The federal government spends billions of dollars to acquire services and products. To do this, the Department of Defense relies on contractors to provide the U.S. military with a wide variety of these services and products. This is where our proposals department comes in. Preparing proposals for business opportunities awarded by agencies within the Department of Defense and other Federal Agencies is something that takes much strategy and creativity. COLSA’s Proposal Department works hard to secure the future of the company by continuing to win government contracts.
When speaking to the Proposal Department at COLSA, any outsider can tell that they are a close-knit team that relies heavily on each other to meet the overall goal of securing new contracts for the company. When asked how the department runs, they mentioned that teamwork is essential and the foundation of everything they do. Their daily tasks are unique in that they get to construct the story and messaging of the company’s capabilities to win contracts. Tom Newman, the Director of Proposals mentioned that they are always “looking into the future” for new projects to bid on.
We asked about their backgrounds and were surprised to know that many of them had varying degree fields. Proposals require more than a “technical background” but instead involves a thorough knowledge about COLSA’s past capabilities as well as future abilities. In working in this department, not only are you constantly acquiring a wealth of knowledge, but you tend to pick up “areas of specializations”, moving around in the department to fulfill the unique needs of proposal writing. Tom highlighted that he enjoyed the unique aspect of proposal writing because you “get to work with a lot of people with varying backgrounds” from many different companies and foster long-term partnerships. This is the thread that ties the department together.
One of the successes of the Proposal Department is the OASIS contract. After great success as a small business wining two large U.S. Air Force Contracts, COLSA is now a Prime contract holder in OASIS Unrestricted Pools 1, 3, 4, 5a, 5b, and 6. The General Services Administration’s (GSA) One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) program is a master governmentwide indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity (IDIQ) program for federal agencies to procure services in Engineering, Scientific, Logistics, Financial, Management Consulting, Program Management, and Research and Development disciplines. OASIS IDIQ contracts are versatile and can support all contract types, making this a preferred contracting solution for federal agencies.
When asked what made them successful in their duties, they mentioned the significant impact higher management plays. Tammy DeWeese, who supports COLSA’s planning and proposal development, mentioned that “VPs are invested in them and contribute to the overall success of the department”. No task is too small for anyone. They thrive on the fact that their work is important and the result, when successful, is gratifying not only for their department but for the company as a whole.
