OST Global Solutions Corporate Training & Apprenticeship Programs
For many organizations, 2025 was one of the most challenging years for securing federal and state contracts. With an estimated 73% reduction in opportunities, it became essential for Business Development (BD) teams to operate with greater discipline, strategy, and expertise. Many small businesses struggled to remain viable, while others experienced significant revenue declines.
As we move into 2026, the environment is shifting and opportunities are increasing, but many organizations are operating with leaner teams and less experienced BD staff. This creates both a challenge and a significant opportunity: companies that invest in training and maturing their BD capabilities will be best positioned to win.
For over 20 years, OST has helped organizations strengthen their ability to win contracts through our award-winning targeted corporate training and Department of Labor (DOL)-certified apprenticeship program. Our approach spans the full BD lifecycle, from opportunity identification through capture and proposal submission.
At OST, we require our staff to complete our apprenticeship program before supporting clients. This approach coupled with our best practices and quality of delivery allows us to achieve an 85%-win rate when leading capture and proposal efforts, which is more than 50% above the industry average.
OST provides targeted, practical instruction delivered by active BD practitioners who have supported billions of dollars in federal contract awards. Training is customized to your organization’s specific needs and covers the full business development lifecycle, from pipeline management through proposal submission.
Core training topics include:
- Capture planning and customer engagement
- Competitive analysis (Black Hat and Price-to-Win)
- Proposal development, compliance, and writing
- Cost/Basis of Estimate development
- Win theme development and strategy
OST also supports cross-training initiatives like training technical subject matter experts in proposal development and compliance, which has proven to reduce rework, improve content quality, and decrease proposal cycle time. In short, a more mature BD support model that leads to a higher Pwin and an increase with revenue generating contracts and retention of BD support staff.
Who Should Consider: Existing BD teams strengthening specific capabilities, firms managing multiple proposals with limited resources, organizations experiencing inconsistent proposal quality, or teams preparing for major procurements.
Format: In-person, virtual or hybrid delivery. Full-day, half-day, or staggered sessions. Standalone modules or combined programs are tailored to your organization’s needs.
OST offers the first and only U.S. Department of Labor-certified apprenticeship for Government BD, a comprehensive program designed to build capability across the entire BD lifecycle.
This program addresses a key industry gap: over 95% of BD professionals enter the field without formal training.
Program Highlights
- 12 structured modules covering:
- Opportunity identification & pipeline management
- Capture strategy & customer engagement
- Competitive positioning & win strategy
- Proposal development and execution
- Competency-based progression with required assessments
- Self-paced, online delivery via OST’s Learning Management System
- DOL-recognized certification upon completion
- Pro-Veteran: approved for GI Bill funding, including housing stipend eligibility.
Who Should Consider: Organizations developing internal BD talent, companies standardizing BD practices across teams, firms with personnel transitioning into BD roles, or businesses scaling federal contracting operations.
Format: Self-paced online delivery through OST’s Learning Management System. Participants complete coursework while working full-time. DOL certification upon completion.
WHY OST GLOBAL SOLUTIONS?
OST instructors are active practitioners delivering real-world training built around actual BD execution.
- Our founder and lead instructor, Olessia Smotrova is an APMP Fellow and a worldwide recognized BD expert with over 28 years of experience.
- OST’s 6 instructors have over a century of BD experience and are APMP certified professionals who have won billions of dollars in federal contract awards.
- First and only DOL-certified apprenticeship for Government BD.
- Flexible, tailored solutions aligned to organizational goals.
- Programs built around practical application, not theory
OST supports organizations at every stage, from strengthening existing BD capabilities to building new teams from the ground up.
Explore our full training catalog to find the courses that best fit your needs and contact us to discuss which training pathway align with your BD growth objectives.
