Govcon Giants

Why Most Small Businesses Lose Federal Contracts Before They Even Submit a Bid

Go no go decision speed is the single biggest reason small businesses lose federal contracts they should have won. In this episode Ryan Atencio breaks down how to shred a solicitation in 48 hours, why teaming partnerships burn another week you don't have, and the exact reason scatterbrained companies keep watching opportunities expire while their competitors submit. If you're stuck in slow bid cycles during the fiscal year end rush, this is the playbook. How to make a fast bid or no bid decision before three weeks of solicitation time disappears on weekend delays and Monday meetings Why end of fiscal year between June and September is when speed separates winners from companies that watch contracts go to faster competitors The 2 percent gross contract value consultant fee model and why proposals that never cross the finish line kill your income How Ryan's 12 years in 3rd Ranger Battalion and his time as a COR writing PWS and statements of work shape his capture strategy What a squared away one page capability statement actually contains and why outreach to primes and agencies fails without one EPISODE CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Mindy AI delivers daily federal opportunity briefings 0:29 - Federal Help Center podcast welcome and mission 0:52 - Fiscal year crunch from May through September 1:20 - Speed kills bad bids and saves good ones 2:30 - Why slow go no go decisions cost contracts 3:00 - Two percent consultant fees and finish line proposals 3:30 - Ryan Atencio introduces himself and his consulting model 4:00 - Military background and contracts acquisitions experience 4:50 - Working with medium and large businesses entering federal 5:30 - Strategic capture through sources sought and RFIs 6:00 - Why every business needs a squared away capability statement 7:00 - Building capability statements in Google Slides Mindy gives you the federal opportunities, agency signals, recompete intel, and pursuit briefs that tell you not just what contracts exist, but which ones to chase and how to win them. Sign up for free Daily Alerts and get opportunities delivered to your inbox before the day starts. 👉 Get your free Daily Alerts here 🔗 https://govcongiants.com Website: https://govcongiants.com Connect with Encore Funding: http://govcongiants.org/funding

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8 Brutal Truths About Government Subcontracting That No One Tells Small Businesses | Ep: 326

2d ago00:50:50Tap to summarize

Government subcontracting is where most small businesses leave millions on the table, and in this episode Eric Coffie breaks down the 8 brutal truths he learned the hard way about working under prime contractors. From going broke in 2015 with a $550 payday loan to closing a $4.2 million subcontract four months later, this is the unfiltered playbook on how subcontracting actually works in the federal market. Here is what you will learn: Why confusing prime contractor rules with subcontractor rules quietly kills deals and how to know which FAR requirements actually apply to you The relationship moves that landed a $4 million subcontract with no money in the bank, no bonding, and no employees on payroll How to frame your value to primes as compliance protection instead of paperwork so you stop getting lowballed at 10K on 600K contracts Why the middleman role is the highest paid position on a federal team when you take real responsibility for scope, schedule, and subs below you Where to actually find program managers and decision makers on military bases, at site visits, prime contractor galas, and even Starbucks near the gate EPISODE CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Subcontracting truths most small businesses miss 2:00 - Payday loan to 4 million dollar subcontract story 3:19 - Confusing prime rules with subcontract rules 4:38 - Small hinges swing big subcontract doors 6:32 - Paperwork has zero value without compliance 7:57 - Middleman myth and keeping the team together 9:14 - Where you are does not equal who you are 10:11 - Geography can change your title on jobs 11:13 - Leave the house and show up consistently 13:38 - Tough conversations build unbreakable business bonds 15:30 - Picking one lane to start subcontracting in 20:47 - Target program managers not contracting officers 35:44 - Marketing to primes through galas and golf events Market Intelligence gives you the federal opportunities, agency signals, recompete intel, and pursuit briefs that tell you not just what contracts exist, but which ones to chase and how to win them. Sign up for free Daily Alerts and get opportunities delivered to your inbox before the day starts. 👉 Get your free Daily Alerts here 🔗 https://govcongiants.com Website: https://govcongiants.com Connect with Encore Funding: http://govcongiants.org/funding

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What Procurement Readiness Really Looks Like Before You Walk Into Any Agency

