Your Q4 guide to understanding what Contracting Officers need, avoiding costly mistakes, and offering low-risk solutions that make you the easy choice.
It’s late summer. You’re checking in with leads, refreshing SAM.gov, and wondering why no one’s calling back. You know Federal buyers are spending more in Q4—but you’re still stuck on “pending.”
Here’s what you may not realize: Fiscal Year-End (FYE) isn’t just about budget obligation. It’s about trust, relationships, and timing.
To win business by September 30, you don’t just need the right offer, even at the right price. You also need to be the right vendor: helpful, low-risk, and easy to say “yes” to—especially in a high-stress, high-stakes season.
Let’s get honest about what your Federal contracting officer is dealing with—and how you can position yourself as the person who gets the return call, the meeting, and the award.
Why Fiscal Year-End Spending Is Different
In many years, as much as 41% of some kinds of Federal contract spending gets obligated in Q4. (2025 is looking a little different; find how, what that means, and what to expect, here.)
But that doesn’t mean everyone’s handing out contracts like candy.
FYE isn’t just a spending surge. It’s a sprint filled with stress, shifting requirements, and mounting pressure to obligate every dollar before September 30.
Contracting officers are balancing program office changes, legal reviews, reduced staff, and a flood of industry emails and calls. They’re also parents, caregivers, homeowners, and commuters—living real lives while navigating a minefield of deadlines and regulations.
You want to stand out in that chaos? Be useful. Be brief. Be kind.
The Real Life Of A Federal Buyer In Q4
Want to know what it’s like behind your Federal Contracting Officer’s desk at FYE? Take it from career Federal contracting professional Dottie Romo and Emily Harman, past Director of the Department of the Navy’s Office of Small Business Programs:
🔥 They’re working overtime—these days, often covering for departed colleague
🏃♀️ They’re fielding last-minute requirements from stressed program managers
📉 They’re handling expired funding, closed-out contracts, and obligation deadlines
🧠 They’re expected to make zero mistakes—because one error could trigger a protest
💔 They’re also managing personal stress—kids leaving for college, aging parents, and their own well-being
So if they haven’t replied? Don’t take it personally. Take it professionally. Your empathy and respect could set you apart more than you realize.
Did you know?
The Contracting Officer is not the only person you need to engage to drive the wins you want! You need relationships at four levels, not just the contracting shop, to win. While this blog talks about what the Contracting Officer is looking for, successful vendors have been building awareness and trust among key decision-makers and -influencers for months before Fiscal Year-End. Learn more about GovCon Personas here. >> MORE
The Top 3 Mistakes That Kill Your FYE Win Chances
❌ Mistake #1: Blasting Out Spam
Sending a generic pitch to 100 contracting officers is like spraying the windshield with muddy water. It doesn’t help them see you. It irritates them.
Instead: Reach out individually, referencing specific needs, recent activity, or past connections. If you wouldn’t say it to them in person, don’t say it in an email.
“Hi Mr. Sanchez—I saw the forecasted requirement for cyber audit support in your division. Our team has handled similar scope at VA and DHS. I’d love to share a few ideas—are you open to a short call this week?”
❌ Mistake #2: Sounding Desperate
We know the pressure is real. But saying “We’re a small business and we really need this work!” is a turnoff—not a motivator.
Instead: Focus on how you solve problems and support mission success. Leave your own stress out of the story.
“We’ve helped other teams meet compliance with Section 889. If you’re facing similar gaps, I can offer an assessment format that’s worked well for year-end buys.”
❌ Mistake #3: Going for the Big Win Too Soon
Don’t chase a million-dollar opportunity if you have no relationship and no past performance at the agency. FYE is not the time to gamble on strangers.
Instead: Start small. Micro-purchases, pilot programs, or short-term studies can lead to long-term results.
“If there’s a smaller scope you need help with before year-end—training, a checklist, a white paper—we can turn that around fast.”
8 Ways To Get Your Federal Buyer To Return Your Call
If your outreach is falling flat, you might be missing these proven steps:
- Be Specific. Reference a real opportunity or forecast item. Don’t just “check in.”
- Be Polite. “Hope your week is going well—just bringing this back to the top of your inbox.”
- Be Persistent—but not annoying. Follow up weekly, no more than three times, then pause.
- Get to the Point. Put your ask in the first 1–2 lines. Support info can come later.
- Use Gatekeepers Wisely. Don’t pitch admins—be courteous and brief.
- Do Your Homework. Know their past awards, contract vehicles, and buying patterns.
