While competitive pricing is always a must in government contracting, there are other factors that contractors should know about that could capture the interest of customers, especially during the fourth quarter.  Trying to differentiate yourself from the competition?  Consider these approaches:

1.  Sustainability Attributes.  Offering sustainable solutions doesn’t just have to be an extra expense, it can actually help win business. The administration’s current emphasis on environmentally friendly acquisition can be used by companies with “green” solutions to their advantage.  Showing how a solution reduces greenhouse gas emissions, saves electricity, or reduces the need for carbon-intensive travel can be an important factor in getting the attention of a conscientious customer.

2.  Reliability.  Remember that most federal buyers are risk averse. Brand new solutions that haven’t been widely adopted in government can be a tough sell for someone just looking to meet existing performance standards.  A low-risk, widely used and accepted solution may be a much easier sell, especially if it comes with a lower price.

3.  An Under-represented Socioeconomic Source.  Among the many statistics put forth by Bloomberg Government as FY ‘23 4^th quarter business indicators is one showing the amount of progress the Department of Veterans Affairs needs to make in order to meet its FY ‘23 small, veteran-owned business goal.  The VA is almost certainly not alone, whether its small veteran-owned, women-owned, HUBZone, or some other socioeconomic category.  Many agencies need to make sizeable awards to small businesses of all shapes and sizes to maintain their good report cards.  Understanding what that means to a specific target agency, and being able to team with a business that meets their need, can be good ways to get business that might otherwise have gone somewhere else.  While agencies still issue RFP’s and RFQ’s with the award criteria based on Low Priced Technically Acceptable (LPTA) offers, that’s not always the case, especially when a company can show how it can solve other agency problems with a different acquisition approach.  Make sure that you can offer good values and options, in addition to competitive prices.