3d ago00:08:51Tap to summarize

Government contracting procurement readiness is the difference between being treated like a serious prime and being talked down to by a small business rep who thinks you don't know what you're doing. In this episode of the Federal Help Center Podcast, Randie Ward breaks down exactly how to show up to agency meetings, capabilities briefings, and DOD opportunities with your homework already done. If you've ever wasted a 25-minute meeting because you weren't prepped, this one is for you. Here's what you'll learn: How to control the room in a capabilities briefing so the small business specialist treats you like a peer, not a beginner Why your SAM.gov keywords and capability narrative function as the agency yellow pages and how to structure them so buyers can actually find you The exact project sheet format Randie uses with clients including scope, location, dollar value, and complexity details that move you faster through sources sought responses How to position past experience versus past performance on your capability statement when you're a newer company or bidding as part of a teaming arrangement How to surface real differentiators that survive AI-driven proposal screening and make you stand out among hundreds of capability statements Why PIEE registration is non-negotiable if you plan to do business with DOD and what lives inside the enterprise from RFP response to invoicing EPISODE CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Welcome to the Federal Help Center podcast 0:25 - First impressions set every future agency interaction 1:00 - Forest Service capabilities briefing client story 2:30 - SAM registration and keyword optimization for buyers 3:30 - Building project sheets that move you faster 4:30 - Gathering resumes for proposal team members 5:00 - Capability statements and past experience versus performance 5:45 - Finding real differentiators that beat AI screening 7:00 - PIEE registration requirement for DOD contractors 7:55 - Closing thoughts and community invite Market Intelligence gives you the federal opportunities, agency signals, recompete intel, and pursuit briefs that tell you not just what contracts exist, but which ones to chase and how to win them. Sign up for free Daily Alerts and get opportunities delivered to your inbox before the day starts. 👉 Get your free Daily Alerts here 🔗 https://govcongiants.com Website: https://govcongiants.com Connect with Encore Funding: http://govcongiants.org/funding

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How to Find Prime Contractors and Pitch Tribal 8a Firms for Subcontracts

4d ago00:10:27Tap to summarize

How to find prime contractors and pitch them for real subcontracting work is one of the most overlooked skills in federal contracting, and most small businesses get it completely wrong. In this episode of the Federal Help Center podcast, Eric Coffie sits down with Zach Golden to break down a step-by-step research method for stalking primes, profiling tribal 8(a) firms, and writing outreach that actually gets a response. If you've been chasing contracts you can't win solo, this is the workflow that opens doors. Here's what you'll learn inside this episode: Why large 8(a) primes like ANCs, tribal entities, and Native Hawaiian Organizations operate more like Amazon than Walmart and how to position yourself inside their partner network The exact research workflow Zach uses inside OpenCube IQ to pull a prime's financials, NAICS codes, contract history, and government POCs before sending a single email How to write a short capability statement email that doesn't over-explain and triggers a real reply from busy CEOs and business development leads How to use NAICS code spending data and state filters to surface the right primes when you don't yet know who's holding the contracts in your space The talking points strategy that lets you sound like an insider in conversations with primes even when you're early in your govcon journey EPISODE CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Why large 8a primes work like Amazon partners 1:25 - How to approach tribal entities with capability statements 2:50 - Sending capability statements into the network 3:30 - Researching tribal primes inside OpenCube IQ 5:00 - Reading contract history and finding government POCs 6:30 - Using NAICS code spending to find the right primes 7:45 - Filtering by state to narrow down vendor lists 8:45 - Building talking points that prove you know the game Market Intelligence gives you the federal opportunities, agency signals, recompete intel, and pursuit briefs that tell you not just what contracts exist, but which ones to chase and how to win them. Sign up for free Daily Alerts and get opportunities delivered to your inbox before the day starts. 👉 Get your free Daily Alerts here 🔗 https://govcongiants.com Website: https://govcongiants.com Connect with Encore Funding: http://govcongiants.org/funding

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The Real Reason Big Primes Run Small Business Cohorts and It Is Not to Help You

