Making your first $20K in government contracting with no experience, no past performance, and no capital is not just possible Eric Coffie has done it with complete beginners, including a kindergarten teacher who went on to earn six figures in the federal market. In this episode, Eric pulls a module directly out of GovCon Giants' consulting program and teaches it live, completely free, walking you through the exact five-step process he used to train Maria Martinez and his son Brandon to land their first govcon dollars.

What you'll learn in this episode:

The two-path approach to getting started: Whether you find the company first (like Maria) or the opportunity first (like Brandon), Eric breaks down both strategies and explains why there is no wrong answer as long as you reach the end result
How to find and vet 8(a) certified companies: Eric reveals the SBA DSBS database method, the four criteria he uses to rank potential partners (administrative team, enthusiasm, management structure, and annual revenue), and why companies doing over $1M a year are the ones worth pursuing
What to say when you call a company cold: Eric shares the exact conversation starter he uses to open doors — no pitch, no pressure, just a simple exploratory question about capacity and bandwidth that gets people talking
How to structure roles, responsibilities, and fee agreements: From teaming arrangements and MOUs to percentage-based fee structures, Eric walks through what a first partner deal actually looks like and how to get commitments in writing before you touch a single proposal
The bid submission checklist that saves you from losing on technicalities: Eric shares real IDIQ losses caused by missed documents and late submissions — and the exact pre-submission checklist he now uses to protect every bid from avoidable disqualification

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Mindy AI and Encore Funding sponsor intro

0:44 - GovCon Giants welcome and host introduction

1:10 - Maria Martinez origin story and the $20K course reveal

2:25 - First 20K overview: the five-step process explained

4:42 - What you actually need to get started in govcon

5:30 - Step one: finding the right government opportunity

7:16 - How to choose your industry using the frequency rule

10:06 - Step two: finding and evaluating 8a companies to partner with

13:55 - How to reach out and start the conversation with potential partners

17:37 - Elle's referral networking approach and how to rank companies

21:03 - Setting up your first meeting: TML research, presentation tips, and discussing money

23:54 - Step three: presenting the opportunity and testing the relationship

27:15 - Step four: agreeing on roles, fees, and formal teaming agreements

29:03 - Submitting the bid and dotting your I's with the full submission checklist

32:44 - Step five: waiting for results, handling follow-ups, and post-award actions

34:14 - Best practices: sole source strategy, leveraging certifications, and next steps

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.

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Connect with Encore Funding: http://govcongiants.org/funding