In Federal Contracting, the Opportunity Starts Before the Solicitation

By the time a federal solicitation appears on SAM.gov, much of the opportunity has already taken shape.

The agency has identified a need, considered available funding, researched the market and chosen at least a preliminary acquisition approach. Requirements reflect internal conversations the bidder did not hear. Timelines may be tied to mission, budget or expiring work. The eventual proposal is important, but it is the last response in a much longer chain.

Kara Ryals built Contracting Intelligence Group to help businesses see that chain from the buyer’s side. Ryals previously worked in federal acquisitions at the Department of Health and Human Services. When a reorganization eliminated her office, she and other former federal executives turned their experience into a company that advises small and midsize contractors.

Their premise is simple: government contracting is not primarily a paperwork contest. It is a market in which the seller must understand how a highly regulated buyer defines value and manages risk.

The scale justifies the effort. Federal agencies obligated $793 billion through contracts in fiscal year 2025, an inflation-adjusted increase of $17.8 billion from the prior year. (GAO) At the same time, the buying environment is changing. Federal efforts to consolidate common spending and overhaul acquisition rules mean that strategies based on old pathways can become outdated quickly. (GAO)

Read the market like an acquisition team

A contractor often asks, “Who can introduce me?” A buyer is more likely to ask:

• Is the need real and funded?
• Is this company responsible and capable?
• Can we obtain adequate competition or justify another approach?
• Does the solution fit security, schedule and compliance constraints?
• What evidence shows the vendor can perform at this scale?

Ryals says CIG helps clients think through those questions rather than relying on a polished pitch. The work starts with the customer’s challenge and the acquisition environment around it.

A useful market map contains six layers: target agency, mission problem, program office, contracting office, purchase history and likely procurement path. Public systems can help. SAM.gov provides contract opportunities and entity data, while its registration process supplies the Unique Entity ID required for federal awards. (SAM.gov) Historical award information can reveal incumbents, contract values, vehicles and buying patterns.

The goal is not to collect data indiscriminately. It is to form a testable account plan: “This office buys this class of solution, under these constraints, through these mechanisms, and our evidence addresses these specific risks.”

Readiness comes before capture

New entrants frequently treat SAM registration as the beginning of business development. It is an administrative prerequisite. A company is not ready to pursue meaningful work until its operations can survive the award.

Before active capture, a leadership team should confirm:

1. Offer clarity: The company can describe a specific outcome, not a catalog of capabilities.
2. Past performance: Evidence can be connected to the scope and scale being pursued.
3. Financial capacity: The company can cover labor and expenses before payment.
4. Compliance: Required accounting, cybersecurity, labor and recordkeeping controls are understood.
5. Delivery capacity: Named leaders, partners and staffing plans exist.
6. Representations: Certifications and registration data are accurate and current.

The government may require post-award reporting depending on the award. (SAM.gov) Winning work without the ability to administer it can turn growth into a threat.

Select a path, not just an opportunity

Ryals’s example of helping a client secure a $5.5 million sole-source award shows why acquisition strategy matters. In her account, the approach allowed the government to act quickly while creating a major opening for the small business.

Sole-source authority is not a shortcut a seller can demand. The agency must have a lawful basis and document its decision. The broader lesson is to evaluate the complete set of paths: open competition, small-business set-asides, schedules, government-wide vehicles, agency-specific vehicles, subcontracting, teaming and eligible sole-source programs.

Each path has different barriers, timing and proof requirements. A young company may create momentum faster as a subcontractor on work that establishes relevant performance. Another may possess a certification, technology or specialized capability that supports a more direct route. Strategy is choosing the path that matches the company’s maturity and the buyer’s authority.

Engage before the requirement hardens

Pre-solicitation engagement is useful when it helps the government understand the market. Contractors can respond to requests for information, attend industry days, request appropriate meetings and publish material that clarifies a mission problem. The purpose is not to pressure an official. It is to provide credible information while requirements and acquisition strategies are still being considered.

That requires a different conversation from a generic capability pitch. Lead with the agency’s desired outcome, relevant evidence and the tradeoffs the buyer may need to consider. Ask how the work fits the mission, which constraints are most important and what the government needs to learn from industry.

Ryals says her team teaches clients what it is doing and why. That transparency matters because a contractor cannot permanently outsource its understanding of the market. Leadership must learn how to qualify opportunities, maintain relationships and make bid decisions with discipline.

Use a bid/no-bid scorecard

The federal market can consume unlimited attention. A compact scorecard protects a company from chasing every notice that contains the right keywords. Score each pursuit on customer knowledge, requirement fit, past performance, vehicle access, competitive position, available staff, margin and probability of award. Establish a minimum threshold before proposal work begins.

A no-bid decision preserves resources for a winnable opportunity. It is not a failure of ambition.

CIG’s advantage is the perspective of people who once sat inside the buying system. Ryals describes the firm’s work as helping businesses see how the contracting officer, program office and source-selection official think. That does not eliminate competition or uncertainty. It replaces myth with a more accurate map.

In a market this large, finding an opportunity is easy. Understanding why the government would choose your company is the real work.

Interview source: Kara(1).txt