GovCon Proposal Intelligence

STOP COMING IN SECOND.

We transform losing SAM.gov bids into winning presentations. Expert-led proposal development for contractors tired of writing perfect compliance documents that never win.

See Results →
“Epsilon took our 0-for-7 losing streak and turned it into 3 wins in 6 months.” — [Client Name], DoD IT Services
The Problem

YOU'RE DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT... AND STILL LOSING

You're compliant
You're qualified
You submit on time
Technically sound
You come in 2nd. Every. Single. Time.
Each Lost Bid
$50K – $500K
in lost revenue
+ months of wasted effort
How many “almosts” can you afford?
01

COMPLIANCE ISN'T A WIN STRATEGY

Meeting every requirement puts you in the game. It doesn't make you stand out from 12 other compliant bidders.

02

YOUR NARRATIVE SOUNDS LIKE EVERYONE ELSE

Generic proposal templates produce generic proposals. Evaluators read dozens of these. Yours needs to be different.

03

YOU'RE MISSING EVALUATOR PSYCHOLOGY

Evaluators score what they understand and remember. Technical accuracy without persuasion leaves points on the table.

04

NO POST-LOSS INTELLIGENCE

Most firms submit and pray. Without debrief analysis, you repeat the same mistakes on the next $200K bid.

Market Intelligence

THE DATA BEHIND YOUR LOSSES

We analyzed federal procurement patterns, GAO protest data, and industry win rates. Here's what the numbers reveal about why proposals fail — and the optimization vectors that fix them.

Industry Average
30%
Federal contractor "new normal"
With Structured Process
80%+
Shipley-supported proposals
Annual Federal Spend
$773.7B
Total federal contract obligations FY2024
Source: FPDS / GovSpend
Recompete Pipeline
$180B
45,000 contracts up for recompete FY2025-26
Source: Fed-Spend
Incumbent Win Rate
70-75%
Drops to 55% with mediocre CPARS
Source: Fed-Spend / GovWin
#1 Loss Reason
TECH EVAL
Unreasonable technical evaluation — every year FY2020-2025
Source: GAO Annual Reports
GAO Protest Effectiveness
52%
Protesters get relief over half the time
Source: GAO FY2025 Report
Avg Bidders/Solicitation
3.4
44% of spend goes to single-bid contracts
Source: FPDS / CMU Research
// Proposal Win/Loss Point Cloud — 200 Simulated Proposals
← Low Technical Score High Technical Score →
↕ Price Competitiveness
Won Contract
Lost Bid
PRISM Optimized
Data synthesized from GAO Annual Bid Protest Reports (FY2020-2025), FPDS, Fed-Spend,
Lohfeld Consulting 7-Factor Model, Shipley Associates Case Studies, Loopio/APMP 2025,
RWCO Industry Barometer, GovWin IQ, and Deltek Clarity GovCon Industry Study
Our Process

4-PHASE TRANSFORMATION

Week 1

LOSER ANALYSIS

  • Debrief your last 3-5 losses
  • Score evaluator feedback patterns
  • Identify recurring weakness themes
  • Map competitive landscape
Deliverable

Loss Analysis Report with scored weakness categories and competitor positioning map

Week 2

COMPETITIVE POSITIONING

  • Define win themes and discriminators
  • Craft evaluator-facing narrative
  • Build past performance stories
  • Score against evaluation criteria
Deliverable

Win Strategy Document with ghost-team analysis and scoring prediction model

Weeks 3–6

PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT

  • Collaborative writing with your SMEs
  • Compliance matrix verification
  • Persuasive technical volume crafting
  • Color team reviews (Pink, Red, Gold)
Deliverable

Submission-ready proposal with compliance matrix and executive summary

Ongoing

POST-SUBMISSION

  • Debrief facilitation and analysis
  • Win/loss pattern database building
  • Next-bid strategy refinement
  • Continuous improvement coaching
Deliverable

Debrief report, updated competitive playbook, and next-bid action plan

Why Us

WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT

Most Firms
Focus on compliance over competitiveness
Templates that sound like everyone else
Write for you instead of with you
Disappear after submission
Epsilon PRISM_VECTOR
Win strategy first, compliance follows
Custom narratives highlighting YOUR strengths
Collaborative — your expertise + our storytelling
Post-award support & continuous learning
We Speak Both Languages

TECHNICAL

FAR / DFARS compliance, Section L & M analysis, past performance narratives, technical volume structure, cost realism

STRATEGIC

Competitive positioning, evaluator psychology, win themes, ghost-team analysis, differentiation strategy

Expertise

WHERE WE OPERATE

Federal Agencies
Department of Defense DHS VA HHS DOE NASA GSA USDA DOJ State Department Intelligence Community USAID
Contract Types & Scope
IDIQ Task Orders FFP T&M Cost-Plus 8(a) SDVOSB HUBZone WOSB GSA Schedule BPAs Sole Source
$100K TO $50M+

We've worked on proposals across this range

Investment

PRICING

Option 01

SINGLE PROPOSAL

$5,000 – $25,000
Based on scope / complexity

Best for: Contractors with a specific must-win opportunity who need expert proposal support from strategy through submission.

