FedSubK Feature: Focus in FY25 - Be Seen and Be Heard
From the perspective of a Contracting Officer (CO/KO) and acquisition workforce member for over 30 years, I see small businesses every day chasing Government contracts without focus. FOMO is your nemesis and a resource killer.
As we head into the new fiscal year, let's "Focus in FY25" in a couple of areas. Our first is… Be Seen by Federal Buyers.
This may not be popular opinion in the GovCon community—particularly by those businesses that write these and charge small businesses a lot of money to do them, but...a great capabilities statement alone rarely gets you noticed.
Nine times out of ten if the subject line says "ABC Company - Capabilities Statement" the Government recipient is going to immediately drag and drop it into an email folder without reading it and, frankly, may never open it. This is why I caution businesses -- do not spend a lot of money paying for a cap statement. A few hours, your logo, some basic instructions that you can get from others here on LinkedIn, and an AI tool like Gamma, Canva, or PowerPoint get you the same thing.
INSTEAD...after your SAM registration is active, FOCUS on…
(1) completing your Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) profile, and
(2) polishing your website.
DSBS is where EVERY FEDERAL BUYER doing market research eventually goes to see how many small businesses identify under the NAICS code they are using for a buy AND how many of those smalls fall under each socioeconomic category. If you don’t have your DSBS profile filled out, you are missing out -- plain and simple.
DSBS has a place to put your business URL -- use it. There is a higher chance of the buyer clicking on your website link than opening your cap statement. Why? It's faster and from one look at your website they can see how "finished" and "polished" your business is with its messaging. A website says more than a cap statement in that regard.
Did I use cap statements in my market research as a CO/KO? Sometimes, but not often. Most often DSBS was my source because it is the authoritative source for socioeconomic status info and provides for quick queries and export of report results. SAM.gov Data Bank reports can also be used. Capabilities statements age and the data is always churning in new small business information. Contracting Officers must use information that is current within the past 18 months to inform their acquisition strategy analyses. They aren’t going to dust off a bunch of old emails to do their market research and cull through the long list they get.
Am I saying you shouldn't do a capabilities statement?
Not at all! It is a great exercise in objectively assessing and honing your written pitch to use in DSBS or orally when you meet people. It can also help you really stretch yourself to identify the true differentiators of your business from your competitors. These are the two areas in the cap statement that need the most work in those I review.
Want to know an even better person to send the capabilities statement to on a regular basis instead of the Contracting Officer?
A person that is charged to advocate internally for small businesses – the office Small Business Specialist. These specialists are charged with advising the Contracting Officer on small business matters. Every action under the Simplified Acquisition Threshold that isn’t going to a small business and every action over the Simplified Acquisition Threshold, regardless of dollar value or acquisition strategy, goes through the Small Business Specialist for review and sign off.
But with all that said, again...a great capabilities statement alone is rarely going to get you noticed. FOCUS on your DSBS profile and website.
Next let’s talk about how to…Be Heard by Federal Buyers
I meet so many small businesses concerned about interactions with the Government. They are worried about making a good impression, asking the right questions, coming across smart about Government contracting, but still getting answers to questions important to them. The worry results in a paralysis of sorts, particularly because so much of that communication is no longer in person but via email.
Trying to sort out what “GovCon Whisperer” to listen to is hard to decide. They all have their own take. But… have they been on the receiving end of these marketing emails from thousands of businesses? Ummm, probably not. Lucky for you, I have!
It's a good thing to be conscientious of making a good first impression; you only get one, as they say. But before you start firing off emails to Government acquisition personnel with cute snappy subject lines and a list of asks, then following up with daily, “Can we connect ASAP?” inquiries out of FOMO, let me give you some advice – that isn’t going to do anything but annoy the heck out of the Government recipient.
INSTEAD…Educate yourself on the different roles on the Government’s acquisition team and FOCUS on...
1) Asking the right people the right questions at the right time, and
2) Creating a cadence for regular communications.
The Right People
You can learn about the different roles involved in the Government acquisition process in the prior FedSubK Feature: Hate the Game, Not the Players – Know the Roles in Federal Contracting (Feb 2024). This article talks to the main function of each and their focus during a procurement.
