Hey all, college student here at BYU starting to look into the world of federal contracting for a project I'm working on. Before I jump into anything, I want to actually understand what the process looks like from people who've lived it instead of from a YouTube guru.
If you've ever bid on a federal contract as a small business, I'd love to hear how it actually went. A few things I'm trying to wrap my head around:
How did you find your first contract that was actually winnable, not just something you'd never realistically get?
Once you found one, how long did the proposal itself take, and where did the time really go (technical writing, compliance/formatting, past performance, pricing)?
Did you write it in-house, hire a consultant, use a tool, or some mix? What worked and what was a waste of money?
Looking back, what part of the process do you wish someone had just done for you, and what would that have been worth to you to outsource?
For anyone who's bid more than once, what changed between proposal one and proposal three?
Genuinely just trying to learn from people who know the real game. Will read every comment. Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share.