Whether you have been in federal contracting for a long time or you are just getting your feet wet, it is often necessary to join a strong team to be competitive. Pre-COVID, networking events, and meetings made it easier to personally meet and find contractors with the right experience and qualifications. This is not the case anymore, and it might be a while before we get back into that mode. Many networking events have been canceled or moved online which has brought a new challenge to build team relationships.
Why is building a team important? How can you build a team in a world where in-person network events will not exist for the foreseeable future? Let’s explore these two questions.
First, why is building a team important to win federal contracts?
Most federal contracts require a workforce with specific qualifications and experience – often more than can be handled by a single government contractor. Sometimes government proposal review teams will question a proposal by a contractor who claims they can do it all in-house. On the flip side, agencies sometimes encourage teaming by government contractors who will collaborate together to provide the full range of services or solutions.
Government agencies are always looking for ways to be more efficient and cut costs. Recently one of the ways they do this is by taking multiple contracts and bundling them under one contract. By doing this, it is virtually impossible for small businesses to win a bundled contract unless they have a strong team or join someone else’s team. Team-building is a lengthy process – finding compatible partners and assuring expertise for all the client’s requirements in the Statement of Work.
How can you build a team when it is difficult to find and meet other small businesses and contractors during a quarantine?
Well, perhaps you could search for individuals on LinkedIn and connect with them. The pro might see who else connects with them (if you are 2nd connection to them) and then evaluate their experience — if they have completed their profile. Many listings are not very thorough. You also are not guaranteed that they will see your “invite to connect”, especially if they do not log into LinkedIn often, and you surely are not guaranteed that they will accept your invitation if they do see it.
Another approach is to sign up for online networking events. There is a benefit to joining a Zoom meeting because you can join in conversations and see who is participating, but it also presents challenges. Often times, participants are not fully engaged in the networking events, because they are distracted by their surroundings, on their phone, or have the camera off and are “just listening.”
Let’s go back to the question of “how do we build a team in a virtual world?” We want to be able to reach out to businesses and consultants who have the specific criteria for a contract’s requirements and the services needed. We want to be able to do this efficiently without chasing people haphazardly on social platforms and at networking events on the chance that they might be a fit. We want to be able to vet firms before reaching out to them to partner or subcontract.
BC2Match is an online platform that does just that. Members of BC2Match can search for other team members using specific criteria. For example, you are a small business that needs a team member with NAICS code 541711 for Research and Development. You can search that NAICS code and see who qualifies. You can limit your search by location, or even to woman-owned or vet-owned small businesses who have R&D capability. As a member of BC2Match, you can reach the Points Of Contact for businesses that match 541711. You can also Build Your Team by posting a job with that NAICS code so any business that has 541711 in their profile will receive a notification of your opportunity. BC2Match saves you time and helps you quickly find qualified people and businesses.