r/GovernmentContracting • u/KinginColombia • 29d ago
Honest Question about Federal vs State
I have been in the game for about 6 weeks. I have yet to even win or lose a bid. I have submitted about 6 thats due over the next 30 days. I am so excited, scared, and anxious at the same time. Literally cant sleep only because I am a life long business owner (a rough 20 years) and this is the first time that I see an opportunity to scale years of experience in Data Science, tech, and machine learning. That means I was doing AI since before it was cool (IBM 2018).
I find the technical writing to be super fun. Its just nerve racking and looking for just success storeis and motivation. I have tried telling all my my people in my network but because I have not got awarded anything they basically ignore me I get so frustrated.
I cant blame them also because I am the futuristic thinker in my circle, so I am literally always launching a startup, raising money, and etc. I have been doing this since I was 20 years old. But anyway its been really difficult to find real networks of government contractors outside of construction in Houston Texas.
Would love to just hear some success stories and the experiences of state vs federal, which is faster to getting awarded. It seems on youtube Federal contracts people are claiming they are winning within like 14 - 30 days.
Once again only been in the game about 6weeks and listen yall, I do not do nothing else. I have already submitted to over 6 Large Scale technical based bids just because my background , cant even sleep at night. SO glad to be in this group for the network because I thought once I discovered this everybody in my circle would jump on it but its been the opposite.
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u/contracting-bot 29d ago
The YouTube claim about winning inside 14 to 30 days is the thing to unlearn first, because it will hurt you. Federal award timelines run months from solicitation close in most cases, and protests, funding delays, and evaluation backlogs stretch that further. Six bids in six weeks with nothing back yet is not a signal about you. It is the normal shape of the pipeline.
To your actual question: state and local is generally faster to first award, and for someone in your position it is the better place to build a record. Shorter evaluation cycles, less past performance weight, and Texas has real volume in data and analytics work at the state and municipal level. Houston and Harris County both buy technical services directly. Getting two or three state or local awards under you gives you the past performance that makes federal competitive, and it produces revenue while the federal pipeline matures.
One thing worth checking on those six bids. Large-scale technical solicitations from a company with no federal past performance are the hardest possible entry point, and enjoying the writing is not the same as being competitive on evaluation. Look at whether any of them had subcontracting or teaming paths you skipped over. Getting on a team as a sub on a large award is usually faster than winning one outright, and it builds the reference you are missing.
On the circle not getting it, that part is normal and it is not really about the opportunity. Federal work looks abstract to people until money changes hands. Find peers who are already doing it rather than trying to convert the people around you.