Winning That Government Contracting Award · Session 1 of 4
Business Development Lifecycle
Brandon Mason · Maryland Small Business Development Center
Monday, September 28, 2026
Before we start
Scan your worksheet
- Point your phone camera at the code. Or click the link in the Zoom chat.
- Fill in page 1 now. Name, email, business, where you are today.
- Keep the tab open. We come back to it three times today.
Link is in the Zoom chat
When you submit at the end, the capture template and every link from today land in your inbox.
Today
What we're covering
- 01Where to find government opportunities
- 02How the government actually buys
- 03Revenue strategies: where you fit right now
- 04The 36-month capture pipeline
- 05The six phases of business development
- 06Go/No-Go: knowing when to walk away
Finding opportunities
Part 1 · Finding opportunities
Where to look
Part 1 · Finding opportunities
How the government actually buys
How they buy
- Federal
- Existing contract vehicles (IDIQs, GSA Schedule, SeaPort-e, OASIS+, OTAs), open solicitations on SAM.gov, DSBS for set-asides, forecasts
- State
- eMMA for $30k+
- County / City
- Procurement portals for $15k+
Below ~$15k
Purchase cards.
A government credit card. No formal solicitation required. If you sell something an agency needs for under ~$15k, a contracting officer can just buy it.
Quick comparison
Government vs. B2B
| Government | B2B | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Portals & contract vehicles | Supplier portals, direct outreach |
| Process | Formal: RFPs, RFQs, set-asides | RFPs, RFQs, traditional sales |
| Timeline | Months to years | Weeks to months |
| Rules | Compliance on top of everything | Fewer rules |
| Relationships | Matter, within the rules | Often drive the deal |
The capture discipline works for both. Government adds compliance on top.
Revenue strategies: where do you fit?
Part 2 · Revenue strategies
Three revenue strategies
Strategy 1
Sub under small
Start here. Find a small-business prime with the contract, past performance and certifications, and offer your skills as a sub.
Strategy 2
Prime with agencies
When you have: federal experience, 3+ years of revenue, clearances if needed, strategic partnerships.
Strategy 3 · parallel track
Sub under large
Large primes need small subs to hit small-business goals (often 23%+). Steady, but a smaller piece of a bigger pie.
Know which strategy you're running right now.
Part 2 · Revenue strategies
Certifications = teaming leverage
Early on, certifications are about subcontracting, not priming.
- They make you the partner a prime needs
- SDVOSB and some others rarely see large prime awards (mostly VA)
- Maryland MBE matters most on state contracts
- The SBDC helps with certifications, free
- Tedious, not hard
Worksheet checkpoint · Section A
Where do you fit?
Tap Next to Section A. Which strategy are you running right now, and which one agency or buyer would you focus on first?
Link is in the Zoom chat
The 36-month capture pipeline
Part 3 · The pipeline
The real timeline: 36 months
~month 28–30
You will lose if you wait until the RFP is released.
Part 3 · The pipeline
The first proposal is the hardest
150+
hours to write your first federal proposal
- Processes and templates make every cycle faster
- One agency or customer speeds it up even more
- 3 weeks on a proposal you miss the deadline for = lost opportunity
Part 3 · The pipeline
Your marketing collateral
Capability statement · one page
Have several versions, one per buyer or NAICS. Pro tip: image-search “Capability Statement [your NAICS]” for real examples.
Buyers will Google you
- No website = you don't exist
- No social media = you don't exist
- Neglected social media = red flag
- It doesn't have to be fancy. It has to exist and look professional.
The six phases of business development
Part 4 · Six phases
The business development lifecycle
Phase 1 · Capture
Long-term positioning
- Identify your strategic markets: where do you want to play?
- Assess market direction and upcoming opportunities
- Benchmark your capabilities: where are your gaps?
- Build strategic alliances: teaming partners, mentors, primes
- Set criteria to prioritize (you can't chase everything)
- Start marketing: industry days, relationships, get known
Phase 2 · Capture
Opportunity assessment
- Gather preliminary customer intelligence
- Attend industry briefings and pre-solicitation conferences
- Understand basic requirements; identify probable competitors
- Early analysis: is this a fit? can you compete?
- Make the Bid/No-Bid decision
- If Go: assign a capture manager (even if it's you)
Phase 3 · Capture
Capture team development
In a small business, one person may fill 2 or 3 of these.
- Establish customer contacts
- Gather and analyze program intelligence
- Write the capture strategy and plan
- Set the bid and proposal budget
- Start teaming and subcontractor relationships
- Define your winning price
Phase 4 · Proposal
Pre-proposal preparation
- Proposal strategy, tasks, budget and schedule
- Work breakdown structure (WBS)
- Teaming and subcontractor statements of work
- Outline from Sections L and M of the RFP
- Reuse what you can from past proposals
- Draft the Executive Summary; hold a kickoff
Key outputs
Map Section L (instructions) and Section M (evaluation) before you write a word. Template in Session 3.
Phase 5 · Proposal
Proposal development
Never submit a proposal that only its writers have read.
Phase 6 · Proposal
Post-submittal activities
- Keep all proposal documentation organized
- Answer clarification requests
- Orals, demos, discussions
- Revalidate pricing if asked
- Negotiate if selected
- Run lessons learned
Always request a debrief.
Win or lose.Go/No-Go: the decision that saves you
Part 5 · Go/No-Go
Probability of win: the Four C's
Weak on two or more? Red flag.
Worksheet checkpoint · Section B
Score one opportunity
Section B: name one opportunity you're watching and rate it 1 to 5 on Customer, Competition, Capabilities and Cost. Then make the call: Go or No-Go.
Link is in the Zoom chat
Part 5 · Go/No-Go
Be selective
No-Go if you
- Lack expertise in the work
- Have a business or ethical conflict
- Would stretch resources too thin
- Don't believe it's real or attainable
- Don't have time for an excellent proposal
Go if you
- Have expertise in the work
- Have resources to perform
- Have time for an excellent proposal
- Can submit a letter of intent if required
Weigh probability of win, cost to propose, and estimated profit.
Industry standard · Shipley
Capture before, proposal after
Phases 1–3
Capture
Everything before the RFPPhases 4–6
Proposal
Everything afterMost small businesses only do proposal. Consistent winners do both.
Today
What to remember
What's next
Submit your worksheet
Wednesday, Sept 30 · 10:00 a.m. · Session 2
Team roles & responsibilities
- Who does what on a proposal team
- Scaling roles when you're one to three people
- Running color team reviews
- When to bring in outside help
Worksheet · Section C
Write your one step, then submit.
Your inbox gets: this deck with notes, the capture management template, and links to SAM.gov, eMMA, county portals and forecasts.
Questions?
Brandon Mason · Maryland SBDC
bwmason@umd.edu
No-cost, one-on-one consulting. Register as an SBDC client: mdsbdc.ecenterdirect.com/signup
Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance.