Federal agencies don’t wake up one morning and decide to try a new vendor. They buy from patterns—incumbents, known SINs, familiar pricing structures, and vendors who already “fit” their procurement memory.
Breaking in requires intent, patience, and a repeatable internal BD system. Not heroics. Not cold emails sprayed across .gov inboxes. A system.
Below is the internal business development process Capitol 50 uses and teaches to help contractors win with agencies that have never awarded them a dollar.
Step 1: Confirm You’re Even Buyable (Most Firms Skip This)
Before outreach, confirm whether an agency can buy from you easily.
Understanding the importance of an active gsa contract is crucial for successful engagement with federal agencies. Without a gsa contract, your outreach efforts may fall short. Acquiring a gsa contract opens doors to new opportunities.
Internal checklist:
Having a solid understanding of the gsa contract process can significantly enhance your chances of success in securing a gsa contract.
- Do you hold an active GSA contract aligned to what the agency already buys?
- Are your GSA SIN numbers mapped to the agency’s historical spend?
- Does your pricing align with their recent awards—or are you priced like a commercial outlier?
- Is your Most Favored Customer (MFC) story defensible if contracting asks?
If the answer to any of these is “not really,” the issue isn’t BD. It’s structure.
Capitol 50 often finds that vendors chasing new agencies actually need GSA modification guidance or a pricing reset before outreach begins. Otherwise, every conversation stalls at contracting.
https://Cap50.com/gsa-contract-assistance/
Step 2: Identify the Agency’s Buying Muscle, Not Its Org Chart
Stop starting with the agency homepage. Start with spend data.
Internal BD teams should pull:
- 3–5 years of agency spend by NAICS + SIN
- Top incumbent vendors
- Average award size and contract type (task order, BPA, IDIQ)
- Frequency of recompetes
You’re not asking, “Who should we talk to?”
You’re asking, “Where does this agency already spend money that looks like us?”
This is where GSA commercial platforms and FPDS data become more useful than networking events.
Capitol 50’s industry market analysis work often reveals that vendors target the wrong sub-office entirely—even when they “know people” inside the agency.
https://Cap50.com/industry-market-analysis/
Step 3: Build an Agency-Specific Value Hypothesis (Not a Capability Statement)
Capability statements don’t open doors. Familiarity does.
Your internal BD team should create a one-page agency hypothesis:
- What problem does this agency repeatedly buy to solve?
- Where do incumbents fall short (pricing creep, scope gaps, delivery lag)?
- Which existing contract vehicles they prefer (GSA MAS, GWACs, BPAs)?
- How your offer fits without changing their buying behavior
This is not marketing copy. It’s internal alignment. If your team can’t articulate why this agency would switch, outreach will sound vague—and agencies smell that immediately.
Step 4: Enter Through Pre-Acquisition, Not Active Bids
Breaking in rarely happens during an open solicitation.
Internal BD rule:
- Target agencies 12–36 months before recompete
- Monitor sources sought, RFIs, and draft RFPs
- Track program offices before contracting issues guidance
Your goal isn’t to sell. It’s to shape recognition:
- Clarify scope language
- Ask smart, restrained questions
- Validate that your SINs and labor categories align
This is where many firms accidentally disqualify themselves by oversharing or pushing pricing too early.
Step 5: Use Contracting as a Signal, Not a Gatekeeper
Program offices influence need. Contracting controls feasibility.
Internal BD teams should:
- Ask contracting how the agency prefers to buy—not if they can buy from you
- Confirm whether novation FAR rules, subcontracting limits, or past protests influence behavior
- Learn which vendors contracting already trusts to submit clean offers
If contracting doesn’t recognize your company name by the time an RFP drops, you’re already behind.
Step 6: Create Internal Persistence Without Noise
Breaking into a new agency often takes:
- 6–12 touchpoints
- Across multiple fiscal years
- With long gaps of silence
Your internal BD process should track:
- Who you spoke with
- What was learned
- What changed in agency priorities
- When to re-engage
This is not CRM vanity. It’s institutional memory. Without it, turnover inside your own BD team resets progress to zero.
Capitol 50 frequently sees agencies award first contracts to vendors who were simply consistent, not flashy.
Step 7: Win Small, Then Expand Intentionally
First wins are often:
- Low-dollar task orders
- Limited scope pilots
- Short performance periods
Internally, treat these as credibility deposits, not margin plays.
Post-award BD actions:
- Document performance metrics the agency cares about
- Ask what future scope might look like—carefully
- Prepare for GSA contract modifications that support expansion
Growth inside an agency is usually quieter than entry—but more profitable.
Where Capitol 50 Fits In
Capitol 50 works with contractors who already know what they sell—but need help aligning GSA contract structure, SIN strategy, pricing, and BD execution so agencies can actually buy.
For firms targeting new federal customers, Capitol 50 often starts with a no-cost audit to identify structural barriers before BD dollars are wasted.
Request a free audit:
https://Cap50.com/request-a-free-audit/
In Summary
Agencies don’t avoid new vendors because they dislike them.
They avoid uncertainty.
When your company looks familiar, reasonable, and easy to buy from, entry stops being a breakthrough moment and starts feeling routine.
That’s how new relationships actually begin.
