Usually, you need to be talking with a vice president who has the authority to apply pricing flexibly. Find a supplier who wants to introduce a new product with a big splash in the government market. Sell the supplier on the notion that your contract is the right place to make the splash, and your team has a good chance of winning. There are many ways to provide a quality solution while cutting costs in your proposal. Price Waterhouse and Booz Allen may have big names, but they often carry heavy freight in terms of pricing.
Many universities have prestigious faculty members who can provide similar services.
While the best faculty are not inexpensive by any means, they are often available with lower overhead loads, and graduate assistants continue to work for modest sums. Negotiate with community colleges as the facility for computer training or seminars. They are eager for the income and a lot less expensive than most commercial facilities. Find an institution with excess computer resources for large-scale processing requirements. We have found universities and large non-profits to be good sources, and they can often provide operations personnel at very competitive rates.