Making A Giant 009: Maria Martinez & A Govcon Alumni – Understanding the value of time and harnessing your potential through learning and determination

Today’s guest, Student Ash was researching the government market and quickly discovered what we call the certification trap. All of the agencies, so called experts and gurus, preached getting certifications as the pathway for small businesses to be successful. After doing some mental calculations Ash figured that if you make the pool smaller and smaller for businesses and we the 90% are all chasing the 20% pool who is really making the money?

She quickly learned that this was not a winning strategy and continued researching online for someone who taught a different methodology.  That is where she ran across one of my YT videos that said, you don’t need a certification to win a contract. My counter intuitiveness is what attracted her to me and Govcon Giants.

A self-proclaimed political enthusiast, this student came to us in the middle of COVID-19, after she was drawn into the Federal Government’s Coronavirus Daily Briefings and what she perceived to be a constant request for supplies to help the U.S. combat the global pandemic, and although it wasn’t a direct personal call-to action, she credits this as the best misunderstanding of her career.

Having NO previous experience with government contracting, she used the early on-set of the Stay-at-Home orders as an opportunity to learn how to do business with the government. Her GovCon journey started out with suggestions on the importance of becoming certified as a WOSB or 8A, but this path required past performance and were proving to be too long, and because she knew the chance to provide solutions to the government for COVID-19 would have a short window, she couldn’t devote a lot of resources and time into obtaining certifications as a way to do business with government.

So, she decided to look for a path that provided a simpler method of doing government contracting, and she ultimately came across the GOVCON Giants (GCG) community in August 2020 and after coming across the GCG community, she found out the government had so many needs and request outside of just COVID-19 supplies.

As she continued watching our content and absorbing she decided to reach out to me directly for a few paid 1-on-1 sessions and eventually purchased our 2.0 program. From the onset I immediately knew the type of person she would become because she was investing her time and money in learning all the possibilities that existed. She took advantage of our business credit building program and Tuesday team calls.

It was on one of our members’ calls that she met another GCG alumni and started pursuing projects together. They successfully won those projects and others moving forward. In fact they were working at the white house during the time of the insurrection.

But Ash did not stop there. She actually pursued multiple private sector jobs landing two large projects. As of the date of this recording her company was $70K shy of hitting the $1M mark for Q1 2021. In her email she writes to our team, if I didn’t have the tools I would still be sitting around creating my 5-year plan with the hope of generating $1M for the year.

This is one of my most powerful student episodes to date. I know that you will enjoy this episode through the journey of one of our very own GCG alumni.

SOURCES SOUGHT: Q508–On-Site Inpatient Hemodialysis Services

VHA RPO West NCO 17 Health Care Resources Branch I is planning to solicit a vendor who can provide On-Site Inpatient Hemodialysis Services for Veterans within the area of the Thomas E Creek VA Medical Center. The Thomas E Creek VA Medical Center is looking for a Contactor that can provide all supervision, personnel, supplies, transportation, and equipment to perform inpatient acute hemodialysis treatments. VHA RPO West NCO 17 Health Care Resources Branch I is conducting a market survey to determine the existence of potential small business concerns (e.g., HUBZone, 8(a), SDVOSB, Woman-Owned, etc.) with the capability to fulfill this acquisition. Place of Performance: Department of Veterans Affairs Thomas E Creek VA Medical Center 6010 Amarillo Blvd West Amarillo, TX 79106-1991 Type of Contract: If this source sought notice leads to a future solicitation, the Government intends to award a firm-fixed-price contract.

  • Original Set Aside:
  • Product Service Code: Q508 – MEDICAL- HEMATOLOGY
  • NAICS Code: 621492 – Kidney Dialysis Centers
  • Place of Performance: Department of Veterans Affairs Thomas E Creek VA Medical Center Amarillo, TX 79106-1991 USA
  • Updated Response Date: Jun 28, 2021 02:00 pm EDT
  • Full details via beta.sam.gov

    govcon logo Check out our RESOURCES page for a sample letter that we use in response to government market research.

 

Top 10 Industry NAICS codes for IDV Contracts in 2020

For service contracts (and some products), the government has shifted almost entirely towards Indefinite Delivery Vehicles (IDVs).