The Right Questions
After you know the roles of who does what in the acquisition process, you know better who can best answer specific questions. You could ask the Contracting Officer to provide an interpretation of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) like an answer book. Or you can go to acquisition.gov, do a little research yourself, and instead ask for the Contracting Officer to confirm of your interpretation of a topic, situation, clause, etc. Even if that interpretation is wrong, you learned something in the process and you aren’t asking the Government to spoon feed you answers. Contracting Officer’s like that. And from a Contracting Officer’s perspective, there are no dumb questions. Most are there to help you because that helps them later.
The Right Time
You’ve heard the saying, “Timing is everything?” Well, that’s definitely the case in Federal contracting. Even if you know the right people and the right question, knowing WHEN to ask is important. Has the Government issued an RFI, RFP, or have you just heard a rumor something is coming? Where the Government is in the acquisition process will tell you when they can (or can’t) entertain or answer a question.
So how do you know when the time is right for a question? Generally:
Pre-Award: FAR Subpart 10.001 encourages agencies to engage with industry early during market research to gather info about potential solutions. Regardless of the question, expect to get broad answers equating to general information about agency mission needs and future requirements; no specifics about when an RFP will be issued, the acquisition strategy, or scoping information.
Solicitation Phase: FAR Subpart 15.201 states the limitations on exchanges with industry before receipt of proposals. The Government may issue an RFI, a draft RFP, hold a presolicitation conference, site visit, conference, or conduct one-on-one meetings with potential offerors among other methods.
During this time, specific questions can be asked to identify and resolve concerns regarding the acquisition strategy, including proposed contract type, terms and conditions, and acquisition planning schedules; the feasibility of the requirement, including performance requirements, statements of work, and data requirements; the suitability of the proposal instructions and evaluation criteria, including the approach for assessing past performance information; the availability of reference documents; and any other industry concerns or questions related to the information provided by the Government.
The Government may choose to share answers to industry questions without attribution to ensure a level playing field.
Evaluation / Award Phase: Communication and any exchanges with industry, particularly offerors, is severely restricted after receipt of proposals and must go through the Contracting Officer. This includes all communications before and after establishing a competitive range (FAR Subpart 15.306), the limitations on what information can be exchanged, to whom it can be exchanged with, when exchanges can occur, and award and unsuccessful offeror notifications.
Only interested parties (i.e., offerors) should ask questions and then, only when contacted by the Contracting Officer, following instructions for the response. Other parties should expect no response to questions or inquiries.
Post Award Phase: The Government will make a public announcement of award, when required in SAM.gov. After award the Government may answer general questions about the awardee (name and location) and the general scope of the work. Pricing and other source selection sensitive information will not be released.
Please do not try to coerce a Government official to tell you anything more than they can when they can. It shows you don’t understand the process or respect the rule of procurement integrity (i.e., keeping the playing field level). Remember that impression you want to make? Keep that in mind and don't let frustration over the silence get to you.
Also, be cognizant of the time of year it is in the Federal acquisition cycle. Don’t expect immediate responses to general inquiries July – mid October. After Thanksgiving through the end of the calendar year, most contracting offices are also operating with minimum staff. That’s because Contracting Officers are taking all the vacation time they can’t take in the summers with their family over the holidays every year.
Touching base is great. Offering to be a resource – great. But read the room and look at the calendar. And that leads me to…
The Right Cadence
Let me give you some advice. Do not send messages to government personnel on successive days in a row to follow up on an email. I repeat – DO NOT. If your GovCon advisor is saying that to you, they don’t know the mind of a Contracting Officer. There is a difference between persistent and pushy. You DO NOT want to be that business that makes the Contracting Officer cringe when they see your name pop up in their inbox.
So…what is a good cadence?
While you’re building a relationship, check in at least every 3-4 months minimum. Once you’ve established the relationship, check every 6-8 weeks max. For a Contracting Officer, time flies. If they get requests too often, you’ll become cringe-worthy again. Don’t do that.
If you’ve sent an email and are waiting for a response, remember, read the calendar.
