Federal Compass Blog

Huntsville, Alabama, has long represented a tantalizing market that always felt out of reach for many contractors. Over the last decade, this zip code has been a focal point of growing interest as it became home for many organizations that, on an annual basis, manage billions in contract spending. Based on the latest news, Huntsville's influence over the aviation, space, and missile enterprise will grow significantly in 2021.

If you were thinking that the beta.SAM data contract searches lack some of the intuitiveness and ease of use that you had gotten used to on fpds.gov, you wouldn't be the only one.

In our previous post, we reported on objective data and provided insights from those companies who both succeeded and struggled after graduation. In this post, we examine the best practices and lessons learned from contractors who have navigated the struggles of life after 8(a) graduation.

When it comes to 8(a) graduations, the numbers tell the story. For the majority of companies, the years following graduation rarely lead to continued success. Instead, reality tends to be a sudden, sustained, and dramatic loss of revenues.

The clock is ticking, that 8(a) exit date is fast approaching, and soon, you'll be cast into an unfamiliar and challenging environment. Once outside of your protected status you’ll be facing competitors with mature processes, experienced in operating in the wilds of unrestricted competition. Are you ready for graduation?

Federal Compass launched its Opportunity & Market Intelligence platform for government contractors back in 2019. Since then, we've attracted a diverse user-base, focused on a range of industries within the government contracting space. We get a lot of questions about who uses Federal Compass and what features they find most compelling. Here are some quick numbers to show just how diverse our community has become.

There’s a lot of news going around about the coronavirus COVID-19. We’d like to add some clarity, rooted in the numbers (see data appendix), on what the government is doing during this acute phase of the pandemic and its impact on the Federal contracting community.

There's reason to be excited for CIO-SP4, and CIO-SP4 Small Business. With new tracks and more initial awards than CIO-SP3, spending on CIO-SP4 is anticipated to surpass to CIO-SP3 trends. We've put together an eBook focused entirely on understanding CIO-SP3 trends ahead of CIO-SP4. Lessons learned from CIO-SP3? You are more likely to fail than to succeed. If you’re determined to pursue CIO-SP4, preparation is necessary to position yourself for success.

The Federal government has become one of the largest incubators for small businesses. A reliable and secure customer that sets aside a portion of the hundreds-of-billions of dollars spent every year to create a safe harbor for start-ups and growing companies. In a universe of thousands of potential customers and contracts, where will you begin?

Are you monitoring SAM or have you become dependent on SAM? Understanding what is and what is not posted to SAM is critical for obtaining a clear view of your market. While SAM offers a great resource for identifying potential leads, there is a much bigger universe you're missing by fixating on SAM.

The Federal government has become one of the largest incubators for small businesses. A reliable and secure customer that sets aside a portion of the hundreds-of-billions of dollars spent every year to create a safe harbor for start-ups and growing companies. However, those gaudy topline numbers act as neon lights attracting newcomers and obscuring the complexities and nuances that exist within the Federal market.

The Federal Procurement Data System or FPDS has been a constant in my professional life since 2005. For the better part of those 15 years, I have spent some portion of nearly every day in FPDS.gov. Now here we are, only days away from the final curtain call for my old, frustrating sidekick.

We meet with many small business owners and executives and listen to the unique challenges that they face with government contracting. Those discussions and that feedback works its way into every aspect of our products. That’s why, at Federal Compass, we aim to level the playing field by empowering small business contractors.

The official transition from FBO to SAM took place at the beginning of November, and now all federal contracting opportunities can be found on the new SAM website, including everything from solicitations to awards. This guide aims to answer the most pressing questions by contractors when making the transition from FBO to SAM.gov.

Make this the year that you demand more from your market intelligence provider.

We ask one of our customers to evaluate the quantifiable savings and qualitative improvements of switching to Federal Compass.

If you visited our website, attended a webinar, or read one of our blogs, then you’ve heard we are built from industry feedback. Is that just a catchy marketing slogan, or does it create a real benefit and advantage for our users? Visit Federal Compass today, request a demonstration and experience the difference of a solution designed by your peers.

When pursuing the next opportunity, it’s [of course] important to understand the competitive landscape—who are the major players? how entrenched is the incumbent contractor? The answer to these questions lies in two fundamental areas of research 1) human intelligence, and 2) data-driven market intelligence. The only way to paint a complete picture of the competition around any opportunity requires both elements and requires them to work in concert.

The official transition from FBO to SAM begins tomorrow, November 8th. This landmark occasion for GovCon is both highly anticipated (and highly feared) by contractors large and small. Rest assured, we have you covered.

We asked our customers to challenge their subjective assumptions with objective data and evaluate their FY19 performance.

If you're new to government contracting or maybe just new to market intelligence, you may be saying to yourself, "Everyone is talking about FPDS NG ezSearch. What is it, exactly?" We have you covered with a quick, high-level read.

As many others in this industry, I’ve worked with FPDS data for a long time. I suppose the good news is that the system has changed little over the years, so time invested in learning its quirks is worthwhile. Below, I’ve outlined a few methods for maximizing its value and pitfalls that you may encounter.

For this case study, we explore how a technology services contractor, displaying tremendous growth, suddenly found themselves a victim of revenue dependencies.

Questions on how to navigate a successful market penetration are not limited to small businesses and start-ups. For this case study, we explore how a large corporation, with multiple subsidiaries, sought out the information to introduce private sector offerings to the public sector.

From carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders to feeling like they are alone on an island; company owners and CEOs face unique challenges that require the right information. Do you have the decision intelligence you need to navigate through the tough choices?

For small businesses in the Federal contracting market, the struggle for near-term success often comes at the expense of a long-term vision. Are you taking it one win at a time or focusing on the fundamentals for achieving sustainable growth?

You’re going to graduate or break your NAICS threshold, are you ready?

Are you tired of top opps lists that don't account for your company's unique offerings and customers? There's another option out there.

In fiscal year 2018, obligations through indefinite contracts represented 40% of all contract spending — an increase of nearly 4% over fiscal year 2016. In today’s market, contract vehicles are fundamental to success. Are you capitalizing on those investments?

Imagining a better world of market intelligence where the reports I consume matter most to me. Is this world possible today?

FedBizOpps, also known as FBO, is the central clearinghouse for federal gov contract opportunities. It's the place where all federal agencies post their requests for information, request for proposal and other procurement notices. The federal government is required to post all solicitations with a value over $25,000. Fed Biz Opps is also a great place to research past opportunities that have already been awarded. In most cases, the original solicitation documents are available for download, even for archived records.