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Federal Market Intelligence for Small Business |
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Column: Why Should I Pay Attention to Sources Sought and RFIs?By Tom Johnson, publisher, Set-Aside AlertThe COVID-19 crisis is making us all stir-crazy, and it could be an ideal time to review your processes for monitoring and reacting to Sources Sought and Request For Information (RFI) notices. Consider that while the federal government has been meeting the overall 23% small business procurement goal in recent years, some federal agencies are falling short. Even though the agency directors negotiate their own small business targets each year with the Small Business Administration, some fall below. That pattern suggests that there are millions of dollars or perhaps more in contract awards that the agencies and SBA expect to deliver to small vendors each year, but for one reason or another do not result in acquisitions. That is a gap that potentially could be filled with efforts by agency officials and by small business owners like you. Responding to Sources Sought notices and RFIs posted by government are two of the methods you can use to take advantage of those potential opportunities, which have a good chance of becoming actual opportunities. And yet, many times, OSDBU directors in agencies have told me that very few companies respond to Sources Sought notices and RFIs. That is puzzling and counterproductive. Especially in this time of COVID-19, when in-person communication is limited, there is an even greater need to take advantage of every opportunity for open communication with agency contracting officials on meeting agency needs. Responding to an RFI or Sources Sought notice is a well-established method to be part of the ongoing conversation on how industry can help agencies fulfill their missions. A heads-up for opportunities The Sources Sought notices and RFIs provide early notifications to the marketplace that small business opportunities may be coming. They give a heads-up to potential bidders of a pending requirement, and indicate that program and contracting offices are preparing to announce a new solicitation. There are 20-30 of these notices posted every day in the beta.SAM.gov federal website. Your responses to these notices reassure the agency contracting staff that capable small business contractors have noted the requirement and are prepared to bid. A robust response from small businesses gives the agencies an impetus to set the opportunity aside for small vendors, and also would help determine which set-aside category would be most likely to result in meeting the Rule of Two. Helping shape the requirement Another advantage of responding to an RFI or Sources Sought notice is that there may be an opportunity within your response to help the government shape the requirement. For example, you can point to unique leadership capabilities and skills, or unique resources, that may be needed by the government. You can respond with new solutions, proposed metrics, staff depth or the value of past performance on similar work. You can stress the value of having certain industry certifications or best practices or the need for unique tools or machines to guarantee meeting the specs. Some vendors likely would get a leg up on winning a future contract by touting unique features of their products or services in their response to a Sources Sought notice. These ideally would be features not specifically mentioned in the requirement--such as quicker delivery, special packaging or special coatings on fabric. If a vendor can be competitive on price while offering what are perceived by the contracting office to be beneficial extra features, that is definitely in the vendor’s favor. Small business owners’ attitudes Unfortunately, some small business owners miss out on Sources Sought notices and RFIs. Some contractors may not be aware of the notices because they are not searching regularly. Set-Aside Alert’s weekday Contracting Opportunities email provides a convenient way to quickly review all the small business notices, including Sources Sought and RFIs issued that day. Other vendors may judge themselves to be “almost qualified” and determine it is not worth submitting a response. But in some cases you might consider offering comparable products or services while noting the areas in which you may have to supplement your team or your product offerings. Many business people might think an RFI or Sources Sought is not worth their time because it is not yet a solicitation. But trying to enter the field of vendors at the solicitation stage means you already are behind the competition. Why you should respond We are firm believers in the importance of taking time to respond to these notices. Here are some reasons why:
Responding to Sources Sought and RFIs should just be part of doing your homework and pursuing good business practice. Two final tips: One, to help assure that the Rule of Two is fulfilled, it is good strategy to urge at least one other qualified firm to respond to a Sources Sought or RFI to which you are responding, and Two, follow up regularly with the small business advocates at agency OSDBUs to get ongoing networking, support and information on the requirement you responded to, and possibly tips on additional requirements.
Tom Johnson can be reached at: tjohnson@setasidealert.com or 301-229-5561.
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