GovClose | Start Winning Government Contracts

Richard C. Howard
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The single biggest purchaser of goods and services in the world is the US government. Learn the step by step process of winning government contracts from former procurement officer Lt Col (ret) Richard C. Howard. We cover: sam.gov, Other Transaction Authority (OTA), GSA, government contracting leads, small business, subcontracts, GWACS, sole source contracts, federal certifications including: 8(a), SDVOSB The GovClose Training Program: https://www.govclose.com Get the Government Contract Planner Free at: https://www.dodcontract.com Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/govclose/

  1. 5d ago

    How Omar Won 12 Government Contracts in 7 Months

    Omar Elouizi joined GovClose in February 2026, started company operations in March, and won his first federal contract in June. By September, his company, Providence Federal Group, had won 12 contracts as a prime contractor.His wins include transportation, portable restroom trailer rentals, fire extinguisher services, crane repair, dock fender repair, dumpster services, and pressure washing. We break down the actual contract values, what he made on a one-day restroom rental, and how small contracts helped him build past performance in facilities maintenance and base operations.In this interview, you'll learn how Omar qualifies government contract opportunities, uses a compliance matrix to prepare proposals, finds opportunities before the RFP, builds relationships with government buyers, and selects subcontractors. We also discuss small business set-asides, teaming agreements, and the bidding pipeline behind his first 12 wins. Get the GovClose Certification: https://www.govclose.com/sales-certificationOur students learn the government contracting skills to :1. Start their own consulting business that can earn up to $400k as a "solopreneur" advising businesses that sell to the government.2. Land high paying sales executive jobs with companies in the public sector.3. Increase government contracting revenue for companies selling to the US government. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––RESOURCES MENTIONED––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Providence Federal Group — https://www.providencefederalgroup.com/Connect with Omar Elouizi on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/omar-elouizi-67487619aSAM.gov — https://sam.govUSAspending.gov — https://www.usaspending.govGovClose — https://www.govclose.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––ABOUT RICK HOWARD––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Rick Howard is a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel and former DoD acquisitions officer who managed over $82 billion in federal contracts. He is the founder of GovClose and the DoD Contract Academy, with 400+ graduates working as government contract consultants, federal account executives, and business owners winning federal contracts.Rick Howard expresses his opinions as a former government contracting officer and presents public data on government contracts that he analyzes. GovClose makes no guarantees whatsoever about federal spending data or government contracts.Government contracting data changes constantly, and we make no claims of perfection when presenting data. All data can be looked at from different angles, and it is up to the viewer to do their own research, their own data analysis, and decide if government contracting is for them.Disclaimer: This video reflects Rick Howard's personal opinions and independent analysis of publicly available government data. It does not represent an official position, endorsement, or statement of the U.S. Air Force or the Department of Defense.

  2. Sep 24

    The US Government Will Pay You $538K a Month (If You Do This)

    How much money can a small business make through government subcontracting? Based on the federal subcontracting data analyzed in this video, the average small business in the USAspending.gov data generated approximately $1.2 million per year in federal subcontract revenue. Federal subcontracting is one of the most overlooked ways for small businesses to make money selling to the U.S. government. In FY2025, approximately $179 billion in federal prime contracts went to small businesses, while total small business prime and subcontract awards approached $273 billion. In this video, you'll learn how federal government subcontracting works, how much subcontractors are earning, and how to find government subcontracting opportunities before an RFP is released. You'll also learn how to find prime contractors with relevant federal past performance, approach them with an actual government opportunity instead of simply asking for work, form teaming relationships, and position your small business to win its first government subcontract.Get the GovClose Certification: https://www.govclose.com/sales-certificationOur students learn the government contracting skills to :1. Start their own consulting business that can earn up to $400k as a "solopreneur" advising businesses that sell to the government.2. Land high paying sales executive jobs with companies in the public sector.3. Increase government contracting revenue for companies selling to the US government.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––RESOURCES MENTIONED––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––SAM.gov — https://sam.govUSAspending.gov — https://www.usaspending.govGovClose — https://www.govclose.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/govclose/––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––ABOUT RICK HOWARD––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Rick Howard is a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel and former DoD acquisitions officer who managed over $82 billion in federal contracts. He is the founder of GovClose and the DoD Contract Academy, with 400+ graduates working as government contract consultants, federal account executives, and business owners winning federal contracts.

