Proposal management software for every agency you pursue
Each federal agency evaluates proposals differently. These playbooks apply the VETR Framework — Value, Experience, Teaming, Responsiveness — to the way contracting officers at each agency actually score Section L and Section M.
Department of Defense
The DoD is the federal government's largest contracting buyer, awarding more than $400B annually across the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Space Force, and dozens of defense agenc...
Read the playbookDepartment of Veterans Affairs
The VA is the single largest federal buyer from veteran-owned small businesses, with statutory "Vets First" preferences under 38 U.S.C. 8127 (Pub. L. 109-461). SDVOSB / VOSB status...
Read the playbookDepartment of Homeland Security
DHS buys across 22 component agencies — CBP, CISA, FEMA, ICE, TSA, USCG, USSS, and more. Cyber, border security, and emergency response dominate the requirement set, and FedRAMP /...
Read the playbookGeneral Services Administration
GSA runs the federal government's shared contract vehicles — Multiple Award Schedules, GSA STARS, OASIS, Alliant — through which most other agencies buy. Getting on a GSA Schedule...
Read the playbookDepartment of Health and Human Services
HHS includes CMS, NIH, FDA, CDC, IHS, and the Office of the Secretary. Most HHS contracting flows through CIO-SP (NITAAC) or OASIS for services; major NIH and CDC programs reward d...
Read the playbookNational Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA buys engineering, science, and IT services at scale through SEWP V and a portfolio of center-specific IDIQs (Goddard, Marshall, Kennedy, JPL). SDVOSB and small-business prefer...
Read the playbookDepartment of Energy
DoE buys through 17 national labs and a portfolio of mission programs (NNSA, EM, EERE). Most opportunities flow through M&O contracts at the labs plus a small-business contracting...
Read the playbookDepartment of Justice
DoJ buys for the FBI, DEA, BOP, USMS, and EOIR. Cyber, forensics, and legal-services IT dominate; clearance requirements (TS, SCI) gate a large share of the technical work.
Read the playbookDepartment of the Treasury
Treasury includes IRS, OCC, FinCEN, and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service. IRS modernization, FinCEN cyber, and OCC supervisory data work drive most of the addressable opportunity f...
Read the playbookDepartment of State
State buys for diplomatic operations, OBO (overseas buildings), Bureau of Consular Affairs, and a handful of cybersecurity / IT modernization programs. Overseas work demands Diplom...
Read the playbookWhere should you compete?
Set-aside goals look similar across agencies. What differs is what they buy, the vehicle you have to be on to sell it to them, and how large a typical award is — which together decide whether a pursuit is worth your capture budget.
| Agency | Buys most of | Usually bought through | Typical award size |
|---|---|---|---|
| DoD | Computer Systems Design Services (541512) · Engineering Services (541330) | SeaPort-NxGOASIS+Alliant 2 | $500K – $50M task orders under IDIQ / GWAC vehicles |
| VA | Medical Laboratories (621511) · Computer Systems Design Services (541512) | VA T4NGGSA MASNASA SEWP | $250K – $20M (SDVOSB set-aside task orders most common) |
| DHS | Computer Systems Design Services (541512) · Other Computer Related Services (541519) | DHS EAGLE IIFirstSource IIICISA OASIS+ | $1M – $30M per task order; multi-year CISA programs reach $100M+ |
| GSA | Administrative Management Consulting (541611) · Computer Systems Design Services (541512) | GSA MASOASIS+STARS III | $50K – $25M task orders; Schedule contracts cover 5+5+5+5 years |
| HHS | Computer Systems Design Services (541512) · Research & Development in Biotechnology (541711) | CIO-SP3 / CIO-SP4NITAACOASIS+ | $500K – $40M per task order; multi-year NIH IDIQs reach $9B ceiling |
| NASA | Engineering Services (541330) · R&D in Physical, Engineering, & Life Sciences (541715) | NASA SEWP VOASIS+GSA MAS | $250K – $100M+ (center IDIQs run into the billions) |
| DoE | R&D in Physical, Engineering, & Life Sciences (541715) · Engineering Services (541330) | M&O subcontractsGSA MASOASIS+ | $500K – $50M per award; lab M&O parent contracts billions |
| DoJ | Computer Systems Design Services (541512) · Administrative Management Consulting (541611) | DoJ ITSS-5GSA MASOASIS+ | $1M – $20M per task order |
| Treasury | Computer Systems Design Services (541512) · Administrative Management Consulting (541611) | Treasury TIPSS-4GSA MASOASIS+ | $500K – $30M per task order; IRS programs reach billions |
| State | Computer Systems Design Services (541512) · Administrative Management Consulting (541611) | Vanguard 2.2.1GSA MASOASIS+ | $1M – $50M per award; OBO construction reaches $200M+ |
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