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Expert Program Cohort 1

Government Contract Fast-Track

In 3 weeks, go from “never sold to the government” to registered, certified (where eligible), armed with a capability statement and a live opportunity pipeline, with your first bid submitted.

By Ace Tarakchian, President of Ace Business Consulting.

  • SAM.gov Registration
  • Certification Shortlist
  • Capability Statement
  • Opportunity Pipeline
  • First Bid Submitted
Ace Tarakchian, President of Ace Business Consulting

Led by

Ace Tarakchian

President, Ace Business Consulting

Oct 21, 2026Start date
3 weeksDuration
3–5 hrsWeekly time
10 of 10Spots left

Why Government Contracting

The government is a huge, stable buyer. Most small businesses never learn how to sell to it.

Federal agencies awarded more than $750B in contracts in FY2024, and 23% is targeted to small businesses by law. State and local governments (SLED) buy too, across 50+ states and thousands of counties, cities and school districts. Governments have to buy constantly and they pay reliably, so the work is sticky and holds up in a downturn. It does reward patience: expect a 6 to 18 month build.

The way in is narrower than it looks. Purchases between $15K and $350K must be set aside for small businesses when two or more capable ones are likely to bid. That is where new contractors win first. Over three live weekly sessions you get registered, pick the certifications that give you a real advantage, position the business, build a targeted pipeline and submit your first bid.

  • SAM.gov registration underway: UEI obtained, CAGE assigned, NAICS and PSC codes locked in.
  • A certification shortlist: decide what you actually qualify for, with eligible applications started.
  • A draft one-page capability statement: who you are, what you do, why you are credible, how to reach you.
  • A pipeline of 5 to 10 targeted opportunities, tracked with deadlines and decisions in your Pipeline Tracker.
  • A first bid submitted, or a disciplined no-bid decision.
  • A personal path-to-win plan, built after your debrief.

Never sold to the government? Get registered, get positioned and submit your first bid in 3 weeks.

The Opportunity

Key facts behind the program

$750B+

In federal contract dollars awarded in FY2024.

23%

Of federal contract dollars targeted to small businesses by law.

$15K–$350K

The Simplified Acquisition band, which defaults to small-business set-asides (updated Oct 1, 2025).

$0

SAM.gov registration is free and must be renewed every year. No one should pay to register.

SDVOSB / VOSB and WOSB / EDWOSB set-asides now require formal SBA certification through the VetCert and MySBA Certifications portals. Self-certification is gone.

Curriculum

3-Week Curriculum

Week 1 – Foundations, Registrations & Certifications

Session 1 (kick-off) · Wed, Oct 21 · 60 min · live group

Goal: Get registered and pick the certifications that give you a real advantage.

  • How the government buys: the market and the money, the “Rule of Two” and the $15K to $350K set-aside band, and the three ways in (prime, subcontractor, contract vehicles such as GSA MAS)
  • Readiness debrief from your pre-work scorecard: financial staying power, insurance and bonding, past performance, capacity to deliver
  • Getting registered: the SAM.gov chain (SAM.gov, UEI, CAGE, NAICS and PSC codes), the annual renewal trap, and state, county and city vendor portals
  • Certifications and their relevance: 8(a), SDVOSB / VOSB, WOSB / EDWOSB, HUBZone, plus MBE, WBE and DBE; SBA formal certification now required; three filters for deciding what is worth pursuing

Tasks

  • Complete SAM.gov registration and confirm your UEI is active
  • Lock in your primary NAICS codes and PSC codes using the checklist
  • Fill out the Certification Decision Matrix and mark what you qualify for
  • Start any eligible certification application in SBA’s portal
  • Register on the state, county or city vendor portals where your buyers are

You leave with: an active UEI, locked codes, and a certification shortlist with applications started.

Week 2 – Positioning & Pipeline

Session 2 · Wed, Oct 28 · 60 min · live group

Goal: Position the business and build a pipeline.

  • Your capability statement: the one-page business card of government contracting. Core competencies, differentiators, past performance, company data. Tailor it per agency or prime and use it with contracting officers, primes, matchmaking events and intro emails
  • Finding opportunities, federal: SAM.gov Contract Opportunities with saved searches, agency procurement forecasts, GSA eBuy, USASpending.gov for market research
  • Finding opportunities, state, local and partner channels: state portals and bid boards, SBA SubNet, primes’ supplier portals, teaming agreements and joint ventures
  • Building your pipeline: focus beats volume. Narrow to 5 to 10 active targets that match your capacity, location and certifications, small buys and set-asides first

Tasks

  • Draft your one-page capability statement using the template
  • Save NAICS-based searches on SAM.gov and your state portals
  • Populate the Pipeline Tracker with 5 to 10 real target opportunities
  • Flag one opportunity you could realistically bid on next week
  • Post your capability statement and profile where buyers search (SBA certification search)

You leave with: a draft capability statement and a live pipeline tracker with one bid-ready target.

