Government contract fit: deciding what to pursue

Most small businesses lose time not on proposals they lose, but on opportunities they should never have opened. Fit analysis answers the bid/no-bid question early, using information that is already public.

What determines fit

• Capability: does the notice describe services or products you actually deliver?
• Codes: do the NAICS and PSC codes match your profile or a closely related industry group?
• Geography: is the place of performance inside your service area, or can the work be done remotely?
• Eligibility: set-asides (small business, 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB), clearances and licenses are gates, not preferences.
• Experience and qualifications: years of experience, references, certifications, bonding and insurance requirements.
• Deadline and scale: is there enough time to respond well, and does the contract size look realistic?

Three honest answers

A requirement can be matched, not matched, or unknown. Unknown is the most common answer when working from public information, and it should lead to a specific check, never to an automatic rejection or an assumed pass.