5d ago00:06:24Tap to summarize

Subcontractor networking is one of the most misunderstood strategies in government contracting, and large GC cohort programs are the biggest reason why. In this episode, Eric Coffie breaks down what programs like the Turner Construction cohort are actually designed to do, and why expecting contracts from them sets small business owners up for disappointment. What you will learn in this episode: Why large general contractors run small business cohort programs and what their real incentive is How to reframe your participation in any cohort as a networking play rather than a pipeline to contracts Why your level of experience matters when deciding whether a cohort adds value to your business How community knowledge sharing reveals patterns that no single contractor would catch on their own The mindset shift every subcontractor needs before investing time in sponsored training programs EPISODE CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Welcome to the Federal Help Center podcast 0:24 - Should you join a Turner Construction cohort 1:18 - What you actually get from GC cohort programs 2:32 - Using cohorts to build a subcontractor network 3:47 - Eric's experience with the Turner cohort in Tampa 5:00 - Getting into the pipeline for big prime projects 5:29 - The truth about who these cohorts really serve 6:07 - Final takeaway and community closing Market Intelligence gives you the federal opportunities, agency signals, recompete intel, and pursuit briefs that tell you not just what contracts exist, but which ones to chase and how to win them. Sign up for free Daily Alerts and get opportunities delivered to your inbox before the day starts. 👉 Get your free Daily Alerts here 🔗 https://govcongiants.org/mi Website: https://govcongiants.org/ Connect with Encore Funding: http://govcongiants.org/funding

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How to build your first capability statement and get noticed by federal agencies

6d ago00:11:35Tap to summarize

Your capability statement is the first document a federal contracting officer sees, and if it does not immediately communicate who you are, what you do, and why you are trustworthy, you lose the opportunity before the conversation even starts. In this episode, govcon consultant Randie Ward walks through every section of a capability statement from company summary to contact information and shows you exactly what agencies are evaluating when they pick it up. Whether you are brand new to government contracting or refining your federal marketing materials, this episode delivers a practical build-it-now framework: How to write a two to three sentence company summary that works even if you are a startup with no federal experience, by leveraging your personal background instead Why you must spell out your NAICS code descriptions in plain language, and how one contracting officer's honest feedback changed the way Randie structures every client's cap statement How to identify your core competency "sweet spot" rather than listing everything you can do, and why specificity wins more trust than breadth The differentiator strategy that helps small businesses stand out, including a real example of a DOJ database project that went all the way to the White House Why your project list should lead with your largest and most complex work, and how to use project size to signal capacity without saying a word EPISODE CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introduction to the Federal Help Center podcast 0:23 - Why your company summary must be clear and concise 1:22 - Using AI to brainstorm your capability statement summary 2:22 - How to find NAICS codes using SBA.gov size standards 3:20 - Why you should spell out NAICS code descriptions for agencies 4:12 - Identifying your core competencies and sweet spot 6:07 - What makes a strong differentiator in govcon 7:28 - Real client example with a DOJ project differentiator 8:36 - How to choose and present your past performance projects 10:36 - Making your contact information and UEI easy to find 11:18 - Outro and community call to action Market Intelligence gives you the federal opportunities, agency signals, recompete intel, and pursuit briefs that tell you not just what contracts exist, but which ones to chase and how to win them. Sign up for free Daily Alerts and get opportunities delivered to your inbox before the day starts. 👉 Get your free Daily Alerts here 🔗 https://govcongiants.org/mi Website: https://govcongiants.org/ Connect with Encore Funding: http://govcongiants.org/funding

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What a Federal Construction CEO Wants You to Know Before You Bid Your First Contract