- Was it sent on a Monday or Friday? A lot of Federal employees work compressed schedules and have alternating Mondays or Fridays out of the office.
- Was it sent within the last few days? Wait at least 4-5 days to follow up. Life happens, people are out with sick kids, sick themselves, have doctor appointments, bosses and other work that demands their time constantly, or the question may not fall high on the priority list that week. Be patient. And if you know their phone number, maybe try a call after a few failed email attempts. It’s always harder to tell you “no” on the phone than ignoring an email. A personal touch never hurts.
- Was it sent during a major conference period like the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) World Congress? They may be taking online classes or be at the one office trip they get a year.
Focusing on a few essential basics in FY25 is a great way to kick on the new fiscal year and get realigned with your business goals!
Check out small business training events, guides and templates, FedSubK Features and blog articles to add more focus in your Federal contracting journey at fedsubk.com
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The FAR Overhaul: Long-Deferred Maintenance on the Government's Procurement Highway
If you’ve ever worked in federal procurement — as a contracting professional, program manager, small business, prime, sub, or advisor — you’ve probably had this moment:
You’re doing your best to follow the rules…and suddenly you hit a clause, a cross-reference, or a requirement that feels like it came out of nowhere.
That’s because the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) isn’t just a set of rules. It’s a highway system. A massive, heavily traveled road network that’s been patched, expanded, and rerouted for decades — and in many areas, it’s operating with years of deferred maintenance.
Let’s talk about what that really means using the highway analogy to explain why the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul isn't as "revolutionary" as some might think.
The FAR is like a Well-Traveled Federal Highway
The FAR is the main road that nearly every federal acquisition travels on. And like any highway system:
- Everyone uses it
- Everyone depends on it
- And over time, it’s been modified in ways that made sense in the moment… but created complexity later
If you look at any highway on Google Maps it shows a rather clean route. FAR, we were taught, was set up to be the same way: requirements, procedures, clauses, and guidance. But once you’re actually “driving” that road? Well, you realize the terrain is full of twists and turns. It's more complicated than you realized.
Hidden Guardrails: The Rules You Don’t See Until You Need Them
Some of the FAR’s most critical compliance safeguards are like guardrails buried under weeds or snow. They’re there for a reason: to prevent waste, protect fairness, ensure accountability. But they’re not always easy to spot. In practice, you often discover them when someone asks:
“Did you document that?”
“Where’s your justification?”
“Why didn’t you compete this?”
“Which clause applies here?”
That’s when you realize the guardrails were present the whole time — just not visible.
Guardrails are added all the time or in the process of being fixed (via rulemaking). But all that construction can clog up traffic and make the time for arrival (contract award) continually recalculate.
Hazards & Risks: Potholes, Speed Traps, and Fog
Now add in the hazards:
- Potholes = ambiguity and unclear language
- Fog = inconsistent interpretation across offices and agencies
- Construction zones = evolving policy updates, executive orders, and new mandates
- Speed traps = protests, audits, IG scrutiny, and compliance reviews
And these hazards hit different people differently. The same stretch of FAR may feel smooth to one team and treacherous to another. That’s not because the people are bad at driving — it’s because the road is uneven.
Side Roads & Gray Areas: The Detours Everyone Knows About
Then there are the side roads. Some are official alternate routes: simplified acquisition procedures, flexibilities, exceptions, and FAR “shortcuts” that exist for good reasons. Those are the routes people take because they’ve always taken them. Indicators might be hearing yourself or your peer say --
“We’ve always done it this way.”
“That’s how the last CO handled it.”
“This should be faster.”
“It’ll probably be fine.”
Side roads aren’t automatically wrong. But they come with risks, Eventually someone asks, “Why did you go that way instead of the main route?”
Others are the gray areas -- the gravel roads and roads only the locals (experienced COs/KOs) know. Those routes have to be navigated very carefully and even the best driver can have issues even if there is less traffic. Many times they beat those on the highway to their destination, but it's only because they know where all the seen and unseen hazards are from their years driving that route.
So What Is the FAR Overhaul, Really?
Here’s the key point:
✅ It is NOT building a new road.
