🏆 PRIME — Full & Open Competition
We bid directly as prime contractor
S: 0
A: 0
B: 0
C: 0
🤝 SUB — Subcontracting Opportunities
Partner with Top 15 primes as subcontractor
S: 0
A: 0
B: 0
C: 0
⭐ SET-ASIDE — Small Business / WOSB
Reserved for small businesses and WOSBs
S: 0
A: 0
B: 0
C: 0
🎯 Opportunities by Tier
All opportunities grouped by priority tier (S → A → B → C)
🚫 Excluded Opportunities
Filtered out: hardware, support, licensing keywords
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Last reviewed: March 2026
⚠️ Risk & Performance
What happens if we fail to deliver?
The government can trigger a Termination for Default (T4D):
- Contract is terminated
- You're liable for re-procurement costs
- Record goes into FAPIIS (public for 3 years)
- May result in debarment (ban from federal contracts)
⚠️ Never accept an award you're not confident you can deliver.
Can we withdraw a proposal after submitting?
Yes — no penalty if withdrawn BEFORE contract award. Withdrawing pre-award = no impact on future bids.
📋 Evaluation & Compliance
How does the government evaluate delivery?
- Via Acceptance Testing defined in the contract/SOW
- CO performs formal acceptance
- For software: acceptance tests + documentation + user training
💰 Payment & Finance
Can we negotiate milestone payments?
Depends on contract type:
- Fixed-Price with milestones: 30/30/40 or similar — negotiable
- T&M (Time & Materials): Monthly billing by hours worked
- Small purchases (<$250K): Usually Net 30 after delivery
✅ For small RFPs, milestone payments are common and negotiable.
🎯 Our Strategy
What opportunity types should we prioritize?
- ✅ TIER S/A: RFI and Sources Sought (no delivery commitment)
- ✅ TIER B: Hybrid RFI/RFP (lighter than full RFP)
- ❌ AVOID: Full RFPs and RFQs (until 2-3 contracts in history)
What keywords automatically disqualify?
Exclude if notice contains:
- hardware, sensor, equipment, 24/7 support, help desk
- data center, server room, SaaS license, COTS
- physical installation, cabling
✅ Our core: software development, AI/ML engineering, system integration
Should we cap contract value for first bids?
Yes — recommended for initial phase:
- Score boost for opportunities under $100K
- Score penalty for opportunities over $500K
- Goal: build track record with lower exposure
- Revisit after 2–3 successful deliveries
🧮 Scoring Rules & Tier Classification
How we rank opportunities
🎯 Tier Thresholds
S
85-100 pts
Elite opportunities
A
70-84 pts
High priority
B
50-69 pts
Medium priority
C
0-49 pts
Lower priority
1
NAICS Code Match
541511 (Custom Software Development)
+40 pts
541512 (Computer Systems Design)
+40 pts
541519 (Other Computer Services)
+35 pts
Other NAICS (518210 Data Processing, etc.)
+20 pts
2
Response Deadline (Days Left)
< 7 days (URGENT)
+5 pts
7-14 days
+15 pts
14-30 days (sweet spot)
+25 pts
30-60 days
+20 pts
> 60 days
+10 pts
⚠️ <7 days = too rushed, 14-30 days = ideal preparation time
3
Notice Type (Risk Level)
Sources Sought (market research only)
+25 pts
Special Notice (informational)
+25 pts
RFI (Request for Information)
+20 pts
Presolicitation (early notification)
+15 pts
Combined Synopsis/Solicitation (hybrid)
+5 pts
Solicitation (full RFP/RFQ)
-10 pts
✅ Sources Sought and RFIs = no delivery commitment, great for building relationships
4
Estimated Contract Value
< $50K (micro-purchase)
+15 pts
$50K - $100K
+10 pts
$100K - $250K (sweet spot)
+5 pts
$250K - $500K
0 pts
$500K - $1M
-5 pts
> $1M (high risk for new entrant)
-10 pts
⚠️ Larger contracts = higher competition, more complex requirements, longer sales cycle
5
Technical Complexity
LOW (pilot, prototype, POC, Phase 1)
+5 pts
MEDIUM (standard requirements)
0 pts
HIGH (mission-critical, life safety, DoD classified, CMMC Level 2-3)
-10 pts
✅ Pilots and prototypes are ideal entry points — lower risk, easier requirements
6
Opportunity Category
Tier 1: Software Development, AI/ML Engineering
+15 pts
Tier 2: System Integration, API Development
+10 pts
Tier 3: Cloud Services, Data Integration
+5 pts
Tier 4: Other
0 pts
✅ Focus on Tier 1 & 2 where we have strongest capabilities
💡 Example: Tier S Opportunity (95 points)
NAICS 541511 (Custom Software)
+40
Deadline: 24 days out
+25
Notice Type: Sources Sought
+25
Value: $107K
+5
Complexity: LOW (pilot project)
+5
Category: Software Development (Tier 1)
+15
Total Score
115 pts → Capped at 100 → TIER S
🎯 Strategic Notes
-
✅
Tier S & A: Respond to ALL (market research, relationship building, low risk)
-
✅
Tier B: Selective response (evaluate win probability and capacity)
-
⚠️
Tier C: Usually skip UNLESS strategic importance (new agency relationship, technology showcase)
-
💡
Funnel Priority: SET-ASIDE (WOSB set-asides) > PRIME > SUB (subcontracting with large primes)