Deltek Pulse: General government services month in review, May 2014

While April showers might bring May flowers, they sure didn’t cause May procurement to blossom. The steady increase in solicitations released since the beginning of the year has reached a breaking point, and the month of May saw approximately 3,300 solicitations released, which is a decrease compared to April’s 3,500 solicitations.

Management systems, consulting opportunities, professional services, and program software were among the most popular titles for the solicitations last month. The word cloud below features titles from all of the requirements nationwide.

(Source: Deltek)

(Source: Deltek)

The education vertical saw the most solicitations released last month by far. Vertical markets trailing behind include natural resources and economic development, with just more than 400 solicitations each. Coming in with significantly fewer solicitations were public finance and community development, which barely surpassed 100.

Notable Projects

• Denton County, Texas, released an RFP for a human resources management system (HRMS.) The county is seeking a three-year contract, followed by a maintenance contract. Proposals are due June 16.
• The Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services released an RFP for an IT hardware and accessories express products list. Vendors are able to submit a proposal for any combination of requirements, including computers, monitors, servers, racks, switches, and audio/video equipment. Proposals are due June 11.
• The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance released an RFP for a real property tax administration system solution. The state is seeking an enterprise, multi-tendency capable, and Web-based solution. Proposals are due July 16.
• The city and county of San Francisco, Calif., released an RFP for a financial management system. The current FAMIS system is out of date and the city is seeking to replace it. Proposals are due by June 20.
• Alameda County, Calif., released an RFP for a purchasing card program. The county seeks to simplify the purchasing process while reducing paperwork, lowering admin costs, and increasing the county's ability to monitor p-card spending. Proposals are due by July 1.

Analyst’s Take

As noted earlier, the solicitations released in May decreased from previous months, which may be due to the fiscal year coming to an end. Most states operate on a July-June fiscal calendar, which means funds may be limited as the last few weeks wrap up. The decrease in procurement activity last month may cause a flurry of solicitations released after the start of the new fiscal year. Once projects get the green light for ample funds, vendors should be prepared to handle RFPs in Q3 2014.

You can learn more about current procurement opportunities in the GovWin IQ State and Local Opportunities database. Not a Deltek subscriber? Click here to learn more about Deltek's GovWin IQ service and gain access to a free trial.