✅ It is NOT bulldozing the FAR and replacing it.
✅ It IS road maintenance -- the kind that should've been done years ago.
And when you have decades of deferred maintenance, it takes a lot of work to make that road appear to be what it was all along.
But that's not "revolutionary". That's finally doing the work you've been putting off because you couldn't get to it.
The County (in this case, the FAR Council, being the governing body over the FAR and its contents) could always do a little better job at maintenance than they do. But their budget and resources are low and their workload demands are very high (just take a look at the FAR Open Case Report). Sometimes it takes a new Sheriff In town (a new Administration) driving down the highway see what those too close to it should have been aware of all along. Layers upon layers of deferred maintenance.
The FAR Overhaul is best understood as freshening up the same highway.
- Clearing overgrowth = outdated and redundant material and non-regulatory clutter.
- Improving signage = clarity and usability.
- Standardizing merges and exits = better consistency and flow.
- Removing obsolete detours = non-regulatory clutter, outdated terminology, and rules that no longer serve their purpose.
And a bonus is the updated maps available for your travels (FAR Companion and Practitioner Albums)
The destination isn’t changing. But the route is FAR more functional -- see how I did that. ;)
Why This Metaphor Matters
When people hear the word “overhaul,” they often assume “Everything is changing.” But what this effort really signals is “We are fixing the road we’ve been driving on for decades.” That’s important because procurement has become more complex, acquisition timelines are under pressure, and both agencies and industry need guidance that is easier to understand, apply, and defend.
If the FAR Overhaul is the same old FAR highway with better pavement, clearer signs, fewer surprises, and, hopefully, less time lost in detours, fewer compliance collisions, and a smoother drive for everyone. The biggest difference is that now all travelers know what the locals knew all along. How to get from point A to point B in less time using an updated road system and map.
Safe travels on the FAR Highway in 2026!
The FAR Is a Highway System… and the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul Is Long-Overdue Road Work
Contract Types and Contract Vehicles: The Difference Matters
Nuances matter in Federal Contracting. Those who haven't lived the Federal Contracting experience day in and day out may believe it's minor details that don't make a difference. They don't pick up on the nuances.
For those that have lived it from behind the walls of an agency know how those nuances can make a difference between how you are perceived building relationships with primes, potential team members and, most importantly, agency decision-makers.
One nuance -- Contract Types and Contract Vehicles.
Contract TYPES are defined by the pricing structure and risk ratio between the parties. They are:
✅️ Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) to include FFP with Economic Price Adjustment (FFP w/EPA), Prospective Price Determination, Fixed-Ceiling Priced Contracts with Retroactive Price Redetermination, and those with a Level-of-Effort term (FFP-LOE).
✅️ Cost Reimbursement (or "Cost-Plus" ("CP")) to include cost sharing, Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF), Award Fee (CPAF), and Incentive Fee (CPIF).
✅️ Time-and-Materials (T&M) with materials on a fixed-price or cost-reimbursement basis.
✅️ Labor-Hour (L-H).
Contract VEHICLES provide the performance and administrative structure for the Contract Type. Those are:
✅️ Definitive Contracts are for specific stand-alone project(s) that fall above the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT).
✅️ Indefinite Delivery Vehicles (IDVs) include Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contracts (IDIQs), Definitely Quantity, and Requirements vehicles. They include, but are NOT exclusively, governmentwide (GWACs), agency-specific, or GSA Multiple Award Schedules (MAS).
➡️➡️ Under the IDV umbrella falls task orders (services) & delivery orders (products) and specific instructions for who can order and how.
✅️ Agreements such as Basic Agreements, Basic Ordering Agreements (BOAs), and Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs).
➡️ ➡️ They are most often an umbrella for calls / orders (agencies call them both of these things even where FAR / RFO is specific, so it is easy to get confused), but don't have to be.
✅️ Purchase Orders (POs) (actions that fall under SAT).
✅️ Letter Contracts.
