Debriefings are a critical tool in any federal contractor’s toolbox.   As a threshold matter, they are a useful (if not mandatory) first step in many bid protests, helping contractors gather the information they need to substantiate protest arguments.  But debriefings are a useful information gathering tool outside the protest context as well.  Indeed, they are

You know the feeling, when the Federal fiscal year is about to end or has just wrapped. Maybe you’re waiting to hear about wins, super busy onboarding new clients, or closing the books on what didn’t happen. Everybody’s ready to move on. It’s done — not a minute too soon!  You’ve wiped the slate and

No one can predict the future, but you can be ready for it! The Challenge: Plan Federal Fiscal 2022 We were finishing up our weekly online Growth meeting with the Executive Management Team via Zoom when the CEO said, “It’s time to focus on our 2022 strategy.  Let’s start to put something together for early

Gifts are one of the ways we connect as humans. But even the newest GovCon quickly learns not to offer gifts to Federal buyers. FAR Part 3 on Allowable Conduct defines the limits of allowable gifts, and it’s better not to offer anything at all.  Our Federal buyers are human, just like us. They have

New Research Findings Create an overall strategy to increase your 8(a) contract awards using these five effective strategic practices Introduction Although the U.S. government stresses the importance of small businesses in government contracting, small business owners continue to face challenges in securing and maintaining contracting opportunities[1]. In my 2021 DBA Capstone, I explored how owners

The last few weeks of the Federal fiscal year can feel like a mix of excitement, anticipation, confusion, and, sometimes even despair — for buyers and vendors! As vendors, often we feel like we have so much to offer… if only that buyer would return our calls or emails! What does it take to break

Now that we’ve entered the federal fourth quarter, government contractors often ask about the possibilities of capturing any potential end-of-year dollars. There may be an opportunity for 2022 dollars to be allocated in 2021 or there may be unspent budgets that must be spent before the fiscal year has concluded. Before you focus your attention

You’ve been certified as a participant in the SBA’s 8(a) Program.  Congratulations–it’s not an easy (or quick) process!  But now that you’re an official 8(a) Program participant, how do you maximize your chances of winning 8(a) contracts?   For many 8(as), mentoring and joint ventures are a critical piece of the puzzle.  In my career as

Many Federal contractors — large and small — mistakenly see their value as primarily the services or the products they offer.  While competency in your capabilities is vital, we often have more value to offer than we realize!  Our value proposition — whether as part of a team or as a prime — can include

Four big myths stop people from winning millions of dollars in Federal contracts…and, worse yet, prevents talented small business owners from bringing expertise and value to Federal buyers who need what we do to deliver their missions and serve citizens. I know, because those myths were stopping me, and my clients Until I broke through. 

Where To Start, What To Do, Who Can Help Introduction Want to win Federal contracts? Congratulations! You’re in the right place. The Federal government almost certainly buys from companies like yours. Whether you have expertise, services, or products, the world’s biggest buyer could be your next customer. What to do, who can help, and your

Many Government contracts today are set-aside for small businesses, or certain types of small businesses, and the proportion of set-aside contracts will most likely continue to grow in the future.  Indeed, the Biden administration recently stated that it views the Government’s “procurement power” as a means to even the playing field for certain disadvantaged groups,

There is a growing gravitation of commercial businesses engaging in government contracting these days. As they seek contract vehicles to help with access to opportunity, the question of their ultimate success usually comes into play. To be successful requires access to cashflow to keep your profit ahead of your expenses. The common challenge of the

Get into the swim of how and why you can use free, open-source competitive market intelligence , and bring back the wins you want. These lively lessons share unique insight into how to tap that data to open up the relationships you need to succeed. When my team and I do our research into past

Would it surprise you to know that there are FIVE LAYERS to every federal business opportunity?  For over 33 years, I’ve worked with established companies in every industry from the intelligence community to additive manufacturing. And every time I unpack this for seasoned business development professionals, their eyes light up. Here’s why. Once you know

Budgets are tightening. Agencies are feeling the pinch by awarding more contracts on the basis of lowest price, combined with technical acceptability. When margins narrow, how do you develop viable proposals while maintaining company profits? (5) Your bid requires wrap rates, formulas that are critical to survival in this cost-competitive environment. Simply: The wrap rate

