Indianapolis MBDA Business Center

Funded by: United States Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Operated by: Indiana Minority Supplier Development Council (IMSDC) Strategic Partner: Indiana Department of Administration Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises Division

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center “Facilitating Growth and Promoting Excellence” MBDA Business Center Charter – Follows the MBDA’s National model of resource and investment partnerships with Corporations and Financial Institutions – Strengthening the capabilities of Indiana’s Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) through economic development and job creation – Provide high quality strategic business consulting services to Indiana MBEs

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center “Our goal is to create the foundation for the next generation of $100 million minority- owned firms,” said David A. Hinson, MBDA’s National Director. “These Business Centers will be the service delivery providers that will help us reach that goal. The Center operators will be key partners in achieving MBDA’s mission and assisting minority-owned firms as they strive to grow to size, scale and capacity to compete both domestically and internationally.” Eligibility To qualify for MBDA Business Center services, a company 1.Must be a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) as defined by US Department of Commerce MBDA Agency 2.Have $1 million or more in annual revenue, or 3.Be considered a Strategic Growth Initiative (SGI) industry company (i.e. Information Technology, Global Imports/ Exports, Renewable Energy, etc.)

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center STEP 1 Engage STEP 2 Plan STEP 3 Deliver STEP 4 Monitor STEP 5 Succeed! The Indianapolis MBDA Business Center takes a strategic approach to designing a customized service plan that meets your needs. Our FIVE STEP LADDER TO SUCCESS: STEP 1 – Engage and assess your growth needs STEP 2 – Develop a customized plan of action STEP 3 – Deliver services and solutions STEP 4 – Monitor progress and adjust plan as needed STEP 5 – Document your business growth & success! FIVE STEP LADDER TO SUCCESS

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center  Access to Contracts  Access to Financing  Feasibility Studies  Strategic Process and Planning  Accelerated Product/Service Sales  Scale Up and Growth Selected services are subject to client fees CONSULTATION SERVICES

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center RESPONDING TO AN RFP Are you ready for government contracting? The government contracting environment is more challenging now than ever before.

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center RESPONDING TO AN RFP *Consider these facts first! 1.Government budgetary pressures significantly reduce opportunities in most areas. Competition is increasing. 2.Small businesses (especially MBEs) are spending more, and seeing fewer contracts and subcontracting opportunities. 3.Average success rates have declined. Success rates are almost 2 ½ times higher for bidders with 10 or more years experience compared to those with three years or less experience. 4.Business acquisition work is critical! Get certified! Set aside time & resources for outreach activities, opportunity fairs, matchmaking sessions, forecast research, develop key B2B relationships. *Trends in Federal Contracting for Small Businesses, A Research Summary for the American Express OPEN for Government Contracts: Victory in Procurement ® (VIP) for Small Business Program

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center RESPONDING TO AN RFP

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center RESPONDING TO AN RFP You’ve decided to Respond to an RFP Now what?

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center RESPONDING TO AN RFP Pre-proposal Tasks 1.Define your area of expertise and how it will benefit the government agency. What are your differentiators? 2.Research your competition, including previous vendors. How do you stack up against them? Why were previous vendors selected? Indiana Department of Administration Procurement Division Resource for existing state contracts: “Active Contracts” webpage: =PAPP_GUEST =PAPP_GUEST Pre-bid meetings 3.Know your customer. Who is the purchasing agent? What do you know about them? Do they know you? 4.Be honest about potential objections & have a strategy to address them

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center 22 THINGS YOU MUST HAVE TO WIN YOUR NEXT PROPOSAL Must Have to Win Your Next Proposal Incorporates content obtained from CapturePlanning.com. Copyright All rights reserved.

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center 22 THINGS YOU MUST HAVE TO WIN YOUR NEXT PROPOSAL gsYou Must Have to Win Your Next Proposal RFP compliance The best score against the evaluation criteria A competitive advantage over your competition that you can articulate Acceptable contract terms in the RFP Proposed contract terms that are acceptable to the customer

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center 22 THINGS YOU MUST HAVE TO WIN YOUR NEXT PROPOSAL gsYou Must Have to Win Your Next Proposal A set of compelling win strategies Themes that reflect the win strategies and are properly allocated to the document Clear articulation of the reasons why the customer should select you Narrative that reflects an understanding of the customer beyond what is already in the RFP A superior solution for meeting the customer’s needs

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center 22 THINGS YOU MUST HAVE TO WIN YOUR NEXT PROPOSAL gsYou Must Have to Win Your Next Proposal Recognition of the client’s issues, problems, and challenges to overcome A credible proposal that mitigates risks and has the right processes to achieve quality Highly relevant references that will sing your praises Sufficient staffing/resources to execute a quality proposal Excellent visual communication/graphics

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center 22 THINGS YOU MUST HAVE TO WIN YOUR NEXT PROPOSAL Must Have to Win Your Next Proposal A proposal document that is easy to navigate Experience citations and examples throughout the text Proposed approaches that reflect the best cost/benefit tradeoffs and the customer’s preferences

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center 22 THINGS YOU MUST HAVE TO WIN YOUR NEXT PROPOSAL gsYou Must Have to Win Your Next Proposal Pricing data that is compliant, accurate, and properly structured Explanations and assumptions that are acceptable and persuasive Pricing that is competitive and within budget, while meeting your revenue/profit goals A document that is free from disqualifying errors

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center RESPONDING TO AN RFP If you follow these steps, you are on your way to a winning proposal!

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center RESPONDING TO AN RFP What NOT to do!

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center RESPONDING TO AN RFP Now that you know what to do and what not to do, you are on the path to proposal success!

Indianapolis MBDA Business Center RESPONDING TO AN RFP Questions? Elizabeth Gibson