Notes from the Buy Side

Buy-side insights on federal contracting strategy, capture, and positioning,

written by someone who spent 22 years deciding who won.

Evaluator Notes

What Evaluators Actually Look For

CLASSIFIED INSIGHT

What Evaluators Actually Look For in Past Performance

How commercial firms can build a past performance portfolio deliberately, without waiting for random task orders.

Federal Pricing

CLASSIFIED INSIGHT

The Three Reasons Your Federal Pricing Keeps Losing

Stop guessing at the margin. Here is the mathematical reality of how source-selection boards evaluate cost volumes.

Source-Selection Notes

CLASSIFIED INSIGHT

Source-Selection Notes: Awarding a $40M IDIQ

A behind-the-scenes look at the exact scoring matrix used to down-select from 12 bidders to 3.

Teaming Strategy

CLASSIFIED INSIGHT

Teaming Strategy for Firms with No Federal Past Performance

How to structure joint ventures and subcontracts properly when you lack federal past performance of your own.

The Capture Plan

CLASSIFIED INSIGHT

The Capture Plan: Why 80% of Federal Contracts Are Won Before the Proposal

A tactical guide to positioning your firm early so that the RFP is virtually written for you.

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Read all past notes, unredacted teardowns, and strategic briefings from the buy-side perspective.

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