/ GovBidIQ Academy

Learn the contracting craft.

Plain-English explainers on FAR, NAICS, SAM.gov, CPARS, set-aside strategy, capture, and proposal craft. Free. No signup.

Government Contracting Basics

Government Contracting 101

A plain-English orientation to how the federal government buys from contractors.

5 min readOpen
Bid/No-Bid Decisions

The Bid/No-Bid Decision Framework

A structured five-question framework to decide whether to pursue an opportunity.

5 min readOpen
Capture Management

Capture Fundamentals

From opportunity identification through proposal kickoff: the capture lifecycle in 20 minutes.

5 min readOpen
Proposal Development

Writing a Compliant Proposal

Compliance is the floor, not the ceiling — how to never lose on technicalities.

5 min readOpen
FAR Basics

FAR 101

The Federal Acquisition Regulation in five paragraphs: what it is, why it matters, where to read it.

5 min readOpen
NAICS Codes

NAICS Codes Explained

How NAICS drives size standards, set-asides, and your competitive landscape.

5 min readOpen
SAM.gov Basics

SAM.gov for Beginners

Registration, search, watchlists, and the three reports every contractor reads weekly.

5 min readOpen
CPARS

Reading and Responding to CPARS

Past performance is a currency. Here is how to earn, read, and dispute it.

5 min readOpen
SDVOSB Strategy

SDVOSB Strategy

How service-disabled-veteran-owned firms win in DoD and VA — set-asides, sole-source, and pitfalls.

5 min readOpen
8(a) Strategy

8(a) Strategy

The nine-year 8(a) ladder: the mentor-protégé play, sole-source ceilings, and graduation planning.

5 min readOpen
HUBZone Strategy

HUBZone Strategy

Why geography matters, how the principal-office rule works, and how to keep certification.

5 min readOpen
WOSB Strategy

WOSB Strategy

Economically disadvantaged WOSB vs. WOSB: which set-asides apply where.

5 min readOpen
Teaming Agreements

Teaming Agreements

Prime/sub teaming, joint ventures, and the seven clauses every TA must contain.

5 min readOpen
Subcontracting Strategy

Subcontracting Strategy

When to sub, when to prime, and how to use subcontracts to build past performance.

5 min readOpen
Agency Buying Patterns

Agency Buying Patterns

How to read an agency's recurring buys, year-end spend, and small-business goals.

5 min readOpen
Competitive Intelligence

Competitive Intelligence for Contractors

Sources, signals, and synthesis — how to know who you are bidding against.

5 min readOpen
Market Research

Market Research for Federal Opportunities

Quantitative + qualitative sources beyond SAM.gov.

5 min readOpen
Pricing Strategy

Pricing Strategy

Cost vs. price, LPTA vs. best-value, and how to read evaluation criteria as pricing guidance.

5 min readOpen
Proposal Compliance

Proposal Compliance Checklists

Section L / Section M cross-walks and how to instrument them.

5 min readOpen
Contract Administration

Contract Administration

Modifications, options, performance reporting — keeping the contract green.

5 min readOpen
Federal Acquisition Lifecycle

The Federal Acquisition Lifecycle

Pre-award → award → administration → close-out: every stage in one diagram.

5 min readOpen