Outlook 2012: Finding The Right Opportunities Will Be Key

See the latest from GovWin editor Sean Tucker:

It was perhaps the most stark assessment of the current federal contracting market anyone has given to date.

“Many of you are competing for market share, and not new money.”

That’s how Deltek Chief Knowledge Officer Ray Bjorklund opened the Outlook 2012 conference Thursday, speaking to a room full of government contracting industry leaders in McLean, Va.

“It goes without saying that executing on the fundamentals is what’s going to help you win business.”

Finding The Opportunities

The most important business fundamental may be simply finding the right opportunities for growth. While the headlines all point toward years of across-the-board agency budget cuts, Bjorklund said, “What’s going on beneath the surface is fascinating.”

For instance, he noted:

• At the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, overall spending is down, but “telecommunications spending will nearly double” in fiscal year 2012, and spending on professional services will jump from $192 million to $288 million.
• The Department of Energy will see an overall budget cut, but the portion of departmental spending available to contractors (“contractor-addressable spending”) will increase as money is shifted from grants to contracts.
• “We’ll see real growth at the Securities and Exchange Commission,” due to increased oversight responsibilities.
• Contractor-addressable spending by the Tennessee Valley Authority will surge, reaching 170.4 percent of 2011 levels, thanks to a “recapitalization” of electrical distribution equipment.

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