Deltek releases free report - state & local procurement visualizations, 2011 vs. 2012

Published: March 15, 2013

Contract AwardsForecasts and Spending

In closing our weeklong blog series recognizing Sunshine Week, which highlights government transparency efforts, Deltek is offering an inside look into its GovWin IQ database with a free transparency report. The data presents nationwide state and local government procurement numbers to identify regional, offering/commodity, and government-level trends for 2012, in addition to comparing 2011 statistics for year-to-year visualizations. The report is culled from more than 300,000 bid opportunities captured in the GovWin IQ database from January 2011 through December 2012.
 
In analyzing the wealth of solicitations released over a two-year period, Deltek analysts examined several key procurement factors, including the total number of solicitations released in the following categories:
  • Across all states, state agencies, cities and counties
  • Per quarter
  • Per region
  • Per government type (state department, city, county, public university, independent school district, special district, tribal government, and other)
  • Per vertical market, including general government, health care, education, justice and public safety, and more
  • Per service type (architecture, engineering, construction, professional services, IT, operations and maintenance, etc.)
In addition, the free report features a breakdown of the average number of days a solicitation is open from release date to proposal due date. This data is captured per state, region, government type, vertical market, and service type.
 
In comparing the total number of bid opportunities released across all states, 2012 saw a 12.3 percent decrease in solicitation releases from 2011. Fiscal year 2012 was the first year post expiration of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and many states needed to further reduce spending coming out of the recession. The good news is that 2012 should be the final year of budget-belt tightening, and states are expected to rebound and expand procurement activity in 2013 and beyond. The shading in the map below details the total number of solicitations released nationwide in 2012. Lighter shades indicate fewer solicitations; darker shades indicate greater numbers of solicitations released.
 
Texas tops the chart with the most solicitations released in 2012 when combining all opportunities at the state and local level. California is a close second, followed by New York. However, when only capturing projects at the state level, New York trades its bronze for gold with the most opportunities. California retains its silver, and Texas slips to third. Here is a sneak peek of the top five states for both charts; the full report contains a top-25 list.
 
When we segment procurement data by government unit, state departments represent a majority of solicitation releases in 2012 (30.8 percent), with cities at 28.7 percent, and counties encompassing 16.8 percent of releases. This is quite consistent with 2011 figures, with state agency bid opportunities at 30.5 percent, cities at 29 percent, and counties at 16.7 percent. It is important to note that although state-level solicitations appear to be most common, when combining cities and counties, local government procurement is dominant.
 
Drilling our data down to the solicitations-per-quarter level, the first half of the year proves to offer the greatest number of contracting opportunities. As Q1 2013 comes to a close, vendors should be prepared for an onslaught of procurement activity in Q2 before the end of the fiscal year. The below chart details the total number of solicitations released each quarter in 2011 and 2012 for all state and local agencies combined.
 
 
At the regional level, the South dominates procurement activity in both 2011 (35 percent) and 2012 (34.2 percent). Solicitations coming out of the East encompass slightly more than 24 percent during the two-year period, with the West averaging 22 percent of solicitations, and the Midwest at approximately 18 percent.
 
Additional analysis shows an interesting trend for the number of days a solicitation is typically open before all vendor proposals are due. In 2012, vendors were given an average of 19 to 21 days to submit a bid. However, state-level projects typically allowed more time for vendors to respond, with an average open period of 26.3 days. The report further breaks down these averages by state, vertical market, service type, and per quarter for 2011 and 2012. Note that these averages do not account for extended proposal due dates adjusted via amendments.
 
 
We’ve only scratched the surface of GovWin IQ opportunities captured over the years. The state and local 2011 vs. 2012 bid opportunity report features more than 40 charts of key procurement trends to help vendors build their business pipeline. To access the free, detailed visual report offering a deeper dive into 2011 vs. 2012 procurement data, please go here.
 
Non-subscribers can read more about specific projects with a GovWin IQ free trial.