By Melissa Busch
Dealing with the government can he a headache. It can be even worse when money is involved. Here, Deborah Snider, senior vice president of e-LYNXX Corporation and division president of the Government Print Management division, gives tips on making it simpler when it comes to dealing with the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO). The agency provides expert printing, publishing and digital media services to all three branches of the federal government. GPO is a nearly billion-dollar government agency of 2,300 employees. While a portion of its funding comes from direct congressional appropriation, GPO produces significant revenue by providing products and services to other federal agencies and the American public. The agency produces the U.S. passport, the Congressional Record, the Federal Register and other Federal Government documents.
Print Professional (PP): What is the most
important tip in snagging a government contract?
Deborah Snider (DS): Our best advice is to partner with experts, such as print management experts, if you are a printer seeking contracts with the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO). GPO awards $358 million annually to private sector printers. In partnering with a GPO bid service, it is important to select one that makes available to its clients all available GPO printing opportunities, accompanied by a database of historical activity and industry expertise. Only one bid service purchases from GPO its comprehensive listing of all GPO print jobs called the GPO Bid Subscription Service.
PP: Are you more likely to get one if you have gotten one in the past?
DS: Not necessarily. After becoming registered to be a GPO print supplier, the most important criteria for winning repeat government work is [to] maintain your status as a qualified supplier and with every job won, meet all specifications including the Quality Assurance Through Attribute Program (QATAP). GPO prefers to award larger dollar value jobs to printers who have been awarded smaller dollar value jobs and demonstrated that they will deliver quality work on time.
PP: Are you changing your approach with the appointment of the new public printer?
DS: GPO procurement is governed by the Contract Terms No. 1, the Printing Procurement Regulation, the QATAP, Paper Specification Standards (Volume 11), Guidelines for Contractors Holding Press Sheet Inspections (GPO Pub. 315.3) and job (jacket or program) specifications. These rules and regulations remain in place regardless of who is the Public Printer. GPO awards work to the lowest priced and best qualified printer regardless of who the Public Printer is.
PP: Is the economy, at all, impacting your
approach?
DS: GPO has a track record of awarding a significant amount of its work to private sector printers who have consistently delivered quality work on time and at a fair price. This has occurred during good and not so good economic times. Last year, GPO awarded $358 million in print work to more than 1,700 print suppliers nationwide. Competition for GPO work in the $2,500 to $5,000 range is fierce, but if a printer can bid on large, difficult, specialty or fast turn-around jobs, the competition is limited.