GovCon capture guide
Government contract capture readiness: a practical checklist
A technically attractive opportunity is not automatically a good pursuit. Capture readiness asks whether your company has a credible path to compete before scarce business-development time is committed.
Vehicle and access path
Confirm whether you can bid directly, need a prime or subcontractor relationship, or need another acquisition-access path. Lack of credible access can be a decisive blocker.
Relevant past performance
Identify evidence that demonstrates similar mission, customer, technical, scale, or delivery experience. Separate direct evidence from optimistic analogies.
Differentiation and workshare
Define the specific capability or workshare you can credibly own. A generic statement that your company can perform the work is weaker than a concrete differentiated contribution.
Timing and relationships
Consider acquisition maturity, remaining capture runway, customer understanding, partner access, and whether key decisions may already be forming.
Kill criteria
Decide what evidence would cause you to stop pursuing: no vehicle path, no credible workshare, insufficient past performance, unfavorable timing, or economics that no longer justify capture cost.
GovOpportunity applies this type of evidence-grounded reasoning to Pursue, Investigate, Monitor, or Skip decisions.