A Waverly manufacturer of slip rings landed a $1.7 million contract from the Federal Aviation Administration after CIRAS helped the company understand government bidding requirements and learn how to write a formal proposal.
Hemen Dattani, sales director for United Equipment Accessories (UEA), was tasked last March to explore federal contracting opportunities so UEA could leverage a newly forged research and development partnership to expand design capabilities and make the company competitive in new markets. He turned to the CIRAS Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) for help.
CIRAS government contracting specialist Melissa Burant worked with Dattani for weeks helping him learn how to interpret the government’s requirements. The nature of the project meant that UEA had to do more than simply provide a product—the company would need to write a proposal explaining how it would meet the FAA’s needs.
With Burant’s help, Dattani found a proposal-writing class. He then worked a week of 15-hour days to write and submit UEA’s proposal.
Burant described the collaboration as a perfect example of how companies can make the most of PTAC assistance.
“The greatest difference I have observed between those companies who see success versus those who don’t is that successful companies tend to work with us side by side and understand the importance of tapping into PTAC as a resource,” she said. “We may not always have the answers, but we’re a great guiding light to show you the way.”
Dattani praised PTAC’s expert counsel.
“This is selling by writing,” Dattani said. “It’s very different in many ways, and totally new for us. Melissa was very instrumental in guiding me through each step of the way.”
For more information, contact Melissa Burant at mmburant@iastate.edu or 563-726-9958.
A version of this article was published in the Winter 2021 edition of CIRAS News. To read more of that edition or others, please explore elsewhere on our website.