to a few words or phrases can have a significant ripple effect, forcing teams to scramble. Keep a close eye out.
While there is a high level of urgency on teaming, there is a lot of talk that protests are expected as soon as the RFP is released. If this creates a temporary pause, it could allow companies more time to finalize teaming, so if you miss the initial window, it still may be worth reaching out to potential Prime bidders.
Please comment below or contact us if we are off on any of the points shared above. We aim to get it right 100% of the time and we will be happy to adjust this language as a benefit to all.
Related Items
- Key Takeaways from today’s VA T4NG2 Industry Day and What You Should Do
- The $60.7B VA T4NG2 IDIQ and the Scoring Twist: 4 items to look at first now that the draft RFP is out
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- Four former VA execs leading SDVOSBs that are Ripe and Ready to Roll in 2023, plus one to grow on
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VA has this set up so that SDVOSB bidders are forced to partner, but we all know that most, if not all, of those partners will never get any meaningful workshare. The scorecard does not prove that a bidder has quals – it proves that they understahd how to identify partners who can help them score points in an irrelevant scorecard.