Over the past year or so, we’ve talked a bit about the government and how sequestration has affected companies like mine that do federal contracting work. We’ve had to get creative and look for new ideas to keep revenue flowing. The good news is, I’m starting to see some new trends. Sources sought requests are starting to appear more often from contracting officers in the various government agencies that we work for and we’re hoping that’s a sign of more opportunities to come.

So, what is a sources sought request? Let’s start there. When the government needs a building or widget built or a particular service, they’ll release a statement of work that says exactly what they want. They put together this notice, which will state if it’s for open competition or if it’s been set aside for a particular business; a women owned business, HUBZone, that sort of thing. Within this request, they will set basic general parameters; the company has to have certain years of experience, performed in this cost range and in a particular area. I’ve seen an increase in this type of thing, at least for us, and that’s pretty encouraging.



Although we are seeing more and more sources sought requests and we’re submitting proposals for them, Frontline Support Solutions is generally looking for the uglier, less popular type of job. It limits the competition and, frankly, we’ve had great success with them in the past. When it’s all said and done, there may be only three or four proposals that get submitted for this kind of job. Everyone wants to build that big, shiny building on top of the hill for all to see, but those don’t always pay well and the competition is tough.  I want to do the project that is relatively low risk, has the highest return, and is going to generate revenue for my team. That sometimes means bidding on the requests that don’t look so great to everyone else.

At Frontline Support Solutions, we’re always looking for what will be the most productive, efficient way to turn a profit. With the increase in sources sought requests, it’s getting easier to do, despite dealing with continuing sequestration. We’ve remained open-minded and creative throughout this time, which has helped us stay competitive in the market. If you’ve got questions for me about navigating the federal government’s requests, contact me, Joe “VetBizMan†Perez, directly.

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