Contract Strategy
Set-asides, IDIQ vehicles, GSA Schedules, and sole source contracting — how to structure your contract portfolio.
SDVOSB sole source contracts: what they are, who awards them, and how to position
Sole source contracts skip the competitive process entirely. Here is the statutory authority, the dollar thresholds, and how to get on a CO's shortlist for sole source consideration.
IDIQ contract vehicles: how SDVOSB firms get on the vehicles that matter
IDIQ vehicles concentrate spending and limit competition to on-vehicle firms. Getting on the right ones early is one of the highest-leverage BD investments an SDVOSB can make.
SDVOSB and 8(a): should your firm pursue both certifications?
An SDVOSB firm that also holds 8(a) certification can access two separate sets of set-aside contracts and sole source authorities. But the 8(a) program has real costs and obligations. Here is how to decide.
Federal contract set-asides: complete guide for SDVOSBs
Set-asides are the most powerful tool in the SDVOSB toolkit. Here is how they work, where to find them, and how to build a strategy around them that generates consistent pipeline.
GSA Schedule Contracting for Small Businesses
How small businesses get on GSA Schedules, what it costs to maintain them, and how to generate actual task order revenue once you are on a vehicle.
Task Orders vs. Delivery Orders: How Competition Actually Works on IDIQ Vehicles
Getting on an IDIQ vehicle is only step one. Winning task and delivery orders under it is where the revenue actually comes from, and it's a different competition than the base award.
SBIR and STTR Funding for SDVOSBs: How the Phase System Works and How to Use It
The SBIR and STTR programs fund small business R&D at federal agencies — no competition with large primes, non-dilutive capital, and a path to sole source Phase III awards. Most SDVOSB firms never look at them.
Termination for Convenience: What It Means When the Government Ends Your Contract
The federal government can terminate any contract at any time for its own convenience. Here is what you are owed, how to calculate it, and how to protect your firm when it happens.
Contract Financing for Federal Contractors: Progress Payments, Advance Payments, and Performance-Based Payments
Federal contract financing closes the gap between incurring costs and receiving payment. Here is how progress payments, performance-based payments, and advance payments work — and how to request them.
The Contracting Officer's Representative: Who They Are and Why They Control Your Contract
The COR is the government employee who monitors your performance, approves your invoices, and drafts your CPARS rating. Understanding their authority and investing in that relationship is one of the highest-return activities available to an SDVOSB during contract performance.
GSA Schedule Contracts for SDVOSBs: How to Get On Schedule and Win Task Orders
A GSA Schedule gives federal buyers a pre-competed vehicle to purchase from your SDVOSB without running a full competition. Here is how to apply, what GSA evaluates, and how to generate real revenue from the vehicle once you hold it.
IDIQ Contracts Explained: What They Are and How SDVOSBs Win Task Orders
Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contracts are the backbone of federal IT and services procurement. Here is what IDIQ means, how Multiple Award Contracts work, and the strategy SDVOSB firms use to get on vehicles and win task orders.
VA SDVOSB Set-Asides: How the Department of Veterans Affairs Contracting Works
The VA is legally required to prioritize SDVOSBs under the Veterans First Contracting Program — a mandate no other federal agency has. Here is how VA set-asides work, what CVE verification requires, and how to build a VA-focused BD strategy.
Federal Contract Transition-In: How to Execute the First 90 Days and Protect Your Award
Winning the award is not the same as winning the contract. The 90-day transition-in period sets the agency relationship, the early CPARS narrative, and the recompete position — before performance has even begun. Here is how to execute it.