1w ago00:14:05Tap to summarize

Government construction contracting rewards business owners who build the right foundation before they ever swing a hammer. In this episode, David Rambhajan, founder of Industria Construction Services, break down the exact mindset, positioning, and operational systems that took him from $500K in bonding capacity to prime contractor on multi-million-dollar federal projects. Whether you are brand new to construction or already bidding federal work, this episode gives you a repeatable framework for growing with intention: Why your value as a construction business owner is in orchestrating projects and managing systems, not in knowing every trade, and how to communicate that to contracting officers from day one How David positioned Industria Construction Services as a clear, credible brand and why being a "jack of all trades" in your marketing is the fastest way to lose credibility with federal buyers The exact language David used with his first contracting officer that turned a single award into a long-term referral relationship across agencies Why starting with smaller contracts is not a step backward and how retained earnings and completed performance translate directly into expanded bonding capacity How to structure your week using deep work and the Pomodoro technique so your time is always aligned to your top three business-building priorities EPISODE CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Intro to the Federal Help Center Podcast 0:24 - How David Rambhajan would start a construction business today 1:36 - Building confidence as a non-technical construction business owner 3:56 - Defining your brand and avoiding the jack of all trades trap 5:34 - Immersing yourself in construction knowledge as a new owner 7:20 - What makes your company different from every other contractor 7:53 - The exact script that won over David's first contracting officer 10:07 - Growing bonding capacity through performance and retained earnings 11:55 - Creating a plan and protecting your deep work time each week 13:46 - Outro and community call to action Market Intelligence gives you the federal opportunities, agency signals, recompete intel, and pursuit briefs that tell you not just what contracts exist, but which ones to chase and how to win them. Sign up for free Daily Alerts and get opportunities delivered to your inbox before the day starts. 👉 Get your free Daily Alerts here 🔗 https://govcongiants.org/mi Website: https://govcongiants.org/ Connect with Encore Funding: http://govcongiants.org/funding

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The Industry Secret to Selling High Value Supplies to the Federal Government Revealed

1w ago00:08:52Tap to summarize

Government supply kitting is one of the most overlooked strategies for small businesses trying to win federal contracts without manufacturer agreements, large teams, or complex proposal processes. In this episode, Ryan Atencio breaks down exactly how kitting works on SAM.gov and why the businesses who get to the end user first are the ones who control the award. Why roughly 65-70% of combined synopsis and solicitations fall under the simplified acquisition threshold and what that means for how you position your supply business How creating custom part numbers and bundling high-value, high-frequency items into a single kit line item locks out competition before a solicitation ever drops The real reason modular buildings and prefabricated structures can be classified as supplies instead of construction and why that distinction speeds up award timelines dramatically What "air quotes" are, how contracting officers use them to satisfy the two-quote requirement, and why understanding this practice protects you in the field Why listing your business as the manufacturer on your kit means every competitor who finds the solicitation on SAM.gov has to call you for a quote EPISODE CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Welcome to the Federal Help Center podcast intro 0:32 - What combined synopsis solicitations look like on SAM.gov 1:00 - How to structure high value supply kits for government buyers 2:00 - Real example of a tactical training wall kit at FLETC 3:12 - How primes like ADS and Darley Defense kit and control awards 4:08 - Why ambiguous part numbers protect the kitter from competition 5:01 - What air quotes are and how two-quote requirements work 6:37 - The rule about keeping construction language out of supply contracts 7:48 - How listing your business as manufacturer generates inbound quote requests 8:02 - The industry secret to building a winning federal supply business Market Intelligence gives you the federal opportunities, agency signals, recompete intel, and pursuit briefs that tell you not just what contracts exist, but which ones to chase and how to win them. Sign up for free Daily Alerts and get opportunities delivered to your inbox before the day starts. 👉 Get your free Daily Alerts here 🔗 https://govcongiants.org/mi Website: https://govcongiants.org/ Connect with Encore Funding: http://govcongiants.org/funding

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Government Contracting Is an Inflation Hedge and Here Is Where to Find the Opportunities | EP: 325

