In this episode, former U.S. Air Force acquisitions officer Rick Howard walks you through a powerful strategy for uncovering pre-solicitation government contract opportunities without ever using SAM.gov. If you're relying solely on SAM, you're already behind.

Rick dives into how to use Acquisition Forecasts, navigate agency procurement portals, and leverage industry days, attendee lists, and contracting office contacts to build a government sales pipeline that extends 3+ years into the future.

🔍 Learn how to:

• Access acquisition forecasts from DoD, DOE, VA, NASA, Army Corps of Engineers, and more

• Find and filter long-range procurement forecasts that few competitors are looking at

• Use attendee lists from industry events for teaming and subcontracting leads

• Identify Sole Source and 8(a) contract opportunities hidden in agency forecasts

• Understand how to reverse engineer an agency’s buying behavior

• Avoid mistakes like submitting blind proposals with no confirmation

Whether you're a consultant, small business, veteran entrepreneur, or federal sales executive, this training will show you where the real leads are hidden—long before RFPs drop.

Resources Mentioned:

• https://govclose.com

• Follow Rick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/govclose

  
  

  #GovernmentContracting #GovCon #SAMgov #FederalSales #SmallBusinessGovCon #PublicSectorSales #ContractOpportunities #GovClose #AcquisitionForecasts #8aContracts #OTAs #DoDContracts #HowToSellToTheGovernment #GovContractingTraining #RickHoward #GovCloseCertification

We're answering all the questions people are asking about GSA.

We cover: GSA Advantage, GSA rates and GSA labor rates, e-library GSA, what is GSA?

We give you the history, talk about GSA schedules, and how to apply for the schedules.

Learn from GSA government officials that I have interviewed and what the GSA catalog looks like.

Learn how to shape deals, work directly with federal agencies, and master category-driven acquisition.👉 https://www.govclose.com

But GSA is often misunderstood.Is it a federal agency, or is it a series of contracts that companies need to sell to the government?

In this live session, we'll be covering what a GSA contract is.

Who is going to need one, and how this messy process works, especially in light of recent presidential executive orders.

Want more federal government contracting tips, news, and live sessions? Follow me on LinkedIn and hit the notification bell. https://www.linkedin.com/in/govclose

#gsa #governmentcontracting #gsaadvantage #gsarate

GSA just changed the game. On May 28th, a letter went out to major value-added resellers—and it wasn’t good news for the middlemen.

The government is moving toward direct deals with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), and that means major changes are coming for federal sales.Train with UsLearn how to shape deals, work directly with federal agencies, and master category-driven acquisition.👉 https://www.govclose.comIn this video, I break down:⏱ Timestamps00:00 – GSA’s New Strategy: Middlemen Under Fire01:00 – What is a VAR (Value-Added Reseller) vs. a Pretender?02:30 – GSA’s Push for Direct OEM Relationships04:00 – The Irony: Is GSA the Biggest Middleman?05:00 – What GSA Is (and Isn’t) Doing with Centralized Procurement06:30 – Implications for Sales Executives, Consultants, and OEMs08:00 – What You Should Be Doing Right NowKey Takeaways:GSA wants to cap markups and increase pricing transparency.Resellers must redefine their value—or risk becoming obsolete.Pretenders and matchmaking models? They don’t belong here.Mission-critical buys? Likely still handled by DoD internally.Consultants who know how to shape deals early are in high demand.Subscribe to the GovCon Newsletter!I unpack these shifts and more every week in my GovClose newsletter on LinkedIn.🔗 Follow me and subscribe: www.linkedin.com/in/govcloseWatch NextInterview with GSA’s Kevin Kivlin – What GSA Is Really Planning: https://youtu.be/033sUCzGgq8#GSA #governmentcontracting2025