Playbook

Small Business, Big Wins: A Veteran Capture Manager’s Playbook

Cliwant

09 Jun 2025 • 4 min read

Earlier today, we had the chance to sit down with Michael C. — a capture expert with over 15 years of experience in federal contracting, including work at Forcepoint Federal (now Everfox), Horizon Industries, KPMG, and on major DoD projects. What followed was a masterclass on what actually drives wins in the complex world of U.S. government bidding.

🚀 The Truth About Capture: It Starts Earlier Than You Think

Michael sees capture not as a phase but as a conductor role — one that orchestrates everything before an RFP even drops. In this role, a highly effective capture manager is able to overlay all the critical business functions: BD, account management, proposals, contracts, SMEs, partner and customer engagement, and even legal.

By having this hybrid mentality, capture can pivot faster and more effectively when needed — increasing the probability of win (pWin).

“Capture starts in the discovery phase — before the RFI, before the market survey. That’s what I call Stage 0. And many companies are missing it.”

According to him, too many small businesses only react to posted RFIs. The real pros shape opportunities before the government even defines them. That includes:

Identifying pain points early
Engaging program officers and CIOs directly, and theory-crafting with their SMEs
Participating in market surveys before RFIs
Helping define requirements in ways that align with their strengths

🎯 Why Set-Aside Companies Are Missing Out

Michael emphasized that while large contractors may navigate using frameworks like Shipley, this approach doesn’t always work for smaller, more agile players.

“8(a), SDVOSB, HUBZone — if you combine all those, the opportunity is huge. But most of these companies are stuck inside one agency. They don’t know how to expand.”

That’s exactly where he saw potential in our platform. The discovery features — especially the visual Venn diagram at the end — stood out to him.

“I’ve used Salesforce, TechnoMile, HubSpot… nothing was truly flexible or user-friendly. This — this is different.”

**Find the GovCon sweet spot**: where our strengths align with unmet customer needs—and the competition falls short.

🤝 Capture & Proposal — A Two-Way Street

In Michael’s words, one of the biggest reasons proposals fail is misalignment.

“Capture managers should bring proposal managers in early. Don’t just hand over an RFP — shape it together.”

He shared how, at Forcepoint, his team acted as a subcontractor on a nearly $3B security firewall/Cross Domain project. Their success came from understanding exactly what the prime wanted — and delivering with precision. To the point that their SME led the orals to the government.

🧠 The 5 Cs That Matter in Proposals

Michael swears by a simple framework when evaluating whether a proposal is ready:

Clear – Does it fully address what the customer actually wants?
Concise – Can we cut it to the essentials?
Compelling – Does it show we understand their mission and offer the right price?
Complete – Are all attachments and technical documents included?
Compliant – Is it submitted on time, and in full, per every instruction?

All five must be checked before submission.

🧩 What’s Missing in the Market

Michael reflected on a bigger industry challenge: the disconnect between government buyers and potential vendors.

“CIOs, CTOs — they’re frustrated too. The system delays everyone. I once thought of building an app that would let government buyers and SMEs connect directly to pre-qualified contractors, enabling much faster communication on both sides.”

Until that exists, he believes tools that enable early-stage discovery, market research, and RFI shaping will be critical — especially for underdog companies looking to scale.