  • Complete loss analysis
  • Win strategy development
  • Proposal writing & review
  • Compliance matrix
  • Color team reviews
Timeline: 4–8 weeks
Recommended
Option 02

RETAINER

$3,500 – $8,000
per month

Best for: Active bidders pursuing multiple opportunities who need consistent proposal support and strategic guidance.

  • Priority proposal support
  • Opportunity pipeline review
  • Ongoing strategy coaching
  • Debrief facilitation included
  • Capability statement updates
  • Bid/no-bid decision support
Minimum: 3-month commitment
Option 03

STRATEGIC ADVISORY

$1,500 – $3,000
per session

Best for: Teams that handle proposals in-house but need expert review, strategy validation, or targeted coaching.

  • Proposal strategy review
  • Competitive analysis
  • Debrief facilitation
  • Win theme development
  • Executive summary critique
Engagement: As-needed

ADD-ONS

Service Investment
Debrief Facilitation $1,500 / session
Teaming Strategy & Partner Identification $2,500 – $5,000
Capability Statement Development $1,200 – $3,000
Past Performance Narrative Writing $800 – $2,000 / narrative
Orals Presentation Coaching $2,000 – $4,000
SAM.gov Profile Optimization $500 – $1,500
Results

CASE STUDIES

Case Study 01
DoD IT Services / IDIQ Task Order
Challenge
  • 0-for-7 consecutive bid losses
  • Strong technical team, weak narrative
  • No debrief or loss analysis conducted
  • Evaluators cited "lack of understanding"
Our Approach
  • Retroactive loss analysis across 7 bids
  • Rebuilt evaluator-facing narrative
  • Win theme workshop with SME team
  • 3-round color team review process
Results
3 wins in next 5 bids
$2.3M total contract value
60% win rate (from 0%)
Case Study 02
Healthcare IT / HHS Sole Source
Challenge
  • First-time federal bidder
  • Strong COTS product, no federal narrative
  • Competing against established incumbents
  • Tight 3-week submission deadline
Our Approach
  • Rapid competitive intelligence gathering
  • Translated commercial success to federal language
  • Built past performance from analogous work
  • Intensive 2-week writing sprint
Results
WON first federal contract
$4.7M 5-year ceiling
TOP rated on technical volume
Case Study 03
Cybersecurity / DoD SBIR Phase II
Challenge
  • Phase I win but Phase II proposal rejected
  • Technical brilliance lost in dense writing
  • Evaluators couldn't follow commercialization path
  • Needed resubmission in 45 days
Our Approach
  • Debrief analysis of Phase II rejection
  • Restructured narrative around evaluator priorities
  • Built clear commercialization roadmap
  • Simplified technical writing for clarity
Results
WON Phase II on resubmission
$1.8M contract value
93 technical evaluation score
FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Proposal writers focus on putting words on paper. We focus on why you're losing and build a win strategy before a single word gets written. Our process starts with competitive intelligence and evaluator psychology, then moves to writing. The result is a proposal designed to win, not just comply.
We've worked on proposals ranging from $100K task orders to $50M+ IDIQ vehicles. Our approach scales to the opportunity. The competitive intelligence and win strategy process works the same whether it's a small 8(a) set-aside or a full-and-open competition.
For urgent opportunities, we can begin within 48 hours. Retainer clients get priority scheduling. For single proposals, we recommend engaging at least 6-8 weeks before the deadline. The earlier we're involved, the stronger the win strategy.
We work collaboratively. Your team brings the technical expertise and past performance. We bring the win strategy, evaluator-optimized narrative structure, and proposal craft. We can lead the writing or review and strengthen what your team produces. Either way, it's your voice amplified, not replaced.
No one can guarantee wins in federal procurement. What we guarantee is that every loss becomes intelligence for the next bid. Our post-submission debrief process ensures you learn exactly where points were left on the table and how to capture them next time. Clients who stay with us see cumulative win rate improvements.
Yes. First-time bidders benefit enormously from strategic guidance. We help translate commercial success into federal language, build past performance narratives from analogous work, and structure your first proposal to compete against established incumbents. See Case Study 02 for an example.

YOUR NEXT BID DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ANOTHER LOSS.

Schedule a free 30-minute proposal strategy session. Bring your last loss — we'll show you exactly where you left points on the table.

Book Strategy Session
No obligation Confidential (we sign NDAs) Actionable even if we don't work together
operator@epsilonsec.ai  |  202-670-7198  |  Washington DC Metro  |  Serving contractors nationwide