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Strategy12 guides

Capture Strategy & Winning Federal Contracts

Strategic thinking for capture and proposal teams — decide which opportunities to pursue, build your pipeline, and systematically improve your win rate.

Strategy7 min read

A Bid/No-Bid Decision Framework for Federal Opportunities

A practical framework for evaluating whether to pursue a federal opportunity — including the criteria that matter most to capture and proposal teams.

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Strategy9 min read

How to Win U.S. Federal Government Contracts

Proven strategies for winning more U.S. federal government contracts — from building your pipeline to writing stronger proposals.

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Strategy8 min read

AI Proposal Writer vs. Proposal Consultant: A Cost Comparison

Should you use AI proposal-writing software or hire a proposal consultant? A side-by-side cost and outcome comparison for small federal contractors.

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Strategy9 min read

How to Choose Proposal Software for Your GovCon Team

A practical 10-point checklist for evaluating proposal software for federal contractors. Use it as a scoring matrix to compare any tool on your shortlist.

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Strategy9 min read

How to Win 8(a) Sole-Source Contracts

How to win 8(a) sole-source federal contracts: SBA 8(a) program eligibility, the sole-source threshold rules, building agency relationships, and submitting a winning sole-source proposal.

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Strategy8 min read

WOSB & EDWOSB Certification Guide for Federal Contractors

How to get WOSB and EDWOSB certification and win federal set-aside contracts: eligibility, the SBA certify.sba.gov process, eligible NAICS codes, and how to compete for WOSB set-asides.

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Strategy8 min read

HUBZone Certification & Contracts Guide

How to get HUBZone certified and win federal HUBZone contracts: eligibility, the principal office and 35% employee residency rules, the price evaluation preference, and how to compete for set-asides.

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Strategy8 min read

SDVOSB / VOSB Certification & VA Contracts Guide

How to win VA and government-wide contracts as a service-disabled veteran-owned or veteran-owned small business: SBA VetCert, the VA Rule of Two, set-asides, sole-source, and verification.

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Strategy9 min read

Teaming Agreements & Subcontracting in Federal Contracts

How teaming agreements, subcontracting, and joint ventures work in federal contracting: prime-sub roles, the SBA Mentor-Protégé program, limitations on subcontracting, and how to structure a winning team.

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Strategy9 min read

How to Find Federal Subcontracting Opportunities

How small businesses find federal subcontracting work: SBA SubNet, large-prime supplier portals, subcontracting plans under FAR 52.219-9, and how to get selected by a prime contractor.

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Strategy9 min read

How to Build a Federal Capture Pipeline

A playbook for building a federal capture pipeline: sourcing on SAM.gov, qualifying with a bid/no-bid gate, running pre-RFP capture, and forecasting with Pwin.

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Strategy9 min read

How to Win Your First Federal Contract

A roadmap to your first federal contract: SAM.gov registration and UEI, set-aside certifications, micro-purchase entry points, and your first compliant proposal.

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Write better proposals with AI

GovCon helps federal contractors write stronger proposals, track deadlines, and win more contracts.

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