In This Week's Newsletter:

• Opportunity Spotlight of the Week: Department of Air Force, All Domain Common Platform Security Cloud Engineering Network Development

• Four To Follow: Get the lowdown on four interesting pursuits

• AI Corner: To Build, or Not to Build

• Pricing Insights: Establishing a Cost Estimating System Manual

• Capture Corner: Past Performance: Demonstrate a Proven Track Record

Department of Air Force, All Domain Common Platform Security Cloud Engineering Network Development

Contact Katie: [email protected]

On March 31, 2025, the Contracting Office released the Draft RFP. Questions and comments regarding the Draft RFP are due no later than 5:00 PM on April 30, 2025. This $143M IDIQ is estimated for release in or around June 2025 with an award date anticipated for 2026. The competition type for this effort is currently unknown. For Capture, Proposal, and Pricing support, contact Hinz Consulting today.

Four to Follow:

1. United States Marine Corp (USMC) – MAGTF Operations Center Training Team Operational Support Services (MOSS MOCTT). The USMC has requested a continuing need for various services including C2 systems and COC instruction and training, curriculum development, faculty and instructor development, and scenario and exercise development. The estimated release date for this $70M IDIQ is May 2025 with an anticipated award date of September 2025. The competition type for this effort is unknown as of now. Continue to monitor SAM.gov for updates.

2. Department of Defense (DoD) – Anchore Analyzers Alternative. On March 31, 2025, the Department of Air Force released a Sources Sought notice for Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) Generation, Vulnerability Scanning, and Configuration and Compliance. All responses to this Sources Sought are due no later than 1:00 PM EDT on April 14, 2025. The competition type and award value are unknown at this time. Continue to monitor SAM.gov for further information.

3. USMC, Marine Corps Installations Command (MCICOM) G8 Financial Management Support. The USMC has a need for non-personal support services to assist in the management, sustainment, and improvement of financial management functions and fiscal execution business processes. This effort is estimated to have a ceiling of $50M with a projected release date of May 2025 and award in or around October 2025. The competition type for this effort is currently unknown. Continue to monitor SAM.gov for further movement on this effort.

4. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) Technical Assistance Center (TAC) Support Services. On March 31, 2025, NHTSA released a Sources Sought notice to identify potential qualified Small Businesses that may be interested in and capable of managing and supporting the NEMSIS TAC, hosting center, and website, ensuring uninterrupted EMS data collection and reporting, while providing technical assistance and maintaining a secure AWS Cloud infrastructure. Responses are due no later than 11:00 PM EDT on April 11, 2025. The value and competition type of this effort is currently unknown. Continue to monitor SAM.gov for further information. 

To Build, or Not to Build

Contact Josh: [email protected]

Large companies keep trying to build their own Generative AI platforms, but how is that going?

Building generative AI platforms is challenging for any company. According to Gartner, around 30% of generative AI projects are abandoned after the proof-of-concept stage due to issues like poor data quality, inadequate risk controls, escalating costs, lack of expertise, clarity on long-term sustainment costs, or unclear business value. Additionally, a survey by SnapLogic found that 54% of generative AI projects are never deployed.

The most significant factor is a platform that underperforms the proposal team. Internal AI developers, often reporting to the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), frequently encounter challenges in developing solutions that meet the needs of end-user proposal professionals who work under the Chief Growth Officer (CGO). This misalignment often stems from a lack of clear communication and prioritization of end-user requirements. Developers may focus on technical excellence and innovation, while failing to address the practical, day-to-day needs of proposal teams. This disconnect can lead to solutions that are technically sound but not user-friendly or effective in real-world applications, ultimately resulting in project failures and unmet business objectives.

Establishing a Cost Estimating System Manual

Contact Tom: [email protected]

Companies rely on documented processes, procedures, and directives to operate efficiently, maintain compliance, and adapt to volatile market conditions. One way to support these objectives is to establish and maintain a Cost Estimating System Manual (CESM). The manual outlines key pricing-related topics, including:

• Pricing Processes (30/10/7-day turnaround times)

• Price-To-Win (PTW) and Pricing Strategy

  • High level description of each and how they differ

• Pricing Components

  • Direct Labor Costs

  • Indirect Costs

    • What they are as well as application basis of each

  • Other Direct Costs (ODCs)/Travel

  • Materials

  • Subcontractors

• Pricing with different Contract Types

• Profit/Fee Guidance

• Risk Mitigation Techniques across different Contract Types

• Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS), formerly Service Contract Act (SCA)/Davis Bacon Act (DBA)

• Pricing Rough Order Magnitudes (ROMs) and other unofficial Pricing Drills

• Profit & Loss (P&L) Estimates

The items above are a good starting point for setting some ground rules around pricing. Companies may add to that as processes evolve; additional elements that may be added include “Interaction with FP&A,” “Basis of Estimate (BOE) assistance,” “Subcontractor Selection process,” and even “Cost Accounting procedures.”  The pricing organization at Hinz can help you establish your own CESM.

Past Performance: Demonstrate a Proven Track Record

Contact John: [email protected]

When applying the capture methodology, Past Performance plays a critical role in winning the bid by establishing credibility. By strategically leveraging past performance in your capture planning, you build a compelling case that increases your probability of winning the deal. Past Performance also helps reduce perceived risk and validates your organization’s ability to deliver on projects similar in size, scale, scope, and complexity. Past Performance contributes to a winning bid strategy by the following:

Credibility and Trust:

• Key stakeholders and decision-makers are more comfortable selecting a vendor with a history of successfully delivering similar scope.

• It reassures the customer that your firm understands the requirements and has the proven experience to effectively deliver.

Competitive Differentiation:

• Providing strong past performance helps distinguish your proposal from the competition, especially when capabilities are similar.

• Demonstrating successful, even superior execution can be a deciding factor.

Proof of Capability:

• Past Performance provides tangible evidence of your ability to meet the project's goals and requirements.

Risk Mitigation:

• Buyers prefer vendors who have previously navigated challenges of similar scope--as proven experience reduces the risk of project startup issues, delays, added costs, and even failure.

Influencing the Evaluation Criteria:

• Many RFP opportunities include past performance as a weighted evaluation factor, often with specific sub-factors.

• A strong and proven track record of success can impact scoring in a best-value procurement.

• April 23-24: DSO Day Darpa in Chicago, IL

• May 4-10: National Small Business Week SBA - Virtual

• May 5-8: SOF Week in Tampa, FL

• May 13-16: VETS25 Conference in Orlando, FL

• May 18-21: BPC Nashville 2025 in Nashville, TN

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