As we begin the new year, 2021 brings new challenges and opportunities for government contractors. We leave behind a tumultuous year where companies have had to pivot to stay in business. The government has also had to establish new or modified processes for doing business. These updates included SBA consolidating their Mentor-Protégé program, 1 year extension of the 8(a) program, the extension of Section 3610 into 1st Quarter 2021, to the accelerated use of OTA (Other Transaction Authority) for Covid-19 response. The year 2020 saw a constant state of change.

 

Prior to the end of 2020, many companies likely worked on strategic plans/work plans that will guide their efforts for the following year and beyond. In these plans they have included their sales goals in both the commercial and government markets. Developing and executing an effective capture plan to increase a company's win rate is critical to successfully securing government awards.

 

Capture planning is the process of identifying opportunities and implementing winning strategies to capture these specific opportunities. Developing a capture strategy for 2021 during a pandemic comes with its challenges. A company's focus can fall into various categories: Sustaining, Innovating and/or Growing. Here are some suggestions to consider within each category.

 

- Sustaining: Maintaining and performing on current contracts will only get you to the end of the contract by reviewing your processes, crafting metrics, and setting goals to solidify your foundation. Implementing continuous improvement in your contract management process can improve the quality of your proposals. Ensuring that your company is adhering to the DoD's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) guidelines/requirements if planning to compete for DoD contracts is critical to sustaining your DoD contracts.