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Federal Contracting Made Easy, 4th Edition

Federal Contracting Made Easy, 4th Edition

by Scott A. Stanberry
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Release Date: December 2012
ISBN: 9781567263893
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Book Description

Federal contracting . . . easy? With the fourth edition of Federal Contracting Made Easy, it is!
Whether or not you consider federal contracting easy, it is certainly easier with this guide. Used successfully by thousands of contractors and feds, this book offers practical, hands-on, no-nonsense advice.
Now in its fourth edition, Federal Contracting Made Easy lays out the entire federal contracting process in a readable and easy-to-understand style. This book covers how government procurement works, what you can do to cut though the red tape to speed your way to winning a contract, who the key players are, and tips for overcoming obstacles.
New in this edition:
• Discussion of government-wide acquisition contracts (GWACs)
• Updates on women-owned small business
• New status of service-disabled veteran-owned small business
• Expanded list of relevant websites and resources
• Introduction to the new System for Award Management (SAM)
Whether you are about to enter the competitive world of federal contracting or have been bidding for contracts for years and are now looking for updated information and ideas, this is the book you need.
The federal government awards billions of dollars in contracts for goods and services every year. This book will help you win a piece of that business.

Table of Contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. About the Author
  5. Author’s Note
  6. Contents at a Glance
  7. Contents
  8. Preface
  9. PART I: WHAT IS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING?
    1. Chapter 1: How Does Federal Government Contracting Work?
      1. The Big Picture
      2. Top Buyers
      3. Future of Federal Contracting
      4. Can You Sell to the Federal Government?
      5. Should You Sell to the Federal Government?
    2. Chapter 2: The Rules of the Game
      1. Constitutional Authority
      2. Congressional Responsibilities
      3. Contractor Registration
      4. Federal Acquisition Regulation
      5. Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994
      6. Cost Accounting Standards
      7. Defense Contract Audit Agency
      8. Government Accountability Office
      9. Federal Acquisition Reform Act of 1996
      10. Competition in Contracting Act of 1984
      11. Buy American Act
      12. Truth in Negotiations Act
      13. Service Contract Act of 1965
      14. Freedom of Information Act
    3. Chapter 3: The Key Players
      1. Head of the Contracting Activity
      2. Contracting Officer
      3. Competition Advocates
      4. Small Business Specialists
      5. Requirements Personnel
  10. PART II: HOW YOUR BUSINESS SIZE OFFERS OPPORTUNITY
    1. Chapter 4: Opportunities for Small Businesses/Independent Contractors
      1. Small Business Act of 1953
      2. Government-Wide Goals
      3. North American Industry Classification System
      4. Size Certification
      5. Small Business Affiliates
      6. Certificate of Competency
      7. Small Business Set-Asides
    2. Chapter 5: Small Business Preference Programs
      1. Definition of Small Disadvantaged Businesses
      2. Evaluation Preference for SDBs
      3. 8(a) Business Development Program
      4. Status of Preference Programs
      5. Women-Owned Small Businesses
      6. Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses
      7. Labor Surplus Area Set-Asides
      8. SBA HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program
      9. Small Business Innovation Research Program
    3. Chapter 6: Subcontracting Opportunities
      1. Subcontracting Plans
      2. Selecting a Subcontractor
      3. Awarding a Subcontract
      4. DoD Mentor-Protégé Program
    4. Chapter 7: Federal Supply Schedules and GSA Schedules
      1. Federal Acquisition Service
      2. Multiple Award Schedule
      3. GSA e-Library (Formerly Schedules e-Library)
      4. Getting on a GSA Schedule
      5. GSA Advantage
      6. MarkeTips Magazine
      7. Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts
      8. Problems with Federal Supply Schedules
  11. PART III: HOW TO FIND GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES
    1. Chapter 8: How to Market to the Federal Government
      1. Finding Markets for Your Supplies and Services
      2. Finding Agencies Online
      3. FedBizOpps
      4. Federal Supply Schedules/GSA Schedules
      5. Federal Register
      6. Federal Agency Acquisition Forecasts
      7. Tech-Net
      8. Federal Procurement Data System
      9. Year-End Procurements
    2. Chapter 9: Support Programs and Services for Contractors
      1. Small Business Administration
      2. Procurement Technical Assistance Centers
      3. DoD Office of Small Business Programs
      4. General Services Administration
      5. National Contract Management Association
  12. PART IV: HOW THE GOVERNMENT ISSUES PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES
    1. Chapter 10: Simplified Acquisition or Small Purchase Procedures
      1. Micropurchases
      2. Simplified Acquisition Methods
    2. Chapter 11: Sealed Bidding
      1. The Solicitation Process
      2. The Sealed Bidding (IFB) Process
      3. Solicitation Methods
      4. Preparing Your Bid
      5. Late Bids
      6. Bid Opening
      7. Bid Evaluations
      8. Bid Award
    3. Chapter 12: Negotiated Procurements
      1. Exchanges with Industry Before Proposal Receipt
      2. Presolicitation Notices
      3. The Solicitation Process
      4. Preparing Your Proposal
      5. Oral Presentations
      6. Late Proposals
      7. Proposal Evaluation
      8. Source Selection Processes and Techniques
      9. Changes and Discussions
      10. Final Proposal Revision and Award
      11. Debriefings
      12. Protests
    4. Chapter 13: The Uniform Contract Format
      1. Part I: The Schedule
      2. Part II: Contract Clauses
      3. Part III: List of Documents, Exhibits, and Other Attachments
      4. Part IV: Representations and Instructions
      5. Amendments to the Solicitation
      6. Typical Proposal Weaknesses and Deficiencies
      7. Procurement Instrument Identification Numbers
      8. Unsolicited Proposals
      9. Contingent Fees
  13. PART V: CONTRACT TYPES AND ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS
    1. Chapter 14: Fixed-Price Contracts
      1. Firm Fixed-Price Contracts
      2. Fixed-Price Contracts with Economic Price Adjustment
      3. Fixed-Price Incentive Contracts
      4. Fixed-Price Contracts with Prospective Price Redetermination
      5. Fixed-Ceiling-Price Contracts with Retroactive Price Redetermination
    2. Chapter 15: Cost-Reimbursement Contracts
      1. Determining Your Contract Cost
      2. Calculating Contract Cost
      3. Understanding Rates
      4. Fee/Profit
      5. Types of Cost-Reimbursement Contracts
    3. Chapter 16: Other Contract Types
      1. Indefinite-Delivery Contracts
      2. Time-and-Materials Contracts
      3. Labor-Hour Contracts
      4. Letter Contracts
      5. Basic Ordering Agreements
      6. Performance-Based Contracting
      7. Multiyear Contracts
      8. Options
      9. Life-Cycle Costing
    4. Chapter 17: Contract Administration
      1. Contract Administration Office
      2. Contract Financing
      3. Getting Paid
      4. Changes Clause
      5. Contract Modifications
      6. Constructive Changes
      7. Government-Furnished Property
      8. Inspection and Acceptance
      9. Contractor Data Rights
      10. Record Retention
      11. Audits/Examination of Records
      12. Contract Disputes Act of 1978
      13. Alternative Dispute Resolution
      14. Termination for Convenience
      15. Termination for Default
      16. Contract Closeout
  14. Appendix A: Acronyms
  15. Appendix B: Federal Agencies and Departments
  16. Appendix C: Glossary
  17. Index