THE 12 DAYS OF FY’17: WHAT DO TO NOW?

There are twelve calendar days left in FY’17 as of today.  Here are three things successful firms should be hammering home:

1. Close that piece of business.  What does the client need to get to “yes”?  How can GSA Schedules, set-asides, and sole source justifications (to name only three) be used to get the project done?  The more flexible you can be on terms and the more you know about how procurement rules can work in your favor, the better partner you can be.

2.  Don’t start on anything you know nothing about.  While we usually advise companies not to disregard “out of the blue” opportunities, many that come this late in the year may well not be well-scoped, may be “wired” for a specific company, or may be a candidate for a successful post-award protest.  All of these factors can end up being a waste of your time if you go down an unfamiliar path now.  Pursue this business as a last resort.

3.  Get your customer to start a new project now.  The chances of a CR at the start of the FY’18 fiscal year are excellent.  Don’t lose momentum or have a project “this close” to closure be put off for months.  Get some funding allocated to that project now so that, come next year, spending can continue when money is available only to keep existing projects afloat.