IDVs separate large businesses from small, as small businesses in socio-economic categories are often prioritized. Although competition is intense, this is still an opportunity that you shouldn’t miss. 

The ultimate goal in bidding for IDV contracts, and in government contracting, in general, is to win. Having a small business certificate won’t be enough, you need to earn your spot on this bus. 

If you haven’t earned the right on the bus, you can’t even see the task and delivery orders. So how do you secure your spot? Start by knowing the industry and your competitors. 

IDV contract opportunities are found in all industries, but not all succeed. Some industries do better than others, here are 10 industries that have successfully made their way through winning IDV contracts in 2020.

1. 325412 

Pharmaceutical preparation manufacturing is the industry wherein establishments manufacture in-vivo diagnostic substances and pharmaceutical preparations (except biological). They are the makers of tablets, capsules, ointments, etc.

Federal IDV contracts under this code were actually worth about $2 billion in 2020, making it first on this list.

2. 325414 

Biological product (except diagnostic) manufacturing is the manufacturing of vaccines, toxoids, blood fractions, and culture media of plant or animal origin (except diagnostic). This comes second, with a government spending of $1.7 billion for IDV contracts.

3. 481212 

This code is for establishments in the nonscheduled chartered freight air transportation industry wherein they provide air transportation of cargo, without transporting passengers, with no regular routes and regular schedules.

When it comes to the government’s cumulative spending, specifically on IDV contracts, this industry is worth $1.6 billion.

4. 541712 

This code is all about research and development in the physical, engineering and life sciences engineering, and life sciences (except Biotechnology).

They conduct research and experimental developments in the field of science and mathematics. In 2020, the federal government has invested $1 billion in this industry for IDV contracts.

Note: The NAICS Code 541712, however, is no longer valid. The NAICS Code that should be used instead is 541715. Unless the requirement is dealing with nanotechnology, in that case, code 541713 should be used. 

5. 325411 

The medicinal and botanical manufacturing industry, worth $900 million in IDV contracts, manufactures uncompounded medicinal chemicals and their derivatives (i.e., generally for use by pharmaceutical preparation manufacturers). They are also responsible for grading, grinding, and milling uncompounded botanicals.

6. 541711 

Ever wondered why the NAICS code 541712 / 541715 excluded biotechnology? Here’s why. 

This code conducts biotechnology research and experimental development. They use micro-organisms and cellular and biomolecular processes to develop or alter living or non-living materials. 

They contribute to the development of new biotechnology processes used by various industries, which explains why the U.S. government has spent over $812 million in this industry, for IDV contracts alone.

7. 336414 

Guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing businesses manufacture complete guided missiles and space vehicles and/or develop and make prototypes of guided missiles or space vehicles. 

NASA is known to be the largest procurer of these services, followed by the Air Force and the Missile Defense Agency. More than $599 million was put into this industry, specifically for IDV contracts.

8. 541512 

Computer systems designs services plan and design computer systems that integrate computer hardware, software, and communication technologies.  Federal IDV contracts, in this industry, have a cumulative spending amount of $567 million.

9. 561210 

Facilities support services provide operating staff to perform a combination of support services within a client’s facilities. The staff, however, are not involved with or responsible for the core business of the client. The government invested $468 million worth of IDV contracts on this industry for 2020.

10. 541330 

This code is for establishments that offer engineering services which include civil engineering services, environmental engineering services, and mechanical engineering services. 

This industry is wide-ranging, as it pertains to any business that applies physical laws and principles of engineering in their design, development, and utilization of systems. The cumulative federal spending for these establishments is $410 million for IDV contracts.

RESOURCES

The list of industry NAICS codes from this article was taken from usaspending.gov, wherein federal awards for IDV contracts in 2020 were categorized by their NAICS codes and were listed from highest to lowest, according to their respective cumulative amount obligated by the government.

If you want to know the benefits of IDIQs and IDVs and how to prepare your company for these opportunities, then be sure to click the links below:

Are you ready to win a contract, prepare your corporation for success using IDV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqs1D_TKZIg

Multiple year contract award (IDIQ) explained in simple terms – Eric Coffie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgVtj-Iv7yI

To also learn more about all things NAICS, you can check out the website here.

