Government Contract Negotiation: A Practical Guide for Small Business

A unique hands-on guide to mastering the complex art of negotiating government contracts Any small business owner who has ever tried negotiating a contract with the federal government knows it can be a tedious and intimidating process, fraught with endless paperwork and countless rules and regulations. Here at last is an easy-to-understand book that takes the mystery out of doing business with a government agency. Written from a unique insider's point of view, Government Contract Negotiations: A Practical Guide for Small Businesses tells you everything you need to know about: Navigating government rules and procedures Writing effective technical and pricing proposals Making it into the competitive bid range Dealing with the government contracting officers review Crafting the best and final offer Monitoring the negotiation process And much more A must for small business owners, manufacturing and service contractors, and corporate financial officers, Government Contract Negotiations: A Practical Guide for Small Businesses takes the mystery out of negotiating and winning lucrative government contracts. For the small business owner, receiving a government contract can often be a satisfying and financially rewarding experience. However, negotiating such a contract often requires following a tedious path through a seemingly endless maze of rules and regulations. And not following those procedures exactly can automatically disqualify a contractor's proposal. Government Contract Negotiations: A Practical Guide for Small Businesses is designed to guide small business owners who want to do business with the federal government through the complexities of the competitive negotiation process. Written in easy-to-understand layperson's language, this book takes you through the competitive negotiation process and the related paperwork in a logical, step-by-step format while providing plain English translations of government rules and procedures. In order to provide you with a competitive edge in your negotiations, the author, a former government contracting officer, provides a unique insider's look at the way government agencies handle the various negotiation procedures and what they look for in a prospective service contractor. He provides specific, practical advice on how to write effective technical proposals and how to arrive at a competitive price, including how to determine the amount of profit to include in your proposal. He suggests ways to ensure that your proposal is included in the competitive range and is considered for the award of the contract. Mr. Moore also outlines the government decision-making process and reveals how the government evaluates proposals. No matter what stage your negotiations are in, Government Contract Negotiations: A Practical Guide for Small Businesses can help the process go more smoothly. For the first-time government contract negotiator, the author clarifies the difference between the sealed bidding process and competitive negotiation. He also outlines changes to the government procurement process, as mandated by the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994. Once your foot is in the door, he provides valuable insight into the way the system works, describes the do's and don'ts of dealing with government buyers, and shows how to avoid the dangers of unauthorized dealings. An indispensable resource for small business owners, manufacturing and service contractors, controllers, CFOs, and other corporate financial managers, Government Contract Negotiations: A Practical Guide for Small Businesses provides invaluable guidance on how to effectively negotiate a lucrative government contract.

About the Author :
David C. Moore is a retired Supervisory Contracting Specialist and Contracting Officer for the U.S. Forest Service. During his thirty-one years of federal government service, he has held several contracting positions, including Regional Systems Procurement Offi-cer, in which he was responsible for telecommunications and ADPE contracts. He is the author of Government Contracting: How to Bid, Administer, and Get Paid, also published by Wiley.