Bid & Proposal Preparation

Our cost and pricing expertise and deep knowledge of government contract accounting allow us to prepare successful proposals for our clients.  CGS has prepared proposals of all different contract types ranging from cost reimbursable to fixed price for federal, state and local agencies.  We have assisted both new contractors and experienced contractors with their cost and business proposals.

Request for Proposals (RFPs) contain specific requirements and assumptions that contractors must address in their proposals.  Failure to address each requirement, regardless of how insignificant, can result in a disqualification and contract loss.  CGS assists companies not only with the pricing of the proposal but also every detail to ensure that all of the RFP requirements are properly addressed.  

RFPs can also incorporate, either explicitly or by reference, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Cost Accounting Standards (CAS).  We can provide a full compliance assessment to ensure that your company has the right accounting systems, internal controls and accounting policies, and practices in place to successfully comply with the FAR and CAS.

CGS can be fully integrated into your team and work with you every step of the way to develop the cost and pricing volume of the proposal.  We can also work with your team as an outside resource to assist with the proposal strategy, risk assessment, pricing analysis, competitive analysis, green team reviews, etc.  That is, we can tailor our scope to best meet your particular circumstances and proposal needs. The types of Bid and Proposal services that we can provide include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Provide feedback on the RFP and identify potential risks to your company.  This would include providing actionable guidance on the RFP’s requirements, including whether the FAR and CAS apply, and how best to comply.
  • Develop pricing templates and models to calculate the impact of various scenarios and strategies in real time.  This includes analyzing various assumptions to understand their individual impact on price, and evaluating the total proposed price relative to the competition.
  • Assist with any and all aspects of pricing from developing the direct labor rates for specific labor categories, to calculating indirect rates, preparing CAS Disclosure Statements, etc.
  • We can also work closely with the technical team to ensure the pricing properly reflects and reconciles to the technical solution.  For example, as the technical team develops the staffing plan, we can ensure that the proposed direct labor properly reflects the planned staffing.
  • Prepare the narratives that are central to the price and cost proposal which include describing the Basis of Estimate (BOE), accounting system, approval status of accounting, estimating and billing systems, etc.
  • In some cases, depending on the company’s products and services, commercial item exemptions may apply, which substantially reduce compliance risks.  We can help to determine whether the company is eligible for the commercial item exemption, and we can help the company apply for the exemption.
  • Analysis of the pricing received from subcontracts and vendors including auditing their proposals as necessary.
  • Review of final rates and data to ensure that it is current, accurate and complete prior to submission in accordance with the TINA requirements.
  • Support with follow-up inquiries and questions from the government agency as the company progresses through the award selection process.
  • Assistance with the Transition-In period after a contract award.
  • On-going compliance assistance during the course of the contract all the way through contract close-out.