Federal Compass Blog | Federal Compass

Federal Compass Blog

The latest commentary, insights and news from the Federal Compass team.





























Alternative to GovTribe


published 10/20/2022


















Challenge the Status Quo


published 04/25/2022







Alternative to GovWin


published 08/26/2021




Learn What's on the BIC MAC Menu

Learn why everyone is talking about BIC MAC. It's more than just an OASIS 2 recomplete, it's a one-stop shop for solution-centric professional services. BIC MAC is positioned to significantly disrupt the market. We've seen from OASIS trends that contractors can expect widespread adoption across federal agencies. During this webinar we'll explore the broad range of services that can be expected on BIC MAC and the large number of contractors that are sure to participate. We'll also investigate why certain contractors have more post-award success that others, and some of the techniques to finding the right teaming partners.


written by Jim Sherwood, published 06/28/2021


Polaris Recap: We'll Explore What's Changed with Polaris

With other big-ticket vehicles already competed, Polaris offers another onramp for contractors to get in on the action. We'll explore historic Alliant spending and discuss strategies for Polaris.


written by Jim Sherwood, published 05/18/2021


The March Toward GWACS: CIO-SP4, POLARIS, 8(a) STARS III

Is your company prepared for the shifting landscape within Federal IT procurement? For nearly twenty years, GSA Schedules and agency-IDIQs paved the way for the evolution of second-tier competitions. In 2019, GWACs outpaced IDIQs, for the first time, to become the Government's preferred pathway. Every Federal customer interacts with GWACs, and these vehicles continue to lure in new adopters. From the broad range of services to the number of contractors vying for work, the loyalty to IDIQs is waning as customers begin their march towards GWACs. For many, this statement makes sense; however, getting on a GWAC, let alone finding success, creates a challenge unique to these types of vehicles. It isn't enough to know POLARIS, CIO-SP4, and 8(a) STARS III; a clear vision and strategy are critical to determining the right team, surviving the scorecard, and moving into post-award with a proactive plan to capture business, rather than hopelessly reacting.


written by Jim Sherwood, published 03/09/2021


The Small Business Catch-22: Available Resources Limit Critical Processes

Revenue growth is the primary focus of every small business, but in a market as complex and fluid as the federal contracting market, growth can often stall due to the lack of the right resources. And when effectively managing expenditures puts the right resources out of reach, small businesses often get caught in a growth Catch-22.


written by Jim Sherwood, published 01/25/2021


T-Minus Huntsville

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.


written by Jim Sherwood, published 01/15/2021


Having Trouble Getting Used to beta.SAM reports?

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.


written by Jim Sherwood, published 09/30/2020


Keys to a Successful 8(a) Graduation

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.


written by Jim Sherwood, published 06/10/2020


Common 8(a) Graduation Mistakes

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.


written by Jim Sherwood, published 06/01/2020


Are you ready for 8(a) graduation?

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?


published 05/26/2020


Who Uses Federal Compass?

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.


published 05/18/2020


What Federal Contractors Need to Know About COVID-19

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.


published 04/03/2020


Prepare for CIO-SP4 with CIO-SP3 Trends and Observations

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.


published 03/23/2020


Small Business GovCon eBook

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?


published 03/03/2020


You'll Never Find it on SAM

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.


written by Jim Sherwood, published 02/18/2020


The Odyssey of a GovCon Start-Up

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.


written by Jim Sherwood, published 02/03/2020


A Fond Farewell to FPDS.gov

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.


written by Jim Sherwood, published 01/28/2020


Top Challenges Faced By Small Business in GovCon

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.


written by Chad Ganske, published 01/14/2020


FBO (FedBizOpps) / SAM (System for Award Management) Transition Guide

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.


published 12/19/2019


'Tis the Season to Rethink Market Intelligence

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


written by Jim Sherwood, published 12/06/2019


Case Study: Reducing Market Intelligence Costs

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


published 12/06/2019


A Solution Designed by Your Peers

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.


written by Jim Sherwood, published 12/04/2019


How to Paint a Complete Picture of the Competition

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.


written by Chad Ganske, published 12/03/2019


Are you ready for SAM? We are.

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.


published 11/07/2019


Lessons Learned from FY19

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


written by Jim Sherwood, published 10/28/2019


What is FPDS?

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.


published 10/23/2019


Getting the Most out of FPDS

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.


written by Chad Ganske, published 10/18/2019


Case Study: Analyzing the Symptoms of Under-performance

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


published 10/04/2019


Case Study: New Public-Sector Offering

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.


published 10/03/2019


A CEO's Dilemma

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?


written by Jim Sherwood, published 09/23/2019


Key Decisions for Every Small Business

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?


written by Jim Sherwood, published 09/23/2019


What is your graduation strategy?

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


written by Jim Sherwood, published 09/19/2019


What are my top opps?

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.


written by Chad Ganske, published 09/19/2019


Are you leveraging your contract vehicles?

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?


written by Jim Sherwood, published 09/18/2019


Why the federal budget doesn't matter

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


written by Chad Ganske, published 09/18/2019


What is FedBizOpps?

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.


published 09/17/2019