Yea, I know. FAR (even the RFO) lumps them all together as "Contract Types" in Part 16. But none stand alone. In my opinion, the FAR rewriters blew their chance to clarify this important piece of the procurement puzzle. For example:
▶️ IDIQs for services may include the ability to issue multiple types of task orders like fixed-priced, cost, T&M, and L-H under them, or only one type.
▶️ Definitive contract vehicles can be any contract type or combination thereof (hybrid) as indicated in the contract line items (CLINs) and for which terms and conditions are included.
Bottom line is -- There is not a complete understanding of a contract vehicle without defining its contract type(s).
If you see folks lumping TYPES and VEHICLES together in a discussion without explaining the difference, you know they aren't familiar with the nuances of this part of the FAR / RFO.
Follow those that are and have. Visit fedsubk.com and Expand your Federal Contracting knowledge today.
There are nuances in every FAR / RFO Part, including Part 16. We talk about why it is important to know and understand them in this marketplace.
FedSubK Feature: Be Seen! Why Your SBS Profile is So Important
UPDATED November 2025 to incorporate changes from the SBA Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) to the new SBA Small Business Search (SBS)
I’ve posted on LinkedIn a lot recently about ways to be seen as a little fish in the big pond that is the Federal marketplace. Every GovCon consultant has a take on the best entry points with agencies. My take is there is only one place small businesses MUST put their best foot forward to be quickly and easily seen by Federal buyers for potential opportunities and influence small business set-asides.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) Small Business Search (SBS) is THE PLACE you must be on your A-game.
The Small Business Search (SBS) is a database in which SBA houses information on the current pool of certificated small businesses. Presently, small businesses that do not have certifications or are self-certified, may also create a profile in this database. The SBS is used by contracting officers, small business specialists, large prime contractors, and other small businesses looking for teaming partners to find small businesses that can help meet Federal requirements and identify businesses that can help the Government (or a prime contractor) meet its small business goals. SBS is one of the first--and often only--sources used in market research by agencies to determine the numbers of small businesses able to provide products or services by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code.
You can see why this might be an important place to pay attention to, eh?
Businesses have forgotten about the SBS in the last few years because SAM.gov no longer sends small business registrants directly to SBS at the end of their registration to complete the profile like it used to. I HUGE bummer. Businesses now must wait for their SAM.gov registration to be activated, then they can establish an SBA SBS account, claim their entity record, and fill in their company profile in the SBS system. Federal buyers are looking for detailed information from SBS to use as part of their market research efforts.
SBS isn’t only for market research.
Even more importantly, the SBS shows Federal buyers the status of any pending certification applications for the purpose of determining whether you are eligible to compete for a set-aside action. For example, an Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) can still submit an offer for an WOSB set-aside even with a pending application for certification showing in the SBS. Contracting Officers often use SBS as a source to confirm the socioeconomic certification status and 8(a) program participation along with SAM.gov.
While MySBA Certifications automatically sends socioeconomic certification status to SAM.gov and updates the requisite reps and certs to reflect the correct socioeconomic status, recently it has taken weeks for that migration to occur. WOSBs and EDWOSBs have reported not seeing their correct socioeconomic status reflected in their SAM entity record.
Businesses should always check their SAM entity record to ensure that the proper status is shown within a reasonable time after receipt of an active certification status; usually within 14 business days. If the record is not accurately reflected, you can contact answerdesk@sba.gov or the SBA socioeconomic program under which your business was certified for assistance. If a Contracting Officer says that your SAM record does not reflect the status claimed, ask the Contracting Officer to check SBS for the more accurate information because of these delays.
So now let’s talk about BEING SEEN in SBS and walk through each part of the registration.
Understanding how to maximize the fields in SBS is how you can make the best possible first impression so that Federal buyers want to learn more about YOU!
The Key Words
Often businesses pluck these from thin air and over-generalized based on what they think the Government wants to see. Key words need to reflect and incorporate aspects of your primary NAICS, secondary NAICS, and what you can provide under those NAICS. If you use key words that don’t reflect your primary NAICS, you’ll leave the Government scratching their head about you. They won’t understand the message you’re sending about your company. Be consistent and specific with key words while tying into your NAICS codes in order to leave the best impression. You have 500 characters -- use them wisely.