- Respond to RFIs and Sources Sought. It shows interest and informs acquisition strategy.
- Ask for Referrals. Past clients and contacts can connect you with new buyers.
“The greatest gift you can give your contracting officer at year-end,” says Romo, “is patience, understanding, and politeness.”
What Federal Buyers Want To Buy Fast
Not every need is huge. In fact, small, low-risk purchases are ideal when time is tight.
Here’s a sample of low-dollar, low-risk solutions and purchases that Federal buyers often reach for as the fiscal year comes to a close:
✔️ Training
✔️ Workshops
✔️ Webinars
✔️ Studies
✔️ White papers
✔️ Reports
✔️ Spare parts
✔️ Concept demonstrations or pilot projects
✔️ Supplies under $10K
Make these “grab-and-go” offers easy to evaluate, procure, and deliver. Match them to your past performance—and to the problem your buyer needs to solve fast.
Special note re 2025
Even though the micro-purchasing authority has been suspended or cut back in many offices, play the long game. My prediction is that a trusted micro-purchase process is essential to the smooth functioning of the Federal acquisition system, and it will be back. Plant seeds now: cultivate your buyers’ enthusiasm for the micro-project ideas you share with them now, even if the harvest won’t happen until the new fiscal year.
When Your Certification Suddenly Matters
Small Business certifications are not significant differentiators, particularly for Federal end users who need what you do. All other things being equal, though, you do want to leverage every small advantage that might tilt the playing field in your favor at the end of the game.
This list used to be longer. I honestly believe that very few contract awards are driven by “agency is not meeting its small business goals”, so I took that off the list. These days, certifications make the biggest difference when two things are true:
- Your company has a track record showing you can deliver what’s needed
- The contracting officer has completed research leaving them confident that two or more small businesses with certifications like yours can do the work at a fair and reasonable price.
I have strong opinions about the generally low value of certifications in driving sole-source awards. Here goes.
A Note About Sole-Source
If you’ve identified an opportunity, you’ve demonstrated value and built trust with the end users and the contracting team, your certifications can ease the process for players at three or even four layers. If these things are true and the agency is failing to meet their goals in your category, and you are working closely with the small business specialist with enough lead time, the small business specialist might advocate setting aside the competition for small businesses like yours.
Even the Contracting Officer has the authority to make a sole-source award the work to your company based on your small business certification, because you are the only small business able to do the work at a fair and reasonable price, that doesn’t happen nearly as often as you might hope.
Did you know? Less than 3% of Federal contract dollars are awarded based on sole-source authority related to the vendor’s small business certification!
Here’s why: Work, and risk.
“Procurement by other than full and open competition” (Federal-speak for “sole-source”) might sound sweet for you, but it represents a ton of work and risk for the Contracting Officer. FAR Part 6.3 describes the gory details of everything the CO has to do. FAR Part 6 requires the contracting team to aim for maximum practicable competition. Any time they make a sole-source award, they’ve got to have a fully defensible justification in the file, and expect someone to come after them asking, “Why didn’t you compete this?”
A familiar acquisition strategy based on competition among a smaller number of fully-qualified vendors takes less time and risk than a sole source.
The Exception That Proves The Rule: 8(a)
The way the 8(a) program is structured significantly lowers the risk of sole-source awards for Federal buyers. Why? Because the Small Business Administration not only guarantees the performance of the 8(a) contractor…but also guarantees a replacement: if the 8(a) prime fails to perform, then SBA may authorize another eligible 8(a) program participant to complete the contract.
Bottom line
Get the certifications that your company is eligible for. But don’t lead with your status. Lead with your solution. Let the certification smooth the final steps to the win.
Capability Statements: Strategic, Not Spammy
Too many vendors attach their Capability Statement to every email. That’s not strategy—it’s clutter. Instead, send your Capability Statement:
- When responding to Sources Sought or RFIs
- In targeted follow-up to forecasted opportunities
- To a CO you’ve met at an Industry Day or outreach event
Customize it. Match the NAICS, PSC, and scope. Your statement should read like a preview of your proposal—aligned with the buyer’s language and mission.
Win More With The Right Message
Learn how to build a capability statement that gets attention, opens doors, and shows buyers why you’re the right fit—fast. Templates, tips, and examples included.
Stand Out For The Right Reasons: Ask Smarter Questions
Smart questions show you’ve done the research. They also help the CO help you.
Ask:
- “Is this requirement anticipated to be set aside?”
- “Do you expect to release a draft RFP?”
- “What vehicles do you anticipate using?”
