# government contracts (audio feeds) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 1 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover government contracts. Page: Feed: --- ## [How to Use an 8(a) Partner to Build Past Performance and Win Prime Contracts](https://govcongiants.libsyn.com/how-to-use-an-8a-partner-to-build-past-performance-and-win-prime-contracts) _2026-08-22 · Govcon Giants_ The 8(a) program lets a small business team with an 8(a) prime, subcontract on its contracts, and build the past performance needed to win its own prime awards later. Eric Coffie walks through the exact teaming approach he used starting in 2019, from doing the business development for an 8(a) partner to negotiating $18 million in sole source contracts as a prime in 2025. What you'll learn in this… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/govcongiants/10-6__Clip_1__2025_Action_Plan_and_Govcon_Accelerator_-_Eric_Coffie_061025_.mp3?dest-id=1224122) ## [The Sources Sought Response That Legally Narrows Federal Competition (Step-by-Step)](https://govcongiants.libsyn.com/the-sources-sought-response-that-legally-narrows-federal-competition-step-by-step) _2026-08-21 · Govcon Giants_ A sources sought response is a small business's chance to recommend specific past-performance and PWS requirements that the government can place directly into the solicitation, legally narrowing who can compete. Eric Coffie walks through how to shape those recommendations, from citing a five-year VA janitorial contract to requiring three years of prime performance on a 50,000 square foot facility,… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/govcongiants/18-12_Clip_1__Whisper_in_the_Governments_Ear_Legally_with_Ryan_Atencio_121825_.mp3?dest-id=1224122) ## [From Marine Sharpshooter to Landing a Government Contract With Zero Experience](https://govcongiants.libsyn.com/david-rambhajan) _2026-08-20 · Govcon Giants_ Landing a job you have no experience for feels impossible, but David Rambhajan did it with zero degree, zero experience, and no MBA, and in this episode he breaks down the exact "sharpshooter strategy" that got him hired. If you are starting from scratch with no past performance or connections, this is the mindset and step-by-step approach that turns a flat rejection into an opportunity nobody… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/govcongiants/18-9_Clip_1__Sharpshooter_Strategy_Building_a_Foundation_for_Success_-_David_Rambhajan_091825_.mp3?dest-id=1224122) ## [338: 20-Year GovCon Lawyer: Why Your $10 Billion IDIQ Is Worth Nothing | Isaias "Cy" Alba](https://govcongiants.libsyn.com/338-20-year-govcon-lawyer-why-your-10-billion-idiq-is-worth-nothing-isaias-cy-alba) _2026-08-19 · Govcon Giants_ Selling a government contracting business triggers a 180-day eligibility rule that can void a set-aside bid if the buyer is not eligible on the day of award, wiping out the time and cost of the proposal. Isaias "Cy" Alba, a partner at the law firm PilieroMazza with 20 years in government contracting M&A, walks through the specific rules that quietly strip value from a small business before a sale,… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/govcongiants/Isaias__Cy__Alba__IV_1.mp3?dest-id=1224122) ## [Bid Federal Contracts You Can't Win, on Purpose (Here's Why)](https://govcongiants.libsyn.com/bid-federal-contracts-you-cant-win-on-purpose-heres-why) _2026-08-18 · Govcon Giants_ Army Corps of Engineers roofing and construction contracts are often written against Unified Facilities Criteria that date back decades, and the person who defines whether the job is complete is the same person who releases your payment. West Edwards breaks down the questions a contractor should ask before bidding a federal job, how to get the scope and success criteria signed off in writing, and… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/govcongiants/11-7__Clip_1__Be_Patient_Protect_Yourself_FHC_Training_-_West_Edwards_071125_.mp3?dest-id=1224122) ## [The 8(a) Program Is the Easy Button for Your First Federal Contract in 2026](https://govcongiants.libsyn.com/the-8a-program-is-the-easy-button-for-your-first-federal-contract-in-2026) _2026-08-17 · Govcon Giants_ The number of new small businesses winning federal contracts each year has fallen from 58,000 to roughly 12,000, even as total small business awards doubled to 183 billion dollars, which means larger awards are going to far fewer firms. Eric Coffie breaks down why the 8(a) program is the fastest on-ramp into that thinning field in 2026, how one contractor turned a quiet six-year build into a 57… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/govcongiants/30-12__Clip_1__Teaming_Hacks_Borrow_8a_Power_-_Eric_Coffie_123025_.mp3?dest-id=1224122) ## [The GSA Schedule Partnership That Builds Your Past Performance (Full Guide)](https://govcongiants.libsyn.com/the-gsa-schedule-partnership-that-builds-your-past-performance-full-guide) _2026-08-16 · Govcon Giants_ The GSA Multiple Award Schedule is a 20-year contract vehicle, and a business with no past performance can still get on it by subcontracting first to build a track record as a prime. Colin Nchako breaks down how to sub under an established schedule holder, convert that experience into your own prime awards, and then add new SIN numbers later through a modification instead of at the onset. What… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/govcongiants/11-9_Clip_2__GSA_MAS_Schedule_QA_-_Colin_Nchako_091125_.mp3?dest-id=1224122) ## [The 8(a) Joint Venture Move That Builds Your Company on Someone Else's Bonding | David