[blockquote style="blue"]There are many advantages a start-up has to offer the military including price, service, responsiveness, and collaboration[/blockquote]
The Department of National Defence (DND) has an endless list of needs that start-ups can meet, but even armed with the most sophisticated technology there are roadblocks when selling into the military.
BP then C4ISR or you’re FUBAR. Translation? Speak your customer’s language
The defence sector is dominated by large multinational companies (knowing that is the first key to success), but don’t let that stop you. When a RFP is posted that relates to a your startup’s technology you should respond. There are many advantages you can offer the military, including price, service, responsiveness, and collaboration. You do, however, need to have a clear picture of how your technology can address a military need.
[blockquote style="blue"]Speak with members of any military community for 15 minutes and you’ll hear an artillery barrage of acronyms[/blockquote]
There a couple of must-haves to get the ball moving in the right direction. First, you need to navigate through an almost endless supply of acronyms and short forms. If you can’t speak their language you are at an immediate disadvantage. Can you figure out what sit rep, C4ISR, 2IC, or CP means?
Know your customer, particularly if they are heavily armed
Speaking the language might get you behind the gates, but to earn a contract you need to be familiar with the government procurement process. The sales cycle is long and requires submitting a proposal in response to an RFP managed by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC).
My start-up, Beyond One Eighty, has worked through these and other roadblocks. We have been successful in transforming how Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, one of the largest in the country, looks at and manages their operations.
Beyond One Eighty builds advanced security and intelligence platforms that are touch-based 3D mapping applications. The platform combines geographic data, intelligent sensors such as video analytics, fire alarms, 911, etc., documents and dynamic web content to enhance security and public safety. You can check out our product demo, B9, at: www.beyondoneeighty.com/demo or in the video below.
We’ve helped the Canadian Forces implement digital solutions that replace the paper methods they’ve used for the last hundred years.
3 Comments
Good post. Honestly, just speaking your client’s language is a big help.
And the procurement process is a big part of that. It is amazing that at times for an RFP, firms will respond with their own terms in the mandatories. Doing so gets them automatically disqualified from it.
As well, what is your pricing strategy? Did you include after-implementation support pricing?
More importantly….where do you find these opportunities. Merx is a start, and honestly there is so much more.
Thanks again for the great post.
Good questions. The MERX is the best place for Government of Canada contracts but there are other sites like biddingo, etc. you can check out. At a high level whenever a firm submits a proposal they can add whatever they like to how the work will be done, schedule, etc. but you always need to balance and work within the constraints or guidelines of the request (RFP).
At the end of the day the RFP process provides a general framework that ensures all responses can be assessed in the same way but firms can get creative in pitching how their technology can fit the need which may be different from the original perspective.
- Taylor
Is there tracability of the design to ensure what you see is accurate and verifiable? Systems like these, military grade contracts need hardened systems that are robust and degrade gracefully. Do RFP and Project Reviews cover this aspect of procurment and bid proposals?
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