- “Would JVs or CTAs be accepted?”
- “Will a security clearance be required?
- “Is the agency able to sponsor a vendor for clearance?”
If the opportunity is forecasted or pre-solicitation, these are fair game.
Never ask:
- “Is this wired for the incumbent?”
- “Should I bid?”
- “Can you recommend a teaming partner?”
- “How much does the agency plan to spend?”
These make you look uninformed or create ethical dilemmas for the buyer.
MicroEngagements That Keep You In The Game
What if your contact says, “We’re good for now”?
That’s not a no. That’s an opening.
Try this:
“Is there a small piece of work that’s been on the back burner? I might be able to help before year-end with a low-risk pilot or deliverable.”
Or:
“We’ve developed a pre-scoped checklist that’s worked well for other Federal teams. Would that kind of resource be helpful before year-end?”
Your small offer could get you on contract and set the stage for more in the new fiscal year that begins October 1st.
Learn more about MicroEngagement – what it is, why it works, and how to do it – here!
Email and Voicemail That Actually Gets A Response
Think warm. Think human. Think helpful.
Bad:
“This is my fifth email. I need a reply ASAP to make my business decision.”
Good:
“Hi Ms. Jones, I know things are moving fast this time of year. I’m just following up on the cyber training RFI. We’ve delivered similar work under MAS. I’d love to share what worked and see if it’s useful to you.”
Better:
“Hi—it’s Judy Bradt. Just checking in—saw the forecasted need for rapid compliance support. We’ve got a low-cost, fixed-price pilot I think could help. Would you be open to a quick call to explore it?”
Short. Warm. Specific. That’s your script.
Looking for more examples of MicroEngagement? Check out this free infographic!
3 Easy Wins You Can Start Today
It’s not too late. Here are three powerful actions you can take this week:
1. Match What You Sell to a Mission Need
Look at forecasted opportunities or repeat buys. How can you reframe your service to solve a specific agency challenge?
2. Package Bite-Sized Offers
Micro-purchase? Simplified acquisition? Fixed-price? If you can deliver a clear outcome under $250K—or even under $10K—you’re making life easier for your CO.
3. Make It Easy to Buy From You
Are you on the vehicles they use? Do you know how they buy? Can you offer a partner who is already on contract? Make the path obvious.
“If you’re not ready this year,” says Emily Harman, “do your homework now so you’re ready to start earlier next year.”
How to Develop a Smart Micro-Purchase Offer That Gets Noticed
Federal buyers in Q4 want simple, fast, and low-risk wins. That’s exactly what a well-designed micro-purchase offer can provide—if you build it the right way.
Use this checklist, based on our Micro-Purchase Offer Development Worksheet, to get started:
1. Identify a real pain point your buyer faces
What problem has been stuck on the back burner all year? Look for something that’s annoying but solvable—something they could say yes to quickly. It might be a compliance gap, training need, system tweak, or assessment that’s overdue.
2. Scope it under $10,000
Keep it tight and clear. What can you realistically deliver in one week or one task order that offers genuine value? Think: a one-hour training, a short report, a field trial, or a “starter” version of your full solution.
3. Show it complements—not replaces—the incumbent
Buyers don’t want to disrupt relationships in Q4. Your micro-offer should solve a contained problem without threatening current contractors. Bonus: if it works well, it might expand next year.
4. Make the path to yes obvious
Be specific about:
- Price range
- What’s included (and what’s not)
- How it helps the mission
- Which contract vehicle they can use
- Whether / how it’s repeatable or scalable in the next fiscal year
5. Present it as a “pilot” or “try-before-you-buy”
Language matters. “Pilot program,” “assessment,” or “prototype” feels low-risk and noncommittal—especially when funding is tight or timing is short.
🎯 Want help building one of your own?
Download the this complimentary Micropurchase Development Worksheet. Start crafting a micropurchase offer your Federal buyers can’t ignore!
Final Thought: At Fiscal Year-End, Be Their Easy Button!
Federal buyers aren’t looking for the cheapest vendor. They’re looking for the easiest solution.
If every message, voicemail, and proposal you send checks three boxes:
✅ Follow the rules
✅ Make their job easier
✅ Make them look good
…you’re not just a vendor. You’re a trusted partner.
And that’s the person who wins at year-end—and beyond.
Ready to Make This Your Best Q4 Yet?
Book a complimentary 30-minute Federal Business Breakthrough call. We’ll help you pinpoint your top goal, remove your biggest obstacle, and move faster toward your next win—before September 30th.
👉 Schedule your call now »