Скачать или смотреть I Bid a Federal Contract Without Knowing What the Job Even Was

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Summary

In this story, Sean walks through everyone’s favorite lesson from the early days of his federal journey: the sewer mound job. Back in 2005, he bid a federal contract for nearly $100,000 on a scope he did not fully understand, in a remote part of Oklahoma where even Google Maps offered no useful information. Operating under an RFQ and a combined synopsis solicitation, he submitted a price knowing the information was incomplete and trusting that he could solve the problem after award.

After being contacted by the contracting officer, Sean bought himself time, tracked down the right specialist, and learned that the government actually needed more work than the solicitation described. Instead of pushing the issue and risking losing the entire job, he made a calculated business decision to move forward, protect profit, and get the work done. Nearly twenty years later, the story remains a favorite because it shows how real federal contracting often rewards judgment, pricing for uncertainty, and understanding risk better than perfect information.

Key takeaways
• In RFQs and combined synopsis solicitations, the government often does not have perfect information, and neither will the contractor.
• Pricing higher when information is incomplete is not a mistake; it is a practical way to manage uncertainty and risk.
• You are allowed to slow the process down, ask for time, and get smarter before accepting a contract.
• Finding the right expert quickly can completely change the financial outcome of a job.
• Protecting profit sometimes matters more than being technically correct or pushing every issue.
• Real success in federal contracting comes from judgment, not from knowing everything upfront.