Rambhajan](https://govcongiants.libsyn.com/the-8a-joint-venture-move-that-builds-your-company-on-someone-elses-bonding-david-rambhajan) _2026-08-15 · Govcon Giants_ Two small businesses can form an 8(a) joint venture to pursue federal contracts neither could win alone, splitting accounting, bonding, and delivery responsibilities under the program rules. David Rambhajan, a contractor who grew through joint ventures and mentor-protege agreements before selling his company, walks through how he used partnering to gain past performance, limit his bonding… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/govcongiants/11-9__Clip_3__Joint_Ventures_Partnering__Teaming_-_David_Rambhajan_091125_.mp3?dest-id=1224122) ## [6 Things First-Time Contractors Forget to Put in a Federal Construction](https://govcongiants.libsyn.com/6-things-first-time-contractors-forget-to-put-in-a-federal-construction) _2026-08-14 · Govcon Giants_ Federal construction bids are won or lost in the estimate, where a single omitted line item like roof tubing can cost a quarter of a million dollars on a $19 million project. Eric Coffie breaks down the estimating checklist that captures the full scope of work, why every subcontractor bid must be signed and turnkey to hold up in court, and how one missing clause let a sub cover five items when the… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/govcongiants/19-5_Clip_1__From_Small_to_Large_Scaling_using_SBA_-_Eric_Coffie_051926_.mp3?dest-id=1224122) ## [The Requirement Trick That Wins a Federal Contract Before It Posts](https://govcongiants.libsyn.com/the-requirement-trick-that-wins-a-federal-contract-before-it-posts) _2026-08-13 · Govcon Giants_ Federal buyers control only one part of a contract, the requirement, and most program staff have never been trained to write a performance work statement, so the document that decides the winner is often written before a solicitation ever posts. Ryan breaks down how a small vendor shapes that requirement through market research and a sources sought response, so the eventual bid is scoped so… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/govcongiants/7-11__Clip_3_Capture_500K_Deals_Before_the_RFP_Drops__Ryan_110725_.mp3?dest-id=1224122) ## [100,000 Bonus Points Await You (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/XrX3f8R8THPG) _2026-08-13 · **Sponsored**_ Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. ## [337: Former GSA Acquisitions Chief: We Knew What Agencies Would Buy Before Anyone Bid | Tracy Marcinowski](https://govcongiants.libsyn.com/337-former-gsa-acquisitions-chief-we-knew-what-agencies-would-buy-before-anyone-bid-tracy-marcinowski) _2026-08-12 · Govcon Giants_ Federal agencies signal upcoming contract dollars through the president's budget months before a solicitation ever posts, and the FY2027 budget was published just weeks ago. Tracy Marcinowski, a former Air Force contracting officer who rose to Assistant Commissioner for Acquisitions at GSA's Public Building Service, a $4 billion organization, walks through how a small business reads that budget to… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/govcongiants/315_Tracy_M_and_Eric_C.mp3?dest-id=1224122) ## [The SAM.gov Data Trick That Shows Where Every Agency Spends (Full Guide) | Zack Golden](https://govcongiants.libsyn.com/the-samgov-data-trick-that-shows-where-every-agency-spends-full-guide-zack-golden) _2026-08-11 · Govcon Giants_ Federal agencies publish every contract they award, and that spending data reveals which offices buy your service and how much they paid last year, including one region where the Army alone obligated $27 million. ack Golden walks through pulling agency spending into a pivot table to find the offices actively buying, the recipients already winning, and the NAICS codes that point a small vendor… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/govcongiants/4-12_Clip_1__50M_Agency_Buying_Pattern_Exposed_Zack_Golden_120425_.mp3?dest-id=1224122) ## [3 Ways to Partner on a Federal Contract Without Losing Your Small Business Status | David Rambhajan](https://govcongiants.libsyn.com/3-ways-to-partner-on-a-federal-contract-without-losing-your-small-business-status-david-rambhajan) _2026-08-10 · Govcon Giants_ On a federal prime-sub relationship, a scope review is a short document a prime walks through line by line so a subcontractor commits to payment terms, performance, and deliverables before work starts. David Rambhajan, a service-disabled veteran-owned construction contractor who built and sold his firm after 15 years, explains how that one habit prevents the price increases and missed expectations… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/govcongiants/11-9__Clip_1__Joint_Ventures_Partnering__Teaming_-_David_Rambhajan_091125_.mp3?dest-id=1224122) ## [Getting Paid Upfront on a Government Contract Before You Finish the Work | West Edwards](https://govcongiants.libsyn.com/getting-paid-upfront-on-a-government-contract-before-you-finish-the-work-west-edwards) _2026-08-09 · Govcon Giants_ On a federal construction job the government pays the general contractor within about 30 days, but the subcontractor gets paid only after hitting a milestone and floats the materials and labor in the meantime. West Edwards, a construction and roofing contractor who works Army Corps of Engineers projects, walks through how a subcontractor gets money on the ground early, uses supplier terms to push… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/govcongiants/12-6_Clip_3__Be_Patient_Protect_Yourself_FHC_Training_-_West_Edwards_061225_.mp3?dest-id=1224122)