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How to Win a Government Proposal Before the RFP Even Drops

(Or: Why Waiting for the Solicitation Is Rookie Mistake #1)

Let’s rip the Band-Aid off: if your first sight of (some!) government opportunities are when the final solicitations hits SAM.gov, your chances of winning are about as good as getting a coffee at Starbucks without someone spelling your name wrong.

In GovCon, the game is won before the game officially starts. The proposal you submit is just the last step in a long, behind-the-scenes campaign where you’ve been gathering intel, making friends, scoping out the competition, and subtly positioning yourself as the “obvious choice” long before ink hits paper.

The government doesn’t wake up one day and think, “We should buy this widget!” Opportunities are planned months (often years) in advance. Agencies have budgets, strategic goals, and incumbents already in place. Your job is to get in early enough to matter.

Step 1: Find the Opportunity Before Everyone Else Does

If your “capture plan” consists of hitting refresh on SAM.gov until you see something shiny… stop. That’s not capture, that’s wishful thinking.

Here’s where to actually look:

Agency Procurement Forecasts: Every federal agency publishes an advance list of anticipated buys. It’s dry reading, but it’s basically a treasure map.
Sources Sought / RFIs on SAM.gov: Early market research notices give you a chance to raise your hand and get on the radar before the competition even wakes up.
GovCon Intel Tools: Think GovWin, Bloomberg Government, GovTribe—yes, they cost money, but so does losing bids you never had a shot at.
Industry Events: Small business outreach days, pre-solicitation conferences, and association meetups are often where opportunities leak first.

Pro tip: The winners in this game aren’t surprised by solicitations—they’ve been tracking them 12–24 months before release.

Step 2: Get Face Time Without Being “That Vendor”

Now that you’ve spotted an opportunity in the wild, your next move is getting in the room with the right people—without crossing the fine line into procurement rule violations.

How to do it right:

Schedule a capability briefing with the small business specialist or program office. Keep it short, targeted, and about their needs—not a 50-slide brag deck.
Attend industry days and introduce yourself to program managers or contracting officers. Yes, they’ll forget your name if you’re boring—so don’t be boring.
Follow the agency’s LinkedIn, press releases, and newsletters. Comment and engage when relevant (yes, they notice).

Don’t:

Cold-email “Can I haz contract plz?” messages.
Corner a contracting officer in the bathroom at an event. (Yes, this happens.)

Step 3: Intel Gathering Is a Sport

Want to know the difference between the winner and the also-ran? The winner knows everything.

You want intel on:

The Mission: What’s the program’s end goal? How does it tie to the agency’s larger priorities?
The Money: Where’s the budget coming from? Has it been funded in the past?
The People: Who’s the decision-maker? Who influences them? Who’s the incumbent team?
The Politics: Any policy changes or new legislation that could shift requirements?

This isn’t just trivia—it’s ammunition for shaping your proposal and avoiding wasted bids.

Step 4: Study the Incumbent (and Their Weak Spots)

There’s almost always an incumbent contractor. The government loves low-risk choices, so if you want to beat them, you need to know where they’re vulnerable.

Ask yourself:

Are they delivering on time and on budget?
Have they had staffing turnover issues?
Is there a public audit or performance review you can pull?
Do you offer tech, process, or people they can’t match?

Pro tip: If you can’t name at least two weaknesses of the incumbent, you might be at a disadvantage to bid if they’re well-seated.

Step 5: Assemble Your Avengers Early

If your company can’t meet every requirement on its own, find teaming partners early. That means before the draft RFP drops—not during a caffeine-fueled panic the week before proposals are due.

Look for partners who:

Fill your capability gaps
Have complementary past performance
Share your win strategy (and aren’t secretly teaming with your competition)

Get the NDAs and teaming agreements drafted early so you’re not losing time on paperwork when the clock starts ticking.

Step 6: Shape the Opportunity (Ethically)

Yes, you can influence the RFP—legally. The government actually wants industry feedback during the planning phase.

Ways to do it:

Respond to RFIs in detail, suggesting approaches that favor your strengths
Ask clarifying questions during draft RFP reviews
Share lessons learned from similar projects you’ve delivered (without turning it into a pitch)

If you play this right, the final solicitation will lean toward the type of solution you’re already built to deliver.

Step 7: Pre-Build Your Proposal

When the RFP drops, you should already have:

Win themes that align to the agency’s hot buttons
Draft past performance write-ups
Bios of key staff
Compliance checklists based on the draft RFP

That way, instead of starting from scratch, you’re just tailoring and polishing.

The Bottom Line

Proposal writing isn’t about “starting” when the RFP hits—it’s about finishing. The real win happens in capture: those months of relationship-building, intel gathering, team forming, and shaping the opportunity so that when the RFP comes out, you’re not just ready—you’re the obvious choice.

If you skip the pre-solicitation work, you’re not bidding—you’re gambling. And in GovCon, the house usually wins.