Halter Marine awarded $149M contract for the detail design and construction of one oceanographic survey ship (T-AGS 67)

Halter Marine, Pascagoula, Mississippi, is awarded a $149,053,160 fixed-price-incentive (firm target) modification to definitize contract number N00024-19-C-2208 for the detailed design and construction of one oceanographic survey ship (T-AGS 67). Work will be performed in Pascagoula, Mississippi (76%); Harahan, Louisiana (8%); Belle Chase, Louisiana (4.5%); Alpharetta, Georgia (4.5%); Mathews, Louisiana (2.3%); Axis, Alabama (2%); Houston, Texas (1.5%); and Sherwood, Oregon (1.2%). Fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $149,053,160 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

 

VT Halter Marine, Inc. provides shipbuilding services. The Company manufactures oceanographic and transportation ships, patrol and support boats, ferries, fireboats, commercial, logistic support, surveillance, rescue, and passenger vessels, as well as offers repair and maintenance services. VT Halter Marine operates in the United States. (www.bloomberg.com)

SOURCES SOUGHT: Document Conversion Lab – 2

The DCU handles the transferring and converting of digital files from legacy media and files that are past their lifecycle to more modern media and file types to ensure proper records disposition and retention. FBI/IMD is building a new facility that will house DCU. DCU requires a complete buildout for the Media Extraction Team’s work area within the Central Records Complex (CRC). The equipment required for DCU to conduct their assigned extraction and conversion responsibilities will vary depending on the specific media that is requested to be worked. Therefore, the ability to quickly add and replace media sources within the workspace is paramount in our efforts to complete the conversion process. Due to the nature of DCU’s mission, most of the media sources DCU works with are legacy technology. DCU requires a process that will provide the ability to quickly procure and integrate new equipment into the solution, repair malfunctioning equipment, and replace end-of-life equipment. Document Conversion Lab – 2 sources sought

  • Original Set Aside:
  • Product Service Code: 7B20 – IT AND TELECOM – HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTE (HARDWARE AND PERPETUAL LICENSE SOFTWARE)
  • NAICS Code: 33411 – Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing
  • Place of Performance: Winchester, VA USA
  • Original Response Date: Jul 02, 2021, 11:00 am EDT

Full details via beta.sam.gov


Check out our RESOURCES page for a sample letter that we use in response to government market research.

Genentech USA Inc. awarded $27.8M contract for various pharmaceutical products

Genentech USA Inc., South San Francisco, California, has been awarded a maximum $27,898,887 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for various pharmaceutical products. This was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is a one-year base contract with nine one-year option periods. Locations of performance are California and Kentucky, with May 21, 2022, ordering period date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. The type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 war stopper funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D0-21-D-0005).

Genentech USA Inc was founded in 2007. The company’s line of business includes the manufacturing, fabricating, or processing of drugs in pharmaceutical preparations for human or veterinary use. (www.bloomberg.com)

Top 10 Industry NAICS codes in 2019

If you’re a small business owner and you’re wondering why you don’t see federal opportunities for your company, maybe we can help.

Opportunities, oftentimes, don’t come to you, it’s you who finds them. When searching for opportunities, you need to use specific criteria to filter your search, this is where the NAICS codes come in.

Do you know yours? Many businesses use NAICS codes to find upstream suppliers and downstream markets. Government agencies even post-contract bids and offer tax incentives within a given NAICS code.

Before you go out there and start finding business opportunities, get to know first the federal market and the industries that have been successful in winning contracts. If they can do it, you can too!

With this in mind, here’s the Top 10 Industry NAICS codes that prospered in 2019.

1. 336411 

This industry code is on top of the list with a cumulative government spending of almost $50 billion in 2019. This comprises establishments involving aircraft manufacturing. 

They are those who manufacture or assemble complete aircraft. They also develop aircraft prototypes and do aircraft conversions, such as major modifications to systems and complete aircraft overhaul and rebuilding.

2. 541330

Coming in at second place, establishments in this industry provide engineering services. They apply physical laws and principles of engineering in the design, development, and utilization of their machines and systems. 

Businesses under this code may offer the provision of advice, preparation of feasibility studies, and preparation of preliminary and final plans and designs. 