Week 3 – Winning the Work: Proposal Writing & Your First Bid

Session 3 (wrap-up) · Wed, Nov 4 · 60 min · live group

Goal: Win the work.

  • Anatomy of a solicitation: Sources Sought / RFI, RFQ and RFP. Read the Instruction and Evaluation sections first. LPTA vs best value
  • Proposal best practices: compliance before content (build a compliance matrix, mirror their language, follow format exactly, use the Q&A window), then win themes, past-performance proof and pricing strategy. Avoidable ways to lose
  • AI Accelerator: use AI to find bids and draft faster, and what to watch for (hallucinated facts, fabricated compliance, outdated rules, boilerplate, confidential data, over-reliance). AI drafts, you decide
  • Submitting and winning: portal mechanics and a dry run, the disciplined no-bid, always request a debrief, keep the pipeline moving, and what it takes from first bid to first win

Tasks

  • Build a compliance matrix for your chosen opportunity
  • Draft the proposal and price it to the evaluation method
  • Do a dry run of the portal upload ahead of the deadline
  • Submit your first bid, or document a disciplined no-bid decision
  • Request a debrief and complete your personal path-to-win plan

You leave with: a first bid submitted (or a no-bid decision), a debrief and a repeatable path-to-win plan.

Templates & Tools You Work With

Used across all 3 weeks

  • Readiness Scorecard (pre-work): cash flow, insurance and bonding, past performance, capacity
  • NAICS / PSC codes checklist
  • Certification Decision Matrix
  • Capability statement template and sample
  • Pipeline Tracker
  • Compliance matrix (Week 3)

Also covered: BidNetDirect, BidPrime and HigherGov for finding more bids.

ICP

Who this program is for

01 Established small-business owners You have revenue and delivery capacity but little or no government-contracting experience.
02 Ready to sell to federal and SLED buyers You want to start winning federal, state and local (SLED) contracts.
03 Prerequisite: the Readiness Scorecard Complete the pre-work scorecard (cash flow, insurance and bonding, past performance, capacity) before Week 1. No prior government-contracting experience required.

Format

Format model

3-week structure, one goal per week, five tasks per goal · Outcomes-based · Live group sessions (60 min) · 3 to 5 hrs/week · Goal tracking & accountability · Lead expert & co-experts · Delivered via AchieveOS

Week 1 Foundations, registrations and certifications: SAM.gov, UEI, CAGE, codes, certification shortlist Wed, Oct 21
Week 2 Positioning and pipeline: capability statement, finding opportunities, 5 to 10 targets Wed, Oct 28
Week 3 Winning the work: proposal writing, first bid, path-to-win plan Wed, Nov 4

Pricing

What your seat includes

Cohort 1

$299

Established small-business owners new to government contracting. 10 seats. Starts Wed, Oct 21, 2026.

Weekly time

3–5 hrs

3 live weekly group sessions of 60 minutes, plus five tasks between sessions.

  • SAM.gov registration underway

    UEI obtained, CAGE assigned, codes locked in.

  • A certification shortlist

    Eligible applications started, using the Certification Decision Matrix.

  • A one-page capability statement

    Drafted from the template and ready to tailor per buyer.

  • A pipeline of 5 to 10 opportunities

    Tracked in your Pipeline Tracker with deadlines and decisions.

  • Your first bid submitted

    Or a disciplined no-bid decision.

  • A personal path-to-win plan

    Built after your debrief.

  • 3 live group sessions + goal tracking

    Delivered by AchieveOS.

Your facilitator

Learn directly from Ace

Ace Tarakchian

Ace Tarakchian

President, Ace Business Consulting

Ace leads the Government Contract Fast-Track, taking established small businesses from first registration to first bid in three live weekly sessions.

Never Sold to the Government? Submit Your First Bid in 3 Weeks.

$299 · 10 seats · Cohort 1 starts Wed, Oct 21, 2026, for established small-business owners.

See the syllabus »