G Media · Government Bids

How a small creative agency wins public work

Research from federal rules, SBA, proposal experts and Reddit war stories, turned into the moves we make on every bid.

NV ESB Tier 1SAM pendingVetCert next5 bids in flight

The 10 moves

The same advice comes up in every source.

  1. 1
    Pick fewer, prepare earlierWinners decide to bid before the RFP drops. Score every bid first; under 50, we pass.
  2. 2
    Win small firstFederal card buys up to $15K, small-business buys up to $350K, local quotes, on-call seats. Big ad agency-of-record contracts are long shots for a first win.
  3. 3
    Compliance before creativeA missing form, unsigned addendum or extra page gets us thrown out unread. Build the checklist on day one.
  4. 4
    Write to their score sheetUse their order, their numbering, their words. Give the most pages to the sections worth the most points.
  5. 5
    Proof, not adjectivesNamed clients, dates, real numbers, references who answer the phone. Public-sector proof scores highest.
  6. 6
    Thin record is fixableOur people's experience (Mackin's public accounts, labeled as his prior work), commercial results and small first jobs all count.
  7. 7
    Price from what they paid last timeBoard minutes, award notices, records requests, USASpending, GSA rate data. The cheapest bid rarely wins marketing work.
  8. 8
    Always ask whyFederal: ask for a debrief within 3 days. City/state: request the winner's proposal and score sheets. Ask after wins too.
  9. 9
    Build relationships between bidsOnce an RFP is out, talk only to the named contact. Before and after, go to pre-bid meetings, industry days and matchmakers.
  10. 10
    Federal path: SAM, VetCert, primesAnswer sources-sought notices, sell card buys to Nellis and VA, sub under primes. Free help from Nevada APEX.

Bid or no bid: the 100-point score

15 minutes per opportunity, with the evaluation section open.

Core fit (video, social, brand, web, ads)
15
Past performance we can prove
15
Competition and incumbent
15
Evaluation criteria match our strengths
10
Our insight or contact with the buyer
10
Size sweet spot ($10K to $250K a year)
10
Price clarity (budget or last award known)
10
Logistics and travel
5
Time and team capacity
5
Strategic value (repeat work, new agency type)
5
70+Go
50 to 69Only if reusable and Luis says yes
Under 50Pass
  • Automatic pass: a must-have we can't meet, a registration we can't finish in time, or more than half the work outside what we do.
  • Rigged for the incumbent? 3 or more signs means we pass: same vendor twice, short deadline for a big job, vague scope with big dollars, key-person rules only the incumbent's team fits.

Federal roadmap

In order. Each step unlocks the next.

  1. SAM active + CAGE codeLuis · CAGE call 10/7. Days if the records match; weeks if the IRS name or address doesn't.
  2. SBA Small Business Search profileBot drafts, Luis approves · Primes and contracting officers search this. Fill in the capabilities summary and keywords.
  3. VetCert (SDVOSB)Luis + Josh + CPA · Fix the operating agreement to the real 51/49 first. DD-214, VA letter, 3 years of returns. SBA reported about 12 days average in late 2025.
  4. Nevada APEX, freeLuis · 702-486-3514. Free reviews of our capability statement and proposals, bid matching, matchmaker events.
  5. Sources-sought answersBot · One afternoon each. Enough small-business replies can get a contract reserved for small firms. First one: USPTO, 10/20.
  6. Card buys under $15KLuis + Corey · Nellis/Creech Public Affairs, VA Southern Nevada, BLM.
  7. Sub under primesLuis · Blaine Warren (Air Force recruiting) first. Reach each prime's small-business liaison with a specific scope.
  8. VA Vets FirstAfter VetCert · VA must reserve work for certified SDVOSBs when two of them can do it at a fair price.
  9. GSA ScheduleYear 2 · Needs about 2 years of company history and 2 years of financials.

3 changes now

For the bids already in flight.

1. Add a compliance matrix and a scored outline to Friday's two draftsBefore pricing: map every "must" and every scored item to a page, mirror the RFP's section order, and open with a one-page summary built on 3 themes with proof behind each.
2. Score all 5 live bids, then put our hours where the odds areBrooklyn Navy Yard ($25K cap, remote) is the classic first win. Valley Clean Energy and the SC airport have incumbents and heavy experience weighting, so we keep those lean and reuse content.
3. Start the learning loop on day onePut each award date on the calendar, then request the winner's proposal and score sheets every time. Build a shared library (resumes, project sheets with numbers, cleared references, rate card) so bid five takes half the hours of bid one.

Watch-outs

1099s count as subcontractors. On federal small-business or SDVOSB set-asides, no more than half of the contract money can go to outside people. Mackin and freelancers count toward that half. Check with APEX before the first one.
California DVBE is not open to us. The veteran has to live in California, so we never claim it on CA bids.
Claim only Nevada ESB today. SDVOSB only after VetCert approves us. Skip paid "govcon consultants"; APEX does the same work free.