Paying to Win the Award: Contingent Fees and the Influence You Cannot Buy
Hiring someone on a success fee to land you a federal contract sounds like smart business. On government work it can breach the Covenant Against…
5 min read
From the TIKC Advisory Team · Topic
Proposal & Procurement Insights
Proposal writing and procurement strategy for federal contractors: how to respond to RFPs and sources sought notices, contract types and pricing under the FAR overhaul, compliance matrices, win themes, and the bid decisions that build winning pipelines. Practical proposal and procurement insights from Team Integrity Knowledge Center.
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More in Proposal & Procurement Insights
The Information You Are Not Allowed to Have: The Procurement Integrity Act
The Procurement Integrity Act bars contractors from obtaining source selection or bid information they should not have, and controls the revolving door between government and…
4 min read
When Your Own People Are the Conflict: Personal Conflicts of Interest Explained
Organizational conflicts get the headlines, but a personal conflict of interest sits closer to home: an employee with a financial stake quietly steering a federal…
4 min read
Ask Why You Lost: How to Use a Debriefing Without Losing Your Rights
A debriefing is your chance to learn why you did not win, improve your next proposal, and decide whether to protest. Request it correctly and…
4 min read
Selling What Is Not on Your Schedule: The Out-of-Scope and Open-Market Trap
A GSA Schedule is a powerful sales channel, but only for what is actually on it. Selling out-of-scope items or slipping open-market products onto a…
4 min read
Employee or Contractor? Why Getting Worker Classification Wrong Can Cost You the Company
Calling a worker an independent contractor to save on taxes and benefits is one of the most common and costly mistakes a growing contractor makes…
4 min read
Can You Actually Do the Job? Responsibility Determinations and the Award You Could Lose
Before any award, the contracting officer must find you a responsible contractor: capable, financially able, and with a record of integrity. Understanding FAR 9.1 is…
4 min read
Grants Are Not Free Money: The Uniform Guidance and How Grant Fraud Happens
Federal grants come with rules as strict as any contract. The Uniform Guidance governs how you spend, document, and report, and misusing grant funds or…
4 min read
Your Subcontractor’s Problem Is Your Problem: Flow-Down Clauses and Prime Liability
As a prime, you are responsible for the whole job, including what your subcontractors do. Flow-down clauses push required terms down the chain, and the…
4 min read
The Wage Floor on Every Federal Jobsite: Davis-Bacon and the Risk of Getting It Wrong
On federal and federally funded construction, the Davis-Bacon Act sets the prevailing wages and fringe benefits you must pay, and requires certified payrolls. Underpay or…
4 min read
The Threat With a Badge: Protecting Controlled Information From Your Own Insiders
The biggest risk to your sensitive government information is often not an outside hacker but a trusted insider. For contractors, an insider-threat program is both…
4 min read
The Clauses You Must Follow Even When They Are Missing: The Christian Doctrine
Under the Christian Doctrine, a mandatory contract clause can be read into your contract by operation of law even if the government forgot to include…
4 min read