What is the VETR Score™? How we calculate Win Probability
Most SDVOSBs walk into a federal proposal blind. They feel the opportunity is "right" because the NAICS code matches and the agency seems familiar — but they have no quantitative way to compare opportunity A against opportunity B, or to know whether to bid solo or team up. The VETR Score™ exists to make that decision quantitative, defensible, and fast.
The four pillars
VETR is the methodology and the acronym. Every opportunity gets scored on four independent axes, each on a 0–100 scale. The composite is a weighted blend, but the breakdown is what matters because it tells you where you're strong and where you're vulnerable.
V — Value Alignment (25%)
Does this opportunity match what your firm actually does well? VETR cross-references the RFP's stated requirements against your registered NAICS codes, capability statement, past performance set-asides, and certifications. A 90+ V score means the work sits squarely in your wheelhouse. A 60 V score means you'd be stretching capability to win.
E — Experience Density (25%)
Past performance is the single largest factor most government source-selection panels weigh, and most SDVOSBs underutilize it. VETR pulls the relevant past-performance entries from your library that share at least one NAICS, agency, or technical-domain marker with the RFP — then scores how dense the overlap is. A high E score means you have multiple, recent, similar contracts to cite. A low E score means you'll be teaming for past performance.
T — Teaming Strength (25%)
Most small-business primes win by partnering. VETR analyzes your existing partner roster against the RFP's gap areas — what you'd need to subcontract — and scores teaming readiness. If you already have NDAs with the right large-business mentors, that's a high T. If you'd be cold-emailing capabilities you've never worked with, that's a low T.
R — Responsiveness Capacity (25%)
Time-to-submit matters. VETR looks at the RFP deadline, the volume of required sections (Section L letter-of-instruction count, Section M evaluation criteria, page limits), and your team's current proposal load. A high R means you have the calendar and bandwidth to submit a quality response. A low R means you'd be rushing and risking compliance.
How the AI works (and how it doesn't)
The four pillars are scored by structured analysis — not vibes-based AI. Here's the actual flow:
- RFP parsing. When you upload an RFP, our parser extracts requirements line-by-line into a structured table (Section L instructions, Section M criteria, deadlines, page limits, applicable FAR clauses). This is deterministic — no LLM hallucination risk.
- Pillar scoring. Each pillar runs a separate scoring routine that compares parsed RFP fields against your organization's data. Most of these are rule-based; a few use the LLM for fuzzy similarity (e.g. "is this RFP technically similar to past performance #3?").
- AI commentary layer. A final LLM pass produces 3–5 bullet points explaining why each pillar scored where it did. This is the part you should read carefully — it's where the model can be wrong and where your judgment matters most.
What the VETR Score is not. It is not a guarantee. It is not a prediction. It is a structured second opinion that takes ten minutes instead of a four-hour bid/no-bid meeting. Use it to shortlist, not to decide.
A worked example
Here's an SDVOSB scoring a sample RFP for IT modernization at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The composite of 78 means "lean toward bidding," but the breakdown is more useful than the composite:
- V = 86 — The firm's primary NAICS (541512) matches; capability statement is dense in cloud migration.
- E = 91 — Three past-performance contracts at VA in the last five years, two as a prime.
- T = 65 — Strong on cloud, weaker on cybersecurity SME bench. Teaming will be required.
- R = 70 — Six weeks to deadline, capture team has one other proposal in flight. Doable but tight.
The AI commentary layer flagged: "Past performance density is your sharpest weapon for this RFP. Lead with two PA contracts in Section M.4 (similar magnitude); team in a cyber subcontractor by week 2 to close the T gap; protect calendar by deferring the May 28 SBIR submission."
How to actually use it
The VETR Score is built for three specific moments in your bid cycle:
- Bid/no-bid decision (Day 1). Run the score within the first hour of seeing the RFP. If composite is below 60, walk away unless you have non-quantitative reasons to pursue (strategic agency relationship, etc.).
- Capture plan (Week 1). Use the pillar breakdown to build your capture plan. Low E? Interview prior PMs and harvest past-perf detail. Low T? Pick teaming partners by Friday.
- Pink team review (mid-cycle). Rerun the score with your draft sections loaded. The composite should rise as your sections fill in. If it doesn't, your sections aren't matching what you said you'd say.
Try it free
You can score your first three RFPs without a credit card during the 14-day trial. Upload an RFP, populate your past-performance library, and see the score in under five minutes. Start your free trial →