Federal Compass - Waypoints

Monitoring SAM is a way of life if you conduct business with the Federal government. Contractors of all sizes and levels of maturity depend on SAM as a critical source for information and lead generation.

In our previous post, we reported on objective data and provided insights from those companies who both succeeded and struggled after graduation. In this post, we examine the best practices and lessons learned from contractors who have navigated the struggles of life after 8(a) graduation. Learn more by downloading the free eBook, 8(a) Exit and Transition Guide.

When it comes to 8(a) graduations, the numbers tell the story. For the majority of companies, the years following graduation rarely lead to continued success. Instead, reality tends to be a sudden, sustained, and dramatic loss of revenues. If that statement seems a bit exaggerated, we encourage you to read our 8(a) graduation ebook where objective data proves that this statement is far more than an alarmist prophecy. Learn more by downloading the free eBook, 8(a) Exit and Transition Guide.

Revenue growth is the primary focus of every small business, but in a market as complex and fluid as the federal contracting market, growth can often stall due to the lack of the right resources. And when effectively managing expenditures puts the right resources out of reach, small businesses often get caught in a growth Catch-22.

What is FPDS?

FPDS, also known as FPDS NG, or the Federal Procurement Data System, is the central real-time database for government contracting transactions. The system is meant to ensure trust and transparency in federal spending. FPDS is the most comprehensive and definitive source for government contracting transparency data, although it does not contain all awards (we’ll touch on that below). The award information in FPDS is used by the President, Congress, GAO, and other agencies to form policy decisions and to report on trends.

Whether you are seeking inorganic growth opportunities or strategic partnerships, situational awareness is the key to identifying potential pathways. These types of relationships and acquisitions often spawn from a specific need, and when that need becomes a pain point, inorganic growth can stall, and teaming partners can become strained. When trying to identify these potential opportunities in the ever-crowded field of federal contracting, it can often feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.

How does the government keep getting it so wrong? The pause on Polaris marks the second speed bump for a GWAC. Previously, the CIO-SP4 RFP presented a puzzle that made the Rubix cube seem simple. For any small business capable of navigating the labyrinth of process and layers of scoring, they came out on the other frustrated with an unbalanced approach NITAAC used that placed small businesses at a disadvantage. Not to be outdone, GSA advertised a wildly adventurous process for the looming BIC MAC competition and followed that up with an RFP that basically turned Polaris into Alliant 2, part 2.

The GSA didn’t merely give an advantage to JVs, they offered up the entire program to every Alliant 2 prime and large federal contractor who missed out on a seat. Had the competition gone through, small businesses who have played proxy for larger contractors, while actual small contractors would have struggled to score well or have any real chance to compete with larger ones, parading around as helpful mentors.

In a market that is more complex and competitive than ever, is your market intelligence ready for the challenge? Move beyond reacting to the market and get the insights you need to put yourself in the right direction. Federal Compass does just that.

Take a peek into the pipeline of most contractors, and you’ll find a long list of opportunities initially published on SAM.gov. Ask most contractors where to find opportunities, and with few exceptions, they will directly or indirectly point to SAM.gov. Since the inception of FedBizOpps, more commonly known as FBO, it has represented the primary pipeline source for most contractors. In a market saturated with acronyms, few rose to the prominence of FBO. SAM.gov recently consumed FBO and a favorite acronym was lost to government innovation. Though the sway of the old URL is on full display as many still refer to their source of opportunities as FBO rather than accepting a new acronym.

Whether monitoring SAM.gov directly or using a third-party provider, the level of dependence verges on obsession for many contractors.

As the due date for CIO-SP4 proposals draws near, the number of pre-award protests continues to mount. The highly anticipated follow-on to the wildly successful CIO-SP3 appears destined for trouble long before the first awards.