Our USG Contracting Office has a sole source IDIQ and BOA with a large Department of Defense original source contractor.  Although we provide ample proposal submission times in our task order requests for proposal, the contractor is continuously requesting extensions on the submissions.  The extensions are months long, not just days.  Most of the requested proposals are in the several millions of dollars and some are complex however we include that analyses when determining the submission date.  The delays in proposal submissions are now affecting the operational mission.  I am looking for some creative ideas on how to incentivize the contractor to submit timely proposals.  The team does complete yearly performance evaluations in the CPARs system and late proposal submissions are documented.   

Well I just saw this.   My quick thought.   You state sole source so it seems to me that one needs to sit down with the contractor and have a heart to heart.   I imagine they think they have you over the barrel but as a member of the team it would seem that they need to be more in tune with the whole ideal of mission accomplishment.   Maybe do the heart to heart formally and follow the Army Corps or Engineers partnership process.

https://www.publications.usace.army.mil/Portals/76/EP 34-1-1_Partnering Playbook_10Sept2024.pdf

 

"Incentivize"? 😆

There is nothing you or anyone in your office can do. You've admitted as much.

If your agency's operations are being affected, then It's time for a high level meeting. It's time to go over someone's head. Like to the V.P. level.

Your programmatic (not contracting) Big Boss should have a conversation with their senior executive Big Boss. Not the boss of the office that's preparing the proposals, and not a "director", but someone higher up.  A vice president.

Your BB must tell their BB about about the problem, provide facts, and ask whether they can fix the problem, and how, and when. And you must have an alternative if they can't or don't. Corporate V.P.s don't like to hear complaints from senior government customers. You know how I know that? I know that because I set something like that up more than once, and with companies like Lockheed and Hughes.

That's really all there is to it. You must set this up. If you cannot set it up, then your go-power is, in Dylan's words, "limited and underfed", and you just have to live with it.

 

I don't have any of the facts but I wonder whether there is a subcontractor who is difficult for the prime to deal with. Perhaps a subcontractor who is being asked to submit certified cost or pricing data but is not well-versed in TINA requirements and compliance? Shrug. Just a wild guess.

Most every contractor I work with takes great pride in submitting solid proposals on time without needing to ask for extensions. But then again, those contractors have robust and adequate estimating systems.

On 10/2/2024 at 1:05 PM, CDEBGA said:

Our USG Contracting Office has a sole source IDIQ and BOA with a large Department of Defense original source contractor.

If it is a DPAS rated order, you may have additional leverage.

On 10/12/2024 at 11:15 PM, here_2_help said:

I don't have any of the facts but I wonder whether there is a subcontractor who is difficult for the prime to deal with. Perhaps a subcontractor who is being asked to submit certified cost or pricing data but is not well-versed in TINA requirements and compliance? Shrug. Just a wild guess.osal deadline wouj

In my experience with major prime contractors, proposal deadline would still be met on time and any subcontractor issues fixed late on. Can't have a dollar waiting on a dime. There are work-arounds.