Foundations of Capture Management

Foundations of Capture Management

Companies that implement a capture plan position themselves to win even before the Government releases a Request for Proposal (RFP). Developing an effective capture plan entails a deliberate and disciplined approach to capture and information gathering. Capture...
NOAA ProTech Satellites Recompete

NOAA ProTech Satellites Recompete

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released the draft Statement of Work (SOW) for its largest IDIQ – Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (ProTech) Satellite Domain. The ProTech contract has a $3 billion ceiling shared across four...
How to Develop a Compliant Proposal

How to Develop a Compliant Proposal

How to Develop a Compliant Proposal One of the most important steps in the proposal process is ensuring all participants know how to properly read an RFP. This involves not only understanding the requirements but to key in on the evaluation criteria to shape the...
Lessons Learned From My Business Development Career – Part 1

Lessons Learned From My Business Development Career – Part 1

This is the first in a series of newsletters that will share my personal experiences in the career of business development, capture, and proposals, detailing the most valuable lessons I have learned over more than 20 years in the field. This is a bit of a long story,...
Taking Ownership of Proposal Content as Writer/Editor

Taking Ownership of Proposal Content as Writer/Editor

Winning contracts from the Federal Government is a team sport. It can sometimes require intense effort from a large group of people over years. By the time an opportunity reaches the proposal phase, many key decisions have been made, so how much impact can proposal...
What is a Proposal Really?

What is a Proposal Really?

Ready to Win More Government Contracts? Schedule a FREE 30-minute Business Development Consultation with one of our experts or contact us directly at [email protected] or (301) 384-3350. We’ll discuss actionable ways you can grow in the Federal market and...
Build and Manage a Robust Government Opportunities Pipeline

Build and Manage a Robust Government Opportunities Pipeline

Waiting for RFPs to drop might be commonplace in our industry, but it’s no way to grow a federal contracting business. In our previous blog post, The 3 Biggest Mistakes in the Federal Business Development Process, we emphasize the need to develop team discipline and...
Developing Risks and Performing Risk Burndown Analysis

Developing Risks and Performing Risk Burndown Analysis

The more novel your solution—the more your risk identification and mitigation strategy must show considerate and detailed analysis Experienced business developers must apply thorough risk burndown analysis to lessen exposures and overcome customer objections to unique...
Important COVID-19 Measure Updates for Government Contractors

Important COVID-19 Measure Updates for Government Contractors

As promised, here are additional resources to support you as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve. OST is a member of the GCN Council which is dedicated to advocacy for Government contractors. Please, read this post to the end as we are providing important...
How to Win Government Contracts: Nailing Your Proposal

How to Win Government Contracts: Nailing Your Proposal

Your chances of crafting a winning proposal will improve if you apply a disciplined process that ensures you address all of the requirements and customer needs. Veteran proposal managers know the process cold. They’ve been there, done that. As one of our colleagues...
Information for Government Contractors Affected by COVID-19

Information for Government Contractors Affected by COVID-19

Here are some important updates on help available for Government contractors. Applying for All Possible SBA Loans Hopefully, your company has already applied for all the loans and grants available to date, not only on the federal but state and county levels. In case...
How to Develop Strong Win Themes For Your Proposal

How to Develop Strong Win Themes For Your Proposal

Win Themes Are Reasons to Buy—But Are They Your Customer’s Reasons? Experienced proposal managers know that proposal win themes are the key benefits you’re bringing to the customer’s RFP. But as so often happens in the haste of proposal development, win themes can be...
New Information for Government Contractors on Relief Measures

New Information for Government Contractors on Relief Measures

We at OST are committed to providing the latest news and developments to help you as a Government contractor to weather the pandemic. Here is some useful information. The Senate passed H.R. 748 last night – the third bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill. The House is...
Government Contractor Guidance Regarding the Pandemic

Government Contractor Guidance Regarding the Pandemic

Things change every day and sometimes by the hour with the growing pandemic. Government contractors’ lives have been upended and we are all worried about the future. At OST, we are working hard to help our clients stay cash positive and advocate for all Government...
Federal Proposal Editing: Here’s What You Missed

Federal Proposal Editing: Here’s What You Missed

Proposal managers often get to wear different hats. I am stating the obvious, I know. We do not always get to stand back and orchestrate the overall effort of a winning proposal. Often we have to also get down in the trenches and perform last-minute capture management, fill out pricing and contractual forms, write the technical sections when the Subject Matter Experts are unavailable, and dare I say we even have to edit the proposal after we have written most of it ourselves.

Editing begins early in the proposal writing process and continues throughout the lifecycle, but no matter what stage you are pulled in to edit, it is a distinct task in a proposal’s lifecycle that requires a specific skill set. Editing includes cutting and strengthening text for readability and impact, bringing consistency to diverse materials, achieving a “single voice” in a proposal, and even making your writing sing.

Should We Outsource Federal Proposal Writing? Answer: Yes and No!

Should We Outsource Federal Proposal Writing? Answer: Yes and No!

Perhaps the most common complaint of proposal teams – besides never having enough time – is limited availability of talent. Business development managers and program leads must make crucial and often last-minute decisions about how to staff the effort. But...