Score your government contracting readiness.

Why this matters: Government buyers verify registration before awarding contracts. In the US that's SAM.gov + Unique Entity ID (UEI). In Canada it's CanadaBuys + Procurement Business Number. In the EU it's eCertis and country-specific portals. UN suppliers register at UNGM; World Bank suppliers at the Client Connection portal. A stale or incomplete registration is the most common reason proposals are technically disqualified before evaluation even begins.

Why this matters: Industry classification codes tell government buyers what you do. US uses NAICS (North American Industry Classification System); Canada uses GSIN (Goods and Services Identification Number); the EU uses CPV (Common Procurement Vocabulary); UN uses UNSPSC. Each code carries size standards or category rules that determine which set-asides and contract sizes you qualify for. Most contracts are matched to specific codes — so the wider your portfolio, the more opportunities surface for you.

Why this matters: Most governments reserve contracts for small or diverse suppliers ("set-asides" in US; "reserved tendering" in EU; "Indigenous Business" in Canada; "MSME" in many markets). US has 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB/EDWOSB, SDVOSB, VOSB. Canada has Indigenous Business Directory + provincial diverse-supplier programs. EU has SME definitions. Multilateral banks have country-of-origin preferences for borrower nations. Holding the right certifications expands your eligible-contract pool dramatically — often 20-40% of awards in any market are set aside for certified suppliers.

Why this matters: A capability statement is your one-pager that buyers see before they decide to engage. Standard format in US federal (NAICS + CAGE + certifications + past performance + differentiators). Canadian and EU variants follow similar structure but emphasize different identifiers. Buyers in every market use capability statements to shortlist suppliers for sources sought, ITTs, ITNs, and market research engagements — meaning a weak or missing capability statement removes you from consideration before any formal solicitation appears.

Why this matters: Past performance is typically 20-30% of evaluation weight on most government proposals. US uses CPARS (Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System) where contracting officers rate your performance after award. Canada uses Vendor Performance Management. EU evaluates through prior contract references. Multilateral banks rate through completion certificates. Without documented past performance, you're competing on price alone — which loses to incumbents who have rated history every time.

Why this matters: Incumbent contractors win 50-70% of recompetes across most markets — but the 30-50% that flip are where capture investment pays off. Public databases like USASpending.gov (US), Contract History (Canada), TED Europa (EU), and DevBusiness (multilateral banks) reveal prior award value, period of performance, and contractor history. Sophisticated capture teams research incumbent vulnerability (personnel turnover, performance issues, disputes) before deciding whether to compete.

Why this matters: Pre-solicitation notices announce that a buyer is researching a future purchase — typically 90-180 days before the formal solicitation. In the US these are "Sources Sought" and RFI (Request for Information). In Canada they're ACAN (Advance Contract Award Notice) and Letter of Interest. In the EU they're PIN (Prior Information Notice). In UN/multilateral they're EOI (Expression of Interest). Responding shapes the final solicitation in your favor — and 60-70% of awards have at least one pre-solicitation engagement with the eventual winner.

Why this matters: Pre-solicitation engagement volume is the most predictive metric for sustained federal/government win rate growth. Top-performing capture teams respond to 25-50 pre-solicitation notices per year. Each response gives the buyer information that shapes the future solicitation — and gives you intelligence on what they're prioritizing. Volume alone isn't enough; quality + personalization per buyer is what makes responses convert.

Why this matters: Government solicitations follow funding. US agencies publish budget justifications through OMB (Office of Management and Budget) and FYDP (Future Years Defense Program) for DOD. Canada publishes Departmental Plans. EU publishes Multiannual Financial Framework allocations. Multilateral banks publish Country Operations Programs. Tracking funding 6-18 months ahead lets you position with named program managers before the procurement cycle even begins — which is where 80% of the capture advantage compounds.

Why this matters: Disciplined bid/no-bid decisions are the single highest-leverage proposal management practice. APMP (Association of Proposal Management Professionals) and Shipley research shows teams that use scored decision matrices win 2-3× more often than teams that bid everything that looks interesting. The reason: every "no" frees capacity for opportunities you can actually win — and avoids the trap of mediocre proposals on weak-fit opportunities that hurt your win rate average.

Why this matters: You can't optimize what you don't measure. Industry-average win rate on competitive government proposals is 25-35% for established contractors; new market entrants are typically 5-15%. Tracking win rate per market, per agency, and per proposal type reveals where your capture is working and where you're spending effort that won't convert. The teams that track and respond to win-rate signal compound their advantage; the teams that don't repeat the same losing patterns.

Why this matters: "Capture" is the structured pre-solicitation phase where you build buyer relationships, understand requirements before they're written into the formal solicitation, and shape your solution. Shipley capture methodology identifies 5-7 capture milestones across the 18 months before award. Teams that start capture after solicitation release typically lose to incumbents and competitors who've been engaged for a year already.

Why this matters: Most governments now require cybersecurity certification for contracts touching sensitive data. US DOD requires CMMC 2.0 (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) — Levels 1 self-assessment, Level 2 with C3PAO (Certified Third-Party Assessor Organization) for sensitive work. UK MOD requires Cyber Essentials Plus. EU GDPR + NIS2 directives apply to most public-sector contracts. ISO 27001 is broadly accepted internationally. Without the right certification, you're disqualified from compliant contract types regardless of how strong your proposal is.

