In This Week’s Newsletter:
- Opportunity Spotlight of the Week: DOC/NOAA PROTECH 2.0
- Four To Follow: Get the lowdown on four interesting pursuits!
- AI Corner: Gen AI – A Stealth Weapon System
- Culture Corner: Small Business Event Recap
- Events Corner: Stay updated on industry events in the DMV area!
PROFESSIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL SERVICES PROGRAM (PROTECH 2.0)
Contact Len: len.miller@hinzconsulting.com
Professional Scientific and Technical Services Program 2 Weather Domain (PROTECH 2.0)
The Department of Commerce (DOC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are expected to release the final Request for Proposal (RFP) for the PROTECH 2.0 contract in late September or October. Since the draft RFP has been available since May, no Pre-solicitation is anticipated before the final RFP is issued.
This $8 billion Multiple Award (MA) Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract is exclusively for Small Businesses, making it a significant Small Business Set-Aside (SBSA) opportunity. With 22 incumbent contracts set to expire in mid-January 2025, there are excellent chances to secure a spot on this contract vehicle. NOAA aims to stay on schedule with awards before the current contracts expire, barring any delays due to government funding issues.
Stay vigilant on your opportunity feeds for updates on this recompete. For proposal support, contact Hinz Consulting to enhance your chances of winning a spot on this critical contract vehicle
Four to Follow:
- Passport Headquarters Program Support Services (PHPSS): The Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs is planning to recompete its existing contract for onsite program and administrative support for the Passport HQ Office and four regional offices in early Q1 2025. This contract, estimated at $69 million, is currently under the Small Business Set-Aside (SBSA) program. The release date and status of the acquisition package are still unknown, but the previous award was made under the 8(a) program and may follow the same path.
- Personnel and Pay Integration and Sustainment Contract: The Naval Information Warfare System Command issued the draft Solicitation in early August on the recompete for this estimated $416M Full & Open/Unrestricted IDIQ with a potential 8-year ordering period. Q&A was also released via SAM.gov on 6 September. Final Solicitation is estimated for release in early Q1 and contract award is projected by end of Q2 2025.
- Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) Language Services: DOJ appears to have a continuing need for on-site/telephonic language interpreter services, written translator services and CART/transcription/translation services. An RFI was issued on 21 August and responses are due NLT 11pm ET, 23 September. It is expected that the Solicitation for this estimated $400M recompete could be issued sometime in Q2 2025 to allow for proposal development/evaluation prior to the current contract expiration of end of August 2025.
- IT Sustainment Support (ITSS): Air Combat Command (ACC) is potentially planning a recompete of the incumbent contract in early Q1 GFY2025. The incumbent contract is scheduled to expire on 31 March 2025 on this $21.5M contract. Estimated solicitation release is sometime during Q1 of 2025.
Annual Industry Benchmark Survey
Contact Josh: josh.thiel@hinzconsulting.com
AI has the power to create synergistic value for multiple companies, partnerships, and client relationships. It can enhance employee efficiency and improve overall operations. However, it’s crucial to recognize that AI is a stealth weapon. If your competitors adopt it before you do, they will gain a significant market advantage.
Consider a proposal shop using traditional methods versus one leveraging generative AI. Currently, the best generative AI systems in the proposal industry are boosting productivity by 28%. This means your competitor can either bid on 28% more projects or enhance the quality of their existing bids, giving them a competitive edge with compelling content. They can also reduce proposal costs or streamline operations.
If you’re a large proposal shop and haven’t yet integrated generative AI technology, you’re putting your team and company at risk. At Hinz, we understand these risks. Over the past year, we’ve integrated nine different technologies into our operations to enhance efficiency, stay competitive, and ensure our team of tech-savvy proposal practitioners is ready to give you an edge.
By augmenting your operations with our expertise, we help you stay ahead in the competitive landscape.
AFCEA Small Business Breakfast Recap
Panel Discussion: “How to Grow and Strategize Your Business through Joint Ventures:
At the recent AFCEA NOVA Small Business Breakfast in Reston, VA, a panel of industry professionals met to discuss the benefits of small business joint ventures (JVs) and the Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP). The event highlighted the importance of these partnerships in fostering growth and strategic development for small businesses. The large audience was treated to engaging panel members Perry Kessler, CFO at Metric5, Jomar Ronquillo, President of BLN24, and Stephanie Wilson, Partner and Director of Government Contracts at Berenzweig Leonard LLP.
The discussion kicked off with a key point by Stephanie who emphasized that “a Mentor-Protégé does not equal a JV,” underscoring the distinct nature of these relationships. Joint ventures involve two small businesses collaborating within the same NAICS code, sharing work and reporting responsibilities. The MPP relationship must be approved by the SBA and is much more restrictive with annual reporting and formal obligations to meet.
In the Mentor-Protégé Program small businesses are allowed to partner with larger ones under specific government requirements. Mentors are expected to support their protégés with business pipelines, proposal submissions, administrative and financial tasks, and compliance. This relationship, which lasts six years and is limited to two mentors in a lifetime, offers significant benefits to small businesses. Stephanie likened these partnerships to a marriage, stating, “It’s a marriage and you’re there for six years.”
According to the panel of experts, successful partnerships:
- Are built on solid relationships,
- Share a mutual understanding, and
- Have advocates within both organizations.
The event also addressed proposal considerations, noting that both types of relationships can cause confusing language to evaluators. Writers must find a balance between clearly explaining who each company is as well as who they are together to convey that they are a team, especially if there is an orals component. It is also crucial to clearly define roles for each deal, as they should change over time as the small business matures. In fact, Perry Kessler drove that point home by saying that protegees should “act like a mentor as soon as [they] can.”
Speaking of great events, here’s a few more for you coming up in the next few weeks. Remember, the first time that the client sees your name should NOT be in the proposal! Check out these events online and in the DC Metro Area to network, learn, and be seen by your customers.
- Sep. 27: AFCEA Central MD Annual Fall Golf Tournament in Pasadena, MD
- Oct 03: AFCEA Quantico-Potomac Cyber Security Event in Quantico VA
- Oct 10: 2024 Potomac Officers Club GovCon International Summit in Alexandria VA
- Oct 14-16: AUSA Annual Meeting & Expo in Washington DC
- Oct 15-17: Service Academies Global Entrepreneur Summit in Washington DC
- Oct 17: APMP Foundation Level Certification Training in Arlington VA
- Oct. 18: Mid-Atlantic Conference 2024 in Arlington, VA
About Hinz Consulting
Hinz Consulting provides services across the full business development cycle:
- Proposal Consulting
- AI Services
- Strategic Pricing
- Training
- Capture
- Competitive Intelligence
- BD Transformation Consulting
- Process/Methodology Consulting
- Tools and Templates
- Production Services
- Small Business