What’s the MAS Consolidation About? GSA’s revamped Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program simplifies the acquisition process for both agencies and contractors. Under the program, businesses and their offerings are pre-vetted and easily accessible, removing burdensome requirements for contractors to sell their products/services, and for agencies to purchase them.  Initially, GSA Schedules consisted of 24 separate

 How to Optimize Industry Outreach Conversations! In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes or so the saying goes.  Your Industry Outreach could be your Fifteen Minutes of Fame….. so if you only get one shot, what are you going to do to maximize it”? It’s YOUR fifteen minutes!! Never more true than

The COVID-19 crisis is driving us all crazy, but now is a very important time to review your processes for monitoring and reacting to Sources Sought and RFI notices. Why? Skip Blackburn, capture expert and CEO of BIT Solutions, points out that “…at 22.3 percent, many Federal agencies are not meeting their small business goals,

Mastering Industry Outreach Meetings… Tryouts are announced! Coach announced his goals for the season and the tryout announcement said, “All interested in being on the team need to be ready for the tryouts on Wednesday at 3 PM.  Team session first and then individual try-outs.  Bring your gear and be ready to show the coach

Federal government contracting can be very complicated.  The complex web of rules and regulations governing these contracts can be difficult to navigate.  Sometimes, subcontracting can be even more confusing because contractors – whether prime or sub – don’t know what they don’t know.  A successful subcontracting relationship on a federal project is a balancing act

As many Federal Government contractors tackle the newest array of requests for proposals that are coming out, there is an important element of proposal writing that must be contained in every response – value propositions.  Too many Government contractors leave this ingredient out of their proposals.  Our emphasis typically is on the business volume, but

We had such and exciting webinar with The Pulse of GovCon, talking about GovCon opportunity in this new administration, we wanted to share some of the highlights.  You can download the full webinar below.  Don’t miss out on this can’t miss information. As we enter 2021, the Government Contracting industry is benefiting from a 10-year

For many GovCons, contract spending is slower right now, as departments and agencies await new budget authority, new priorities, and new leaders. Seasoned GovCons are relaxed. They’re patiently calling on their Federal buyers, even while “nobody knows anything.”  Why aren’t they worried, and why are they in such a great mood? In this post, we’ll

So you are just hanging up the phone after talking with the government POC for the meeting with the potential customer team, excited that you have a chance to engage in the upcoming acquisition with some ideas you have had for a while on the challenges the government may face in improving the services you

5 Perfect Gifts For Your Team Still looking for the right gifts for your GovCon team or your colleagues?Help is here. All of us in GovCon — solo-preneurs, business owners, contractors — rely on a mix of trusted advisors, partners, employees, and contractors all year long. Our success depends on attracting the best people into

How To Win Contracts In A New Administration  A new Administration can make late fall and early winter an anxious time in the Federal contracting arena.  Many Federal employees and GovCons feel anxious and uncertain: how will program priorities, budgets, and jobs be affected in the months ahead? Pandemic continues to stress our personal and

You’ve probably seen this at the doctor’s office or ER, especially if you’ve been there with kids. Here’s why it matters to you now. If you do business with the Federal government, this question How did FY20 rate on the GovCon Pain Scale for you? is vital for your survival right now. Here’s why. If

Allowable gifts garner know-like-trust and more wins at fiscal year-end (and all year long) At the end of the fiscal year, and all year-long, really, federal buyers need ways to come to know, like and trust you. In a previous post, I covered the most important of those ways—The 12x Factor: How to Close More

Are you willing to do the work to get in front of federal buyers for the win? If so, it’s closing time. There is one simple thing you can do TODAY. Cost? Just courage. Welcome to the home stretch of the Federal Fiscal year end, your last chance to close contracts before the new fiscal

What would you do if the missing link between you and a federal contract win was a few conversations with somebody you care about? For the most part, I serve people who want to win federal contracts. That’s been my profession for over 30 years.

You know how hard Federal contracting is. You’ve had those weeks, those months: no signs of life anywhere. You turn over the rocks, you dig. Everything seems absolutely uninhabited. Nobody’s returning calls. No opportunities. Nothing. And yet. You know that Federal agency is spending money. In fact, your competitor is winning some of it, and

“I need more time,” you’re thinking as you pull another all-nighter slammed up against yet one more proposal deadline. “How does anybody get these things done in 30 days?” What you need most is a reality check. If you’re looking for the way to do the whole job, start-to-finish, in 30 days, stop what you’re