Why this matters: Government solicitations carry mandatory regulatory clauses that flow down to your operations and your subcontractors. US uses FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulation) and DFARS (Defense FAR Supplement). Canada uses Treasury Board Contracting Policy. EU uses the Public Procurement Directives (2014/24/EU + 2014/25/EU). Australia uses the Commonwealth Procurement Rules. Missing a clause requirement is a basis for protest, contract termination, or audit findings that can disqualify you from future contracts.

Why this matters: Government compliance has dozens of recurring deadlines: registration renewals (annual or biennial), certification audits, performance evaluation responses, subcontractor reporting, tax filings, insurance renewals, security clearance maintenance. Missing one can suspend your eligibility, kill an active proposal, or trigger contract termination. Top-performing contractors run compliance calendars with 30/60/90-day cascading reminders so nothing surprises them.

Why this matters: Every government solicitation tells you two things: what to write (instructions to offerors) and how it will be scored (evaluation criteria). In US federal RFPs these are Sections L and M. In EU ITTs they're the technical specification + award criteria. In multilateral bank ITBs they're the technical evaluation criteria + financial evaluation criteria. Building a compliance matrix that maps every instruction to every criterion + your proposal section is what separates winning proposals from technically compliant ones — and what allows reviewers to verify completeness before submission.

Why this matters: The 4-color review system is the industry standard for proposal quality. Pink Team reviews strategy and win themes. Red Team reviews compliance and competitiveness. Gold Team is the final executive review. Green Team reviews pricing. Each color has a specific role + checklist. Teams that follow the full color-team discipline win 50-100% more often than teams doing one review near submission — because every color catches different categories of defects.

Why this matters: Win themes are the 3-5 messages that differentiate you from competitors and address buyer hot-buttons. "Ghosting" is positioning your strengths against named competitors' weaknesses without naming them. Both come from capture intelligence — you can't develop win themes during proposal writing because you don't have time to research what the buyer actually values. Teams that develop themes during capture and reinforce them through every proposal section win significantly more than teams that describe their offering generically.

Why this matters: Many government contracts — especially construction, large services, and supply contracts — require surety bonds. US has Treasury-listed sureties + the SBA Surety Bond Guarantee (SBG) program for small businesses. Canada has parallel programs through Export Development Canada (EDC). The EU uses bid bonds and performance guarantees. Multilateral banks require bid securities and performance security. Limited bonding capacity caps your eligible contract size — meaning you're disqualified from larger awards regardless of capability.

Why this matters: Governments pay slowly. US federal contracts pay Net 30 by law (Prompt Payment Act) but reality is often 45-60+ days. Canada averages 60-90 days. EU has 30-day directive but reality varies. Multilateral banks pay against milestone certification — sometimes 90-120 days. Without working capital infrastructure (line of credit + factoring + prompt-pay strategies), you can't take on contracts that require upfront payroll, materials, or subcontractor payments — which means you cap yourself at small awards.

Why this matters: Government pricing is evaluator-scored, not market-driven. US contracts often use LPTA (Lowest Price Technically Acceptable) where price wins after a quality gate, or Best Value Trade-Off where price weights against technical merit. EU uses MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender). Multilateral banks use QCBS (Quality and Cost-Based Selection). Each evaluation type rewards different pricing strategies — and pricing too high disqualifies you, but pricing too low signals weakness or burns margin you needed. Sophisticated pricing modeling is what separates breakeven contractors from profitable ones.

Why this matters: Government contracts have specific deliverable artifacts that must be submitted on schedule. US uses CDRLs (Contract Data Requirements Lists) — typically 10-50 per contract. EU and UK use milestone payments tied to defined deliverables. Multilateral banks tie disbursements to certified completion of activities. Missing a deliverable creates cure notices, default risk, and ratings damage. Top-performing contractors track every CDRL or milestone with evidence-of-completion timestamped — because that becomes the evidence base for performance ratings that determine your next contract win.

Why this matters: When you subcontract on a government contract, your subcontractors inherit a portion of your compliance obligations through "flowdown" clauses — and you remain liable for their performance to the buyer. US requires subcontract reporting through eSRS (electronic Subcontracting Reporting System), ISR (Individual Subcontract Report), and SSR (Summary Subcontract Report). Canada has Indigenous Procurement reporting. EU has chain-of-supply transparency rules. Failure to administer subcontracts properly is one of the most common audit findings — and it can cost you the contract and future eligibility.

Why this matters: Performance ratings on past contracts directly determine your competitiveness on future ones. US uses CPARS (Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System) — rated on Quality, Schedule, Cost Control, Management, Small Business Subcontracting, and Regulatory Compliance. Canada uses Vendor Performance Management. Multilateral banks issue Completion Reports. Top-performing contractors actively manage to the specific criteria — surfacing risks early, documenting corrections, and ensuring the buyer's representative has evidence to give them the rating they earned. Reactive contractors get rated on the buyer's memory, which is rarely favorable.