  3. Sep 17

    The Most Overlooked $228K/Month Business Anyone Can Start

    Get the GovClose Certification: https://www.govclose.com/sales-certificationOur students learn the government contracting skills to :1. Start their own consulting business that can earn up to $400k as a "solopreneur" advising businesses that sell to the government.2. Land high paying sales executive jobs with companies in the public sector.3. Increase government contracting revenue for companies selling to the US government.Watch Next: the most profitable government contracting business you've never heard of: https://youtu.be/bsMTu_4JRy4?si=a_wgqi50_-ZDpQD2How much money can a small business make selling to the federal government? In fiscal year 2025, the average small business receiving federal prime contracts generated approximately $3.1 million in government contract revenue. But winning government contracts isn't about blindly searching for RFPs and submitting proposals. You need to know what the government buys, which agencies are buying it, how they buy it, and where to find opportunities early enough to have a realistic chance of winning.In this video, you'll learn a step-by-step government contracting sales strategy using USAspending.gov and SAM.gov. I show you how to research federal spending, identify the agencies buying what your business sells, analyze small business and set-aside opportunities, find government contract leads through Sources Sought notices and RFIs, and build a pipeline to manage those opportunities from early market research through solicitation and award. You'll also learn how to qualify opportunities, use go/no-go decisions, develop relationships with government buyers, and calculate how much pipeline you need to reach your government contracting revenue goals.0:00 How Much Money Can You Make Selling to the Government?3:00 Does the Government Buy What Your Business Sells?5:27 How to Research Federal Contract Spending on USAspending.gov9:30 How to Find Government Agencies That Buy What You Sell12:03 How to Find Small Business & Set-Aside Opportunities17:27 How to Find Government Contract Leads on SAM.gov19:57 Sources Sought & RFIs: Find Contracts Before the RFP24:48 How to Build a Government Contracting Sales Pipeline30:25 How to Win Government Contracts: Qualify, Team & Follow Up38:18 How Much Pipeline Do You Need to Reach $3.1M in Revenue?––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––RESOURCES MENTIONED––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––SAM.gov — https://sam.govUSAspending.gov — https://www.usaspending.govGovClose — https://www.govclose.com––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––ABOUT RICK HOWARD––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Rick Howard is a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel and former DoD acquisitions officer who managed over $82 billion in federal contracts. He is the founder of GovClose and the DoD Contract Academy, with 400+ graduates working as government contract consultants, federal account executives, and business owners winning federal contracts.Rick Howard expresses his opinions as a former government contracting officer and presents public data on government contracts that he analyzes. GovClose makes no guarantees whatsoever about federal spending data or government contracts.Government contracting data changes constantly, and we make no claims of perfection when presenting data. All data can be looked at from different angles, and it is up to the viewer to do their own research, their own data analysis, and decide if government contracting is for them.Disclaimer: This video reflects Rick Howard's personal opinions and independent analysis of publicly available government data. It does not represent an official position, endorsement, or statement of the U.S. Air Force or the Department of Defense.

  4. Sep 11

    How to start over and triple your income

    Alexandra Tati spent 12 years in the U.S. Air Force, including four years at the Air Force Academy and eight years working in engineering and program management. Within approximately four months of leaving the military she: 1. Launched her government contracting consulting business 2. Signed 3 clients 3. Negotiating a high-paying W-2 position Get the GovClose Certification: https://www.govclose.com/sales-certificationOur students learn the government contracting skills to :1. Start their own consulting business that can earn up to $400k as a "solopreneur" advising businesses that sell to the government.2. Land high paying sales executive jobs with companies in the public sector.3. Increase government contracting revenue for companies selling to the US government.In this interview, Alexandra explains the challenges she faced transitioning from the military into entrepreneurship, including learning sales, conducting discovery calls with CEOs, hearing “no,” pricing her services, and convincing a company to become her first client. She also breaks down what clients are paying her to do.We discuss veteran entrepreneurship, finding your government contracting niche, working remotely, creating multiple income streams, and how GovClose helped Alexandra and her husband turn their military experience into government contracting revenue.2:03 Transitioning From Military Service to Entrepreneurship3:21 Turning Job Offers Into Consulting Opportunities4:54 Learning Government Business Development and Sales8:04 Three Clients and a High-Paying W-2 Opportunity9:33 Building Three Government Contracting Income Streams10:24 Overcoming Fear and Uncertainty After the Military11:33 How Her Husband Secured Three Government Contracts12:02 Government Contracts, Consulting Clients, and W-2 12:26 Government Contracting as a High-Income Career13:42 Opportunities for College Students15:24 The Skills You Need to Win Consulting Clients18:45 How the GovClose Community Helps Students20:18 Why Veterans Must Understand Their Market Value21:39 How to Price Consulting Services25:15 How to Find Your Government Contracting Niche27:36 Alexandra’s First 20–30 Discovery Calls28:36 Learning to Hear “No” and Keep Selling32:27 Building a Startup’s Business Development Operation32:57 Combining Cybersecurity and Government Contracting34:18 How Alexandra Won Her First Consulting Client34:54 Using SkillBridge to Start a Consulting Business35:36 Building an SBIR/STTR Phase II and Phase III Roadmap43:27 Creating Independence and Freedom Through Consulting––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––RESOURCES MENTIONED––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––GovClose Program Overview (free 20-minute training): https://www.govclose.comWork With Alexandra and Avechos: https://avechos.comConnect with Alexandra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandratatiMetro State Applied Innovation InstituteCyber Innovation Accelerator: https://accelerator.getchkd.com/Applied Innovation Institute: https://msaii.org––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––ABOUT RICK HOWARD––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Rick Howard is a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel and former DoD acquisitions officer who managed over $82 billion in federal contracts. He is the founder of GovClose and the DoD Contract Academy, with 400+ graduates working as government contract consultants, federal account executives, and business owners winning federal contracts.Rick Howard expresses his opinions as a former government contracting officer and presents public data on government contracts that he analyzes. GovClose makes no guarantees whatsoever about federal spending data or government contracts.Disclaimer: This video reflects Rick Howard's personal opinions and independent analysis of publicly available government data. It does not represent an official position, endorsement, or statement of the U.S. Air Force or the Department of Defense.

