Cost Proposals? Indirect Rates? I Need Help!

For a small business breaking into the world of government contracting, there are a variety of workshops that can help you understand particularly difficult issues. For newcomers to the world of government contracting, two especially important areas are cost proposals and developing indirect rates. In an era tied to "faster, cheaper and smarter," a strong cost proposal is critical. Your indirect rates are an important – yet not well understood - component.

Workshops can translate the intricate government cost proposal process into an easy and systematic method of establishing indirect rates and preparing effective government cost proposals. Companies such as RGF Consulting Corporation have developed workshops that provide the key ingredients necessary for the effective preparation of government contract cost proposal submissions and for the development of proper indirect rates in support of the cost proposal process. The workshops are perfect for new and emerging government contractors.

What should I look for in a workshop?

When looking for a workshop that focuses on building effective government cost proposals, make sure the workshop:

• Provides a basic knowledge of the regulatory guidelines governing the cost proposal process.
  
• Familiarizes you with pertinent cost proposal terminology and contract format.
  
• Demonstrates a logical process of analyzing, discovering proposal cost data, and applying appropriate indirect rates.
  
• Examines a basic five-year cost proposal from start to finish utilizing step-by-step instructions.

If you're looking for a workshop on developing indirect rates, make sure the workshop is designed to:

• Provide the necessary tools to identify and analyze indirect costs as derived from actual or estimated financial data and translate them into homogeneous indirect cost pools.
  
• Determine the appropriate allocation base denominator for each indirect cost pool and its proper relationship to the final cost objective.
  
• Provide the necessary knowledge and tools to develop and project basic indirect rates in a manner to withstand the scrutiny of an audit.

Workshops should provide you with an information-packed training manual, associated regulations, and reference material.

Who provides these services?

There are companies – of all sizes - that can provide these services and more. If you are in the Washington, D.C., area, one such firm is RGF Consulting Corporation, which can help you with:

• Budget and Indirect Rate Development
  
• DCAA Pre-Award Audit Preparation
  
• Contract Management Assistance
  
• Cost Proposal Preparation Assistance
  
• Staffing Structure
  
• Equitable Adjustments

RGF Consulting Corporation's training team has over 100 years of collective experience in business management, the government procurement process, cost proposal and indirect rate preparation, and electronic commerce.

The message: don't panic!

With a little help and hard work, you'll find you can prepare effective costs proposals for the pursuit of government work. With some effort, you can change the seemingly Byzantine world of government proposals into an easy and systematic method of establishing competitive costs and indirect rates.

By Bob Arguero