1w ago01:26:42Tap to summarize

Government contract bid opportunities on SAM.gov refresh every single week with 500 or more new sources sought notices spanning every industry imaginable, and most small businesses never see them. In this live session, Eric Coffie logs directly into SAM.gov, downloads the latest opportunities into Excel, and walks through dozens of real contracts available right now in fields from locksmith services and paper shredding to nursing staffing, call center support, cloud infrastructure, and demolition. If you have been waiting for the right time to get into federal contracting, this session shows you exactly where to look and why the timing has never been more urgent. What you will learn in this episode: How to pull Sources Sought notices from SAM.gov, filter by update date, and download them into Excel for fast, organized review across all industries Why the barriers you think exist in federal contracting, including licenses, certifications, and security clearances, are almost never listed as actual requirements on the solicitation How small businesses have a structural pricing advantage over large companies, and why large firms frequently skip contracts under $100K even when fully capable Why companies with the relevant skills (locksmiths, shredders, towing companies, nursing staffers) are not on SAM.gov, and how that gap is your direct entry point What the government actually evaluates when judging your readiness: your SAM.gov SBA profile completeness, your capability statement quality, and the recency and relevance of your past performance EPISODE CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Encore Funding sponsor intro and welcome 1:00 - Government contracting as an inflation hedge right now 4:35 - Why now is the time to enter federal procurement 7:30 - SAM.gov homepage walkthrough and search setup 8:45 - Why students are winning contracts directly from SAM 11:00 - Small business pricing advantage over large companies 17:00 - Why licenses and certifications are not required to bid 28:15 - How to filter Sources Sought and export to Excel 30:30 - Live review of real open opportunities across industries 36:15 - Locksmith services opportunity at Dept. of Homeland Security 40:20 - Towing and shredding contracts no one else is bidding on 54:25 - Why large competitors avoid SAM registration entirely 59:00 - Submitting a capability statement is all that is required 1:03:25 - Construction, call center, VA, and translation contract deep dives 1:20:30 - SBA profile comparison and what contracting officers actually check 1:23:50 - Closing message on capability statements and SBA profile readiness Market Intelligence gives you the federal opportunities, agency signals, recompete intel, and pursuit briefs that tell you not just what contracts exist, but which ones to chase and how to win them. Sign up for free Daily Alerts and get opportunities delivered to your inbox before the day starts. 👉 Get your free Daily Alerts here 🔗 https://govcongiants.org/mi Website: https://govcongiants.org/ Connect with Encore Funding: http://govcongiants.org/funding

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Why your existing expertise is the fastest path to your next government contract win

1w ago00:13:25Tap to summarize

Identifying the right skills for government contracting could be the difference between chasing contracts you can't win and building a pipeline around what you already do well. In this episode, Eric Coffie walks through exactly how he parlayed his training expertise into a five-year federal contract and how you can apply the same framework to your own service offerings. Here is what you will learn in this episode: How Eric landed an $8,500 project management training contract as a proof-of-concept before scaling into a multi-year federal award Why matching your skills to the right NAICS code determines how much government money is actually available to you How to use teaming and community partnerships to fill skill gaps and strengthen your proposal without going it alone Why a five-year contract creates revenue predictability and what it takes to protect your option years How attending cohorts, grants, and local business programs can surface teaming partners you never expected to find The non-compete clause warning every small business owner needs to hear before signing a subcontractor or teaming agreement EPISODE CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Welcome to the Federal Help Center podcast 0:33 - How Eric turned training skills into a federal contract 1:15 - Winning an $8,500 project management training award 2:13 - Why teaming is the foundation of govcon growth 3:10 - The five-year home composting contract opportunity 4:22 - Identifying skills you already have and can offer now 5:22 - How Eric selected a teaming partner from the community 6:05 - Building on shared skills and winning together 7:19 - Mapping your skills to BD, capture, compliance roles 7:50 - Video production contract and the AmeriHealth cohort connection 8:52 - Non-compete clause tips every contractor must know 9:45 - Audience exercise on NAICS codes and skill identification 10:11 - Why NAICS spend data should drive your service focus Market Intelligence gives you the federal opportunities, agency signals, recompete intel, and pursuit briefs that tell you not just what contracts exist, but which ones to chase and how to win them. Sign up for free Daily Alerts and get opportunities delivered to your inbox before the day starts. 👉 Get your free Daily Alerts here 🔗 https://govcongiants.org/mi Website: https://govcongiants.org/ Connect with Encore Funding: http://govcongiants.org/funding

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All episodes

Why Most Small Businesses Lose Federal Contracts Before They Even Submit a Bid

8 Brutal Truths About Government Subcontracting That No One Tells Small Businesses | Ep: 326

What Procurement Readiness Really Looks Like Before You Walk Into Any Agency

How to Find Prime Contractors and Pitch Tribal 8a Firms for Subcontracts

The Real Reason Big Primes Run Small Business Cohorts and It Is Not to Help You

How to build your first capability statement and get noticed by federal agencies

What a Federal Construction CEO Wants You to Know Before You Bid Your First Contract

The Industry Secret to Selling High Value Supplies to the Federal Government Revealed

Government Contracting Is an Inflation Hedge and Here Is Where to Find the Opportunities | EP: 325

Why your existing expertise is the fastest path to your next government contract win