Most contractors lose bids not because their solutions fall short, but because their government pricing is out of range before evaluation even begins. This resource breaks down 10 actionable strategies that contractors can apply directly to their proposal development process. From Should-Cost Analysis and Price-to-Win (PTW) to WRAP Rate Strategy and Labor Category Optimization, each strategy addresses a specific lever that affects whether your government pricing is competitive or gets passed over. Use this resource to stop guessing and start building pricing models grounded in market data and government sales intelligence.
This resource identifies the critical government pricing considerations that belong in your proposal, covering areas from SAM.gov Data Bank research and GSA schedule data to indirect rate structure, teaming arrangements for rate advantage, and LOE calibration in an AI-driven environment. Additional areas include recompete incumbent undercut strategies and profit margin analysis by labor category. Together, these 10 areas give contractors potential frameworks for building proposals that are both financially sound and positioned to win. The RSM Federal Sales Training Center developed this resource to give contractors the tactics and strategies they need for consistently winning government contracts in a competitive federal market.
