Whether your A/E firm is new to SF330 and the federal marketplace, or is looking to improve its visibility among federal agency selection committees, ZweigWhite’s Insider’s Guide to SF330 Preparation can help. This best-selling guide will take you step-by-step through SF330 and provide valuable tips and tricks for marketing to the federal government. The more your A/E firm knows about SF330, the more federal agency contracts your firm will win.

• Get an overview of doing business with the federal government and where to find upcoming A/E opportunities
• Go step-by-step through SF330 with illustrations and examples on what to do— and not to do— in each block
• Improve your submittals— get help with cover letters and learn methods for highlighting your A/E firm's credentials
• Tap into the insight of government contracting officers about what makes an effective submittal

• Get a comprehensive picture of the federal marketplace
• Get invaluable advice on finding the best opportunities for your firm
• Go step-by-step through SF330 with illustrations and examples on what to do— and not to do— in each block
• Get insight and ideas for improving your submittals—including dozens of tips and tricks for novices and veterans alike
• Get guidance in addressing the emphasis on teaming relationships
• Tap into the insight of government contracting officers about effective A/E and environmental firm submittals
• More!

Insider’s Guide to SF330 Preparation is the definitive guide to one of the most significant changes in the way U.S. federal government agencies solicit and acquire architecture, engineering, planning, and environmental design services. SF330 is mandatory for all federal agency solicitations of A/E services. Ensure the highest visibility for your firm by ordering your copy today.

SF330 is designed to streamline the acquisition process, make the qualifications of vendor firms clearer and more transparent to selection boards, and better support electronic communication and electronic commerce technologies. Firms with experience in the federal marketplace will immediately recognize the emphasis in the selection criteria on relationships— between individuals on the project team, between firms on the project team, and between both individuals/firms and past projects. Experience has shown government procurement officers that design teams with a history of collaborative team experience produce better results, and SF330 is designed to highlight that experience for firms seeking federal contracts.

Author Nancy J. Usrey, a recognized national expert on federal procurement and the marketing of A/E services, brings more than three decades of knowledge and experience to the topic, acquired through real-world experience both inside A/E/P firms and as a marketing consultant to the A/E design industry.

The successor to ZweigWhite’s popular Insider’s Guide to SF254/255 Preparation, this text provides a detailed and comprehensive picture of the federal marketplace, insider’s tips on marketing to federal agencies, invaluable advice on finding the best opportunities for your firm, and step-by-step guidance in meeting the challenge of the emphasis on teaming relationships. Learn how to present your credentials in the best possible light, when and how to custom-tailor the form, how to achieve the highest visibility among federal agencies, and what pitfalls to avoid. A variety of time-saving checklists and forms— illustrated in the text— are ready to be integrated into your own business processes. If you prepare even one governmental submittal a year, this book will pay for itself many times over.

Introduction

• The federal government market
• Federal business opportunities
• What is Standard Form 330?
• Use of SF330 by nonfederal clients
• Obtaining the form
• Modifying the form
• Revisions to the form

• Understanding your client
• Understanding laws and regulations
• Federal Acquisition Regulation
• Government contracts
• Contractor registration
• Subcontracting plans
• Accounting practices
• Quality assurance (QA) plans
• Drug-free workplace certification
• Management plans
• Past performance

• Why is SF330 replacing SF254/255?
• Trends in federal procurement
• Task order contracts
• GSA schedules
• Design-build
• Set-aside contracts
• Subconsultant vs. subcontractor
• E-Government and electronic commerce trends
• Electronic payment methods
• Electronic submittals
• Industry trends in Standard Form preparation
• Information management
• Managing relationships between data
• Software solutions
• Appealing to the client
• Working with SF254/255 and SF330

• Developing and managing agency relationships
• Finding federal clients
• Getting to know your client
• Building relationships
• Uncovering opportunities
• Renewable contracts
• Federal procurement data
• Bidders’ lists
• Contractor forums and seminars
• Colleagues
• Exploring FedBizOpps
• Federal supply codes
• Requirements for public notice
• Solicitation notices
• Types of notices
• Synopsis types
• The FedBizOpps search page
• Vendor notification service
• Registering as an interested vendor
• FBO datafeed
• Commercial project lead services
• Understanding the notice
• Special opportunities
• Simplified acquisition threshold
• End of fiscal year
• Emergencies
• Project intelligence gathering
• Tracking developments
• Making contact
• Security requirements
• Historical research

• Making the go/no go decision
• Assembling the team
• Small and disadvantaged business utilization
• Mentor-protege (M-P) programs
• Choosing team members
• Advice to the prime contractor
• Advice to the subconsultant
• Developing a submittal strategy
• Differentiating your team
• Scheduling your submittal effort
• Cost effective marketing

• What has changed?
• Side-by-side comparison: SF255 and SF330 Part I
• Side-by-side comparison: SF254 and SF330 Part II

• Before you begin
• Organizing the team
• Selecting team members
• Selecting personnel
• Illustrating your experience
• Selecting example projects
• Customizing the format
• The personnel/project matrix
• The discussion
• The cover letter
• Documenting your firm’s experience
• SF330 part II on File
• Performance evaluations
• The discipline and function code quandary
• Employees by discipline
• Profile of firm’s experience

• Section A: Contract information (Blocks 1-3)
• Section B: Architect-engineer point of contact (Blocks 4-8)
• Section C: Proposed team (Blocks 9-11)
• Section D: Organizational chart of proposed team
• Section E: Resumes of key personnel (Blocks 12-19)
• Section F: Example projects (Blocks 20-25)
• Section G: Key personnel participation (Blocks 26-29)
• Section H: Additional information (Block 30)
• Organization and management
• Professional capabilities
• Specialized experience and technical competence
• Capacity to accomplish the work
• Past performance on contracts
• Geographical location and knowledge
• Any other special qualification
• Volume of work previously awarded
• Section I: Authorized representative (Blocks 31-33)
• Final review
• Delivery

• Uses of part II
• Filling out the form
• Block 1
• Block 2
• Block 3
• Block 4
• Block 5
• Block 6
• Block 7
• Block 8
• Block 9
• Block 10
• Blocks 10a and 10b
• Block 11
• Block 12

• Document layout and style
• Final review
• Should you "Red Team" it?
• Document reproduction
• Final delivery
• Avoiding common delivery mistakes

• The finish line
• The preselection board
• The selection board
• The interview
• The schedule
• Follow through for continued success

• Building a database
• Comparing software applications
• Management and staff support
• Information gathering
• Information storage and management
• Developing a system
• Implementing the plan
• SF330 preparation software

Appendices