The Website
Be sure that you include the URL for any website you have. Make it be more than a landing page. It needs to tell your story. It needs to include information about your company, what you sell, past customers, and products or solutions you provide. And most of all, it must be polished. Scrub your site hard for formatting, typos, grammatical errors, etc. Acquisition personnel using the SBS will often quickly click on the site to see just how polished it is. When it looks good, they get the impression you know your stuff and pay attention to details.
The Capabilities Narrative
This is the written equivalent of your elevator pitch. This section should include all the things you’d include in that two-minute speech. Hit hard on what your company specialized in and its core product or service areas. Show the business’s focus and avoid being all over the map by overpromising on the breadth of work the business performs.
Near the end of the capabilities narrative, list any socioeconomic certifications Why not lead with it? Because that certification is only part of your business, and it alone does not get you interest from the Contracting Officer. End with that information so the Contracting Officer can easily see it in a quick query and get your business into their market research counts.
Lastly, identify any government contract vehicle or GSA Schedule your company may hold. If you can catch their eye that you have an existing GSA Schedule or your business participates in the 8(a) program, you’ll get counted and likely get a look in terms of the Contracting Officer wanting to know more. If they need to meet a socioeconomic goal, they can see quickly. You’re helping the Contracting Officer do their job. They LOVE that! (And made another great first impression!)
SBS now also includes a field to add a link to your online capabilities statement. Use it!
“Extras” You Should Never Skip
Performance History
I cannot say this enough…if you history doing work for any Government or quasi-Government entity at any level -- Federal, State, or Local level -- list them! Don’t play the “they’ll see that when I propose” game. Showing performance history—even if it is minimal or commercial and not Government--helps. How? It proves the viability of the business and the size and types of projects you’ve completed. Those goes a long way to determining eligibility of the business based on performance on same / similar work of a same / similar dollar value (“Rule of Two” stuff – you can read more about that here).
Review Your Profile
Go out to the SBS site and use the filters for your NAICS, business name, geographic location, and business types. Make sure your show up and see how your profile measures up to your competitors. Look at their records and see what they included that you haven’t. Use the good ideas of others, but don’t plagiarize. Contracting Officers will see that and that won’t look good for either of you.
Keep Evolving
Your SBS isn’t something that you can just set and forget either. Make reviewing your profile in SBS something you do when you renew your SAM.gov registration every year. If something major changes in your business focus, NAICS, or socioeconomic status, make associated changes in SBS.
What GovCon doesn't always talk about -- The SBS Influence
When doing market research and trying to determine if an acquisition should be set-aside for small businesses, the Government is not only counting about the numbers of small businesses that claim they can do the work under a NAICS code in SBS. They are analyzing your SBS profile to see if your business could be one of the "... two or more responsible small business concerns that are competitive in terms of fair market prices, quality, and delivery" and they have “…a reasonable expectation of obtaining an offer…” from you. (There’s that pesky “Rule of Two” again.)
In other words, based on what they see, could you submit a proposal likely to win? And how does a Contracting Officer determine that? Simply put... the your answers to everything we just covered.
Completing your profile helps tip the market research scales toward a small businesses set-aside and possibly a specific socioeconomic set-aside. If you're all over the map in your SBS narrative, the Government will not consider you viable eligible contractor towards that “Rule of Two” and could possible choose to go another way with their acquisition strategy, away from a small business set-aside. Or worse, they set it aside but remember your name from the market research as one of the businesses that didn’t make their initial market analysis cut.
Influence where you can! SBS is the place where you have a lot of influence!
Have I convinced you to get out there and create or update your SBS profile yet?
While the system is no longer got the word "Dynamic" in the title, don't forget its meaning. Life is dynamic, business is dynamic, and your SBS profile should still be dynamic, too. Get it completed ASAP. You can’t afford not to.
Remember again, SBS IS WHERE FEDERAL BUYERS GO TO FIND SMALL BUSINESSES and where other small businesses go to find teaming partners and subcontractors.
Get out there, GET NOTICED, BE SEEN, and STAY DYNAMIC!
(former title: FedSubK Feature: Be A Dynamic Small Business!)
