What the Department of Labor Buys

VII. Marketing Tips

It is the responsibility of each individual business to market and sell its company's products or services to the DOL. The following points are to assist you in your marketing efforts:

1. Make you capabilities known

• Contact program offices whose work, as reflected in the SIC codes relates to the products or services your firm offers. Identify key contact persons to whom you can direct your marketing efforts.
• Stay in touch with procurement offices, so that they are aware of your firm's capabilities. Follow up periodically, but don't overdo.
• Prepare capability statements which clearly and comprehensively define your firm's special skills, experiences, prior Government contracts, references, resumes, etc.
• Ensure that your firm is registered with the Procurement Automated Source System (PASS). The PASS, established by the Small Business Administration (SBA), enables registered firms to have their capabilities made available when specific source requests are made. You should obtain and complete the short registration form and forward it to the U.S. Small Business Administration as instructed on the form. Forms may be obtained from local SBA offices.

2. Keep abreast of available procurement contract opportunities

• Follow the Commerce Business Daily (CBD), the major source to learn of Federal requirements. The CBD is issued daily, Monday through Friday, by the U.S. Department of Commerce. It lists, by product and service, contract opportunities, subcontracting leads, contract awards, and other business opportunities. The CBD is available by subscription. The CBD is also available for review in large public libraries.
• File an application with DOL's procurement offices to have your firm procurement offices to have your firm identified on their solicitation mailing lists. The solicitation mailing list application, Standard Form 129, is available from your local SBA office. Applications should be submitted to the procurement offices of you interest. Be sure to complete the form thoroughly and accurately. Acceptance of the form does not mean your firm will be notified each time a solicitation in your area of expertise is issued as solicitation lists are long and therefore must be rotated.

3. Find subcontract opportunities

In addition to doing business directly with the Department, opportunities are available through subcontracting. In an effort to ensure that prime contractors utilize the services of small, small socio-economically disadvantaged, and women-owned businesses, all DOL contracts valued at $50,000 or more must include a clause relating to the appropriate special assistance program. Also, all prime contracts in excess of $500,000 ($1,000,000 for construction) must contain a subcontracting plan with percentage goals for the practical utilization of small, small socioeconomically disadvantaged, and women-owned businesses. To be considered for a subcontract, apply directly to the prime contractor rather than to the DOL. Prime contractors may be identified by contacting the DOL procurement offices.

4. Learn about DOL grant programs and grantee contracts

To successfully conduct a grant program, a grantee must frequently purchase products or services from private organizations. Such purchases are made directly by the grant recipient. To participate in these grantee contracting activities, contact the grantee directly. DOL personnel in program and procurement offices of the Agencies should have available a listing of grant recipients in you area.

5. Create opportunities through unsolicited proposals

Generally, DOL does not fund unsolicited proposals; however, DOL recognizes the value of such proposals which may offer innovative and unique concepts. Unsolicited proposals are written offers to perform a task or effort that you initiate and submit to DOL for evaluation purposes. Acceptance of proposals for evaluation does not imply commitment to pay, recognition of novelty or originality, or any restriction on the use of information provided to which the government would otherwise be entitled. Therefore, potential offerors may wish to make preliminary contact with appropriate personnel before expending extensive efforts in preparing unsolicited proposals or submitting proprietary data to ensure that need exists for the type of task or effort contemplated.

The FAR, Subpart 15.5, provides general guidance for submitting an unsolicited proposal. The proposal should include an abstract of the proposed effort, the method of approach, and the extent of the effort. It should also state a proposed price or estimated cost. Any proprietary data the offeror wishes to protect should be clearly marked. However, disclosure of data in a proposal may not be restricted if that information was obtained from another source without restriction. A favorable evaluation of an unsolicited proposal does not necessarily justify a noncompetitive acquisition. If the services or products offered are available elsewhere, procurement officers are obligated to compete such acquisitions.

Interested offerors may submit unsolicited proposals to the procurement office servicing the subject program office.