3. 561210 

Services offered by this industry are often overlooked but are necessary for us to function. They are the establishments that offer facilities support services. These businesses provide operating staff to carry out a combination of support activities; but are not involved with or responsible for the core business or activities of the client. 

The mentioned combination of services include janitorial, maintenance, trash disposal, guard and security, mail routing, reception, laundry, and related services to support operations within facilities. 

4. 541512 

This code is for businesses offering computer system design services engaged in planning and designing computer systems that integrate computer hardware, software, and communication technologies. In 2019, this industry is worth about $24 billion in the federal market. 

5. 336611 

At the top five, we have the ship building and repairing industry. They are the people who operate a shipyard, which are fixed facilities with drydocks and fabrication equipment for building ships.

Activities of shipyards include the construction of ships, their repair, conversion, and alteration, the production of prefabricated ship and barge sections, and specialized services, such as ship scaling.

6. 236220 

Under this code are people responsible for the construction of commercial and institutional buildings and related structures, such as stadiums, grain elevators, and indoor swimming facilities. 

General contractors, commercial and institutional building for-sale builders, commercial and institutional building design-build firms, and commercial and institutional building project construction management firms are included in this industry.

7. 541715 

This is for establishments that involve research and experimental development (except nanotechnology and biotechnology research and experimental development) in physical, engineering, and life sciences.

Businesses under this code conduct research and experimental developments in the field of science and mathematics, all essential for economic growth, which is probably why the government invested around $20 billion in this industry.  

8. 541712 

Similar to NAICS code 541715, this code is also for establishments in the research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences engineering and life sciences (except Biotechnology) industry. This code covers a wide spectrum of fields, from biology to chemistry to veterinary.

Note: The NAICS Code 541712, however, is no longer valid. The NAICS Code that should be used instead is 541715. Unless the requirement is dealing with nanotechnology, in that case, code 541713 should be used. 

9. 336414 

This code is for the guided missile and space industry, which manufactures complete guided missiles and space vehicles and/or develops and makes prototypes of guided missiles or space vehicles. 

Although it is second to the last, the government spending on this industry is worth about $19 billion, which is still a huge amount.  

10. 541519 

Last but not the least, with a cumulative government spending of almost $17 billion, we have the industry that provides other computer related services. 

The services offered are all computer related services except those that were provided for by NAICS code 541512 (computer systems designs services).  

RESOURCES

The ranking from this article was taken from usaspending.gov, wherein Industry NAICS codes in 2019 were ranked from highest to lowest, according to the cumulative amount obligated by the government to each respective industry.

To learn more about all things NAICS, you can check out the website here.

SOURCES SOUGHT: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) – Security Vulnerability Scanning Software for IRS COBOL Applications

The Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) IT Cybersecurity and Application Development (AD) areas are seeking information on potential solutions for software security vulnerability scanning software tools based on national security demands. The primary goal is the ability for the tool to perform application security testing (AST) on source code written in various versions of the

COBOL programming language, both inside and outside the Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) DevOps pipeline. A large portion of the agency’s current software application portfolio is written in COBOL.

This RFI/Sources Sought is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as either a solicitation or an obligation on the part of the Government. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. This notice is for market research purposes only.

  • Original Set Aside:
  • Product Service Code: 7J20 – IT AND TELECOM – SECURITY AND COMPLIANCE PRODUCTS (HARDWARE AND PERPETUAL LICENSE SOFTWARE)
  • NAICS Code: 541511 – Custom Computer Programming Services
  • Place of Performance: USA
  • Original Response Date: Jun 28, 2021, 05:00 pm EDT
  • Full details via beta.sam.gov

    Check out our RESOURCES page for a sample letter that we use in response to government market research.

State and Local Contracts Might Be Worth the Risk!

With the new changes and new packages being provided to state and local governments, contracts within these areas might be worth the risk!

STIMULUS PACKAGES FOR THE STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

As everyone already knows, here at GovCon Giants, we preferred federal contracts over state and local contracts. 

There are various reasons why and some of these is the fact that there are always delays in payment whenever someone in the office fails to do the paperwork on time. 

However, given the instances in the past year and the new stimulus packages being provided to state and local governments, contracts within these areas might be worth the risk!

