SAM.gov Is Not The Starting Line

How Smart Contractors Win Before the RFP Drops

By Colleen Broussard-Perry | Former Federal Contracting Officer

COMMON MISCONCEPTION - “We’ll start once the solicitation hits SAM.gov.”

Reality: If that’s the first time you see an opportunity, you’re already behind — not because you lack capability, but because acquisition decisions were shaped months or even years earlier. From inside the Government, acquisition planning begins long before posting: requirements are refined, risk is evaluated, strategies are selected, and market research is underway. That early positioning is called CAPTURE MANAGEMENT and it is where competitive advantage is built.

① The Potential Awardee Is Often Positioned Early

Behind the scenes, agencies are:

✔ Defining the requirement

✔ Validating funding

✔ Reviewing past contractor performance

✔ Selecting acquisition strategies

✔ Conducting market research and outreach

Smart contractors are already engaged ethically and strategically — helping agencies understand what is feasible and what the market can deliver. That’s capture.

② Acquisition Forecasts Are the First Signal

Forecasts aren’t formalities. They often mean:

• A contract is approaching recompete

• Requirements are being drafted

• Timelines are forming

• Buyers are assessing industry capability

Waiting for SAM.gov means missing the window where positioning matters most.

③ Sources Sought & RFIs Shape the Game

Sources Sought Notices Decide:

• Small-business set-aside potential

• NAICS codes

• Experience thresholds

• Market gaps

No response = no voice when rules are written.

Requests for Information (RFIs) Influence:

• Performance Work Statements

• Feasibility assumptions

• Contract vehicle selection

• Restrictive requirements

Strong responses can reshape requirements into something small firms can compete for.

④ Proposal Writing Is Not Capture

Many firms think: SAM.gov RFP to Writing a Proposal then Submission of said Proposal = Award. In the reality of the contractual world, it is called reactive bidding.

The real winning model: CAPTURE MAMAGEMENT (12–24 months)

Firms need to think about capture management in this order:

Reviewing Forecasting

Responding to Sources Sought/Request for Information

Tacking the Potential RFP

Writing and Submitting a Winning Proposal could lead to a Contract Award

Your proposal is not the beginning it is the result of disciplined early positioning.

FROM THE GOVERNMENT SIDE: THE TRUTH

A great proposal cannot overcome poor capture management. But a “good enough” proposal can win when:

• The mission was understood early

• Trust was already established

• Alignment happened before requirements were finalized

TAKEAWAY: START BEFORE SAM.gov

Track these posting at a minimum weekly:

1. Acquisition Forecasts

2. Sources Sought Notices

3. RFIs

That’s where the real competition begins.