There are not many federal government agencies that do not need to procure services or products of a private business. In order to make the process for government bids fair to all businesses, a Request for Proposal (RFP) is published to give each business an equal chance for a contract opportunity to provide specific products or services.
A general rule of thumb is to give the government what it is asking for, not what you think it needs. Failing to exercise professionalism and sophistication can also lead to disappointing results. There are things that every business must avoid when making a submission to the federal government for its business.
In an effort to reduce the federal government’s carbon footprint, a presidential executive order directs purchasing agencies to identify and give preference to government bids for buying products and services that pose fewer threats to the environment. There are several guiding principles which need to be considered to assess the environmental performance of products marketed to the federal purchasing agencies.
Another positive reason to participate in and win government bids is that this will strengthen an organization’s client portfolio. Having a government agency listed among your top clients will make your organization even more attractive to other clients who might be considering your company’s services or products.
Multiple Attributes The product or service should have multiple environmental attributes.
Life Cycle Perspective The life cycle perspective is related to how much use the federal government can get from the product or service before it needs to be replaced.
Some companies assume that their headquarters must be in Washington D.C. in order to be awarded lucrative government contracts. This is simply not true. The only real barrier is whether or not your business has the stamina to be an effective player in this market for government business.
What Happens When You Assume? Preconceived notions about the needs of government agencies are an easy way to be eliminated from consideration. You may be surprised to learn what the government is willing to purchase from your company.
The Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) program provides guidance to federal agencies and ensures that all environmental considerations are given when purchasing decisions are being made. Price and performance are also key factors to winning government contracts.