Besides, the government at this point has now passed two stimulus packages. The first one was in March and the other one was in December 2020. Both packages are injecting money back into states and local governments. 

The other thing is that President Biden is now attempting to pass a new 1.9 trillion trillion dollar stimulus package which will surely give a whole lot more money into that for state and local governments. 

“The good thing is that all of you folks have been working, getting paid even if it’s a little bit late. You’ve still been getting paid. They haven’t abandoned you and that’s the wonderful thing. That’s what’s giving me hope about state and local contracting.”

So, to help you navigate this marketplace, written below are the ways you can take advantage of these new opportunities in doing state and local contracts!

ATTEND ANY LOCAL ADVISORY BOARD MEETING

If you’re thinking of going to the local contracting arena, it is best to take a look at the local advisory board for your local city or municipality.

You may have to do some searches or call the local municipal offices, but definitely see if you can get some inside information with the local advisory board for your particular arena and your area. 

Why? Because there’s a lot of good things going on.

For instance, in Miami-Dade County, we have a Small Business Development Center that is designed to help small businesses and a Small Business Enterprise Advisory Board for Construction.

What you will find with these is that these boards usually have meetings that you can attend to. 

First and foremost, you’re going to meet people like you who are starting or already navigating in this marketplace for years. This could also help you learn who are the good contractors from the bad contractors.

“You have to get active. You got to participate. People have to see your face, know your name, and be able to identify you.”

Apart from that, you will also learn how your local government procures goods and services, and that’s so critical if you want to be in this arena. 

CHECK ANY LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS RELATED DOCUMENT

Aside from attending the above-said meetings, you can also check and analyze any local documents related to your industry because they often issue reports and minutes that you can go back into.

Primarily, you can see in these reports the members of the board that are providing their services and are officiating these meetings.

These reports also highlight the issues that were brought forth by the board in which you can start learning and investigating in order to make the best possible decision for your business.

Then, if you also want to see how much contracts were given to set-asides for minority groups, these reports may also highlight this.

Most importantly, these reports also highlight the companies that are doing state and local contracts together with the data related to their businesses, including the total value awarded, costs of work, and percentage completion.

So, if you want to navigate this marketplace, is it best to do your own research using these resources because this may either lead you to your first contract or a possible partnership, among other things. 

“I always remind people to start with the research. Let the research guide your activities.”

THERE MIGHT BE HOPE FOR STATE AND LOCAL CONTRACTS

The gist of this whole article is that if we continue along this trend of bringing on stimulus and propping up the economy, then that’s great news for small business contractors who are considering starting at the local level.

“The government is making sure in putting dollars and putting not just dollars, they are putting their voice behind ensuring that they prop up small businesses to keep the economy flourishing.”

Although you still need to have capital to sustain your business until you get paid, at the very least, we don’t see any time soon that the state and local government will leave small businesses behind because there is so much money flowing around.

RESOURCES

So, with the new packages being provided to state and local governments, GovCon Giants think that doing contracts in these areas might be worth the risk!

However, consider that if there are warning signs of things changing, we definitely want to be here to step in and let people know about the change in climate.

With this in mind, if you want to learn more about this matter, then check the resources below. 

You can also join us here at GovCon Giants or check the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

ALERT: State and Local Contracts might be worth the risk Part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-o04pXqCGE&t=313s

State and local contracts might be worth the RISK – Part 2 of 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpjGtrrOwUs&t=617s

094: Joshua Duvall – The value and importance of debriefings and using it as your business strategy

Joshua Duvall is the founder and managing partner at Matross Edwards LLC, a Washington, DC-based government contracts and business law firm serving government contractors nationwide.

Josh is trusted counsel and outside general counsel to small and mid-size government contractors, where he counsels clients in complex government contracts matters, including bid protests (agency level, GAO, COFC), disputes, teaming agreements, subcontracts, joint ventures, regulatory compliance, and cybersecurity.  Josh received his law degree from The George Washington University Law School and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

He also has his own blog at GovConJudicata.com which provides news, insights, and legal analysis for anyone interested in staying current with government contracts and cybersecurity issues and finally, he enjoys all things coffee and golf.

In this interview we discuss everything about debriefings, pre-award and post award debriefings. The value and importance of debriefings and how to use debriefings as a business strategy and more.