Unsolicited Proposals

Does your business have a new or innovative idea that the federal government could use?  If the answer is yes, an unsolicited proposal could be a way to introduce your product or service to the federal government.  The federal government clearly defines what constitutes an unsolicited proposal in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.6. Acceptable unsolicited proposals must be: (1) innovative and unique; (2) independently originated and developed by the offeror; (3) prepared without government assistance; (4) include sufficient detail for government review; and (5) cannot be an advance proposal for a known agency requirement.  If this still fits your product or service, read on. 

First, check to see if your product or service is being sought under other government mechanisms such as Broad Agency Announcements, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) topics, Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) topics, development announcements, or other government buying actions.  If not, you’re still in the hunt.  Next, decide which agency(ies) could best benefit from your idea.  Be sure to check each agency’s process and format for unsolicited proposals.  For most agencies, this information can be found on their web site.  The Federal Jumpstation is an excellent starting point for researching federal agencies on the Internet.

The next step is explaining your concept to the government.  The FAR 15.605 provides a format for what should be included in your proposal.  There are three sections in an unsolicited proposal.  In the “Basic Information” section, you provide the government with the nuts and bolts about your company.  The second section, “Technical Information,” you explain your idea, objectives, members of your team and what support you require from the government.  In the final section, “Supporting Information,” you detail the price, its duration, and organizational history among other elements.  Remember to protect yourself and your company’s intellectual property by inserting statements to limit the use of the information contained in the proposal (see FAR 15.609).           

After sending your proposal to the agency’s unsolicited proposal point of contact, it will be evaluated through a two-step process.  Initially, the government will decide if you meet the basic requirements of an unsolicited proposal.  If you are deemed acceptable, they will perform a comprehensive evaluation.  Keep in mind that if your proposal is deemed favorable after the comprehensive evaluation, you still may not be funded.  The government may decide to issue a full and open solicitation to address the need you highlighted.  However, let’s hope that your hard work has paid off for a sole-source justified contract.

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