In this episode of the Federal Help Center Podcast, Randie Ward explains why winning contractors don't stay stuck in the constant "bid, bid, bid" cycle. She breaks down the difference between tactical bidding (reactively searching SAM.gov) and strategic capture (building relationships and forecasting opportunities before they ever hit the platform). The goal isn't just finding contracts — it's positioning yourself so agencies and primes can find you first.

Randie shares a real success story from a higher education contract win, proving that the same federal capture strategies work across state, local, and university projects. By staying persistent, connecting with the right decision-makers, and tracking opportunities early, contractors can stop chasing bids late and start winning through visibility and preparation.

• Stop relying only on SAM.gov — build a strategic pipeline through relationships

• Capture starts before the bid drops by tracking projects early and staying persistent

• The best wins come from being known before the proposal stage

If you want to learn more about the community and to join the webinars go to: https://federalhelpcenter.com/

Website: https://govcongiants.org/

Connect with Encore Funding: http://govcongiants.org/funding

Join 2026 Surge Bootcamp Starting January 31: https://govcongiants.org/surge

In this episode, Eric Coffie breaks down a massive Q1 opportunity: the government has roughly 90 days to obligate $82.8B in unobligated DoD funds—or risk losing budget authority. Eric shares how he triangulated data across sources (including NDAA legislation, Treasury Fiscal Data, CBO, and unobligated balance reporting) and explains what "unobligated" really means: authorized money that hasn't been committed to contracts yet—creating a high-pressure spend window from January through March.

Eric also explains why this is a "perfect storm" for small businesses: higher sole-source thresholds (non-manufacturing up to $8M, manufacturing up to $10M), relentless small business goal pressure, and a huge recompete marketplace where long-term vehicles can lock up spend for 5–10+ years. He closes with actionable next steps (buyers lists, low-competition hit lists, NDAA cheat sheets, agency pain points, and recompete trackers) so contractors can stop reacting late—and start positioning early.

• Q1 is a use-it-or-lose-it spend window—position now, not when the bid drops

• Most money is tied to task orders/IDIQs + sole source, not just SAM "open bids"

• Track recompetes + agency pain points to negotiate and partner before teams are picked

If you want to learn more about the community and to join the webinars go to: https://federalhelpcenter.com/

Website: https://govcongiants.org/

Connect with Encore Funding: http://govcongiants.org/funding

Join 2026 Surge Bootcamp Starting January 31: https://govcongiants.org/surge

In this episode of the Federal Help Center Podcast, Ryan Atencio explains why timing—not talent—is the biggest reason contractors lose government opportunities.

You'll learn how relying on sporadic SAM.gov searches puts you weeks behind, why safe searches and daily monitoring are critical to catching opportunities the moment they drop, and how internal delays quietly kill bids before pricing or proposals even begin. The episode also breaks down why many companies pass on winnable work due to short timelines, how competitors often miss the same opportunities you assume they're chasing, and why mastering fast, repeatable proposal submission is one of the strongest unfair advantages in government contracting.

• Speed beats perfection. Catching opportunities the day they drop gives you a massive edge over competitors who see them late—or not at all.

• Most companies self-eliminate. Delayed go/no-go decisions and slow pricing cycles cause businesses to pass on contracts they could win.

• Price always matters. Even in best-value trades, technically acceptable proposals often come down to cost—so never price like it's "a sure thing."

If you want to learn more about the community and to join the webinars go to: https://federalhelpcenter.com/

Website: https://govcongiants.org/

Connect with Encore Funding: http://govcongiants.org/funding

Join 2026 Surge Bootcamp Starting January 31: https://govcongiants.org/surge