  5. Sep 3

    Government Grants: Dr. Chopra "The GrantMaster" Shares His Step by Step Process

    The federal government awards more than $1 trillion in grants every year—and businesses, researchers, engineers, teachers, and entrepreneurs can compete for this non-dilutive funding. In this video, I interview Dr. Nipun Chopra, a neuroscience professor, biotech founder, federal grant writer, and consultant who has helped companies win funding from the DoD, NIH, NSF, and ARPA-H. Nipun explains how his company won $10,000, $65,000, and $220,000 awards to develop and test an innovative technology for people with Parkinson’s disease.He breaks down his top three recommendations for winning grants. Ready to start your government contract consulting business, career or company? Join over 400 others in the GovClose Professional Development Program: https://www.govclose.com/Our students learn the government contracting skills to :1. Start their own consulting business that can earn up to $400k as a "solopreneur" advising businesses that sell to the government.2. Land high paying sales executive jobs with companies in the public sector.3. Increase government contracting revenue for companies selling to the US government.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––RESOURCES MENTIONED––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––GovClose Program Overview (free 20-minute training): https://www.govclose.comhttps://www.nih.govhttps://www.sbir.govContact Nipun: https://www.choprascience.comNipun's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nipun-chopra-phd-98511b9a/––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––ABOUT RICK HOWARD––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Rick Howard is a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel and former DoD acquisitions officer who managed over $82 billion in federal contracts. He is the founder of GovClose and the DoD Contract Academy, with 400+ graduates working as government contract consultants, federal account executives, and business owners winning federal contracts.Rick Howard expresses his opinions as a former government contracting officer and presents public data on government contracts that he analyzes. GovClose makes no guarantees whatsoever about federal spending data or government contracts.Government contracting data changes constantly, and we make no claims of perfection when presenting data. All data can be looked at from different angles, and it is up to the viewer to do their own research, their own data analysis, and decide if government contracting is for them.Disclaimer: This video reflects Rick Howard's personal opinions and independent analysis of publicly available government data. It does not represent an official position, endorsement, or statement of the U.S. Air Force or the Department of Defense.

  6. Aug 28

    The Highest Paid Skill You Can Learn in 2027 (and how much it pays)

    Get the GovClose Certification: https://www.govclose.com/sales-certificationOur students learn the government contracting skills to :1. Start their own consulting business that can earn up to $400k as a "solopreneur" advising businesses that sell to the government.2. Land high paying sales executive jobs with companies in the public sector.3. Increase government contracting revenue for companies selling to the US government.Lobbying is one of the highest-paid and most misunderstood professional skills in government contracting. In this video, I explain what lobbying actually is, why it is constitutionally protected but legally regulated, what lobbyists do day to day, and how to identify the congressional members, staffers, committees, legislation, funding, and government spending connected to a client's issue.1:48 What Lobbying Actually Is2:53 When Lobbyists Must Register3:48 Lobbyist Jobs Paying $100K–$335K+5:29 How Lobbying Consultants Report Their Income5:52 Real Lobbying Fees on LDA.gov8:04 Skills You Need to Become a Lobbyist8:24 What Lobbyists Actually Do Every Day8:50 How to Research Congress and Find the Right People10:28 Tracking Government Spending, Legislation, and Funding11:18 Why Congressional Staffers Matter13:45 How to Set Up Meetings With Congressional Offices14:31 How to Prepare a Congressional Briefing15:28 When Lobbying Fits Into Government Contracting16:09 Appropriations Requests and Federal Funding17:18 How Lobbyists Build Coalitions17:45 Following Up and Tracking Relationships in a CRM18:25 Registration, Disclosure, and Compliance19:24 How to Start a Freelance Lobbying Consultancy21:22 How to Find Clients and Price Your Services23:15 How Lobbying Can Help Government Contractors23:48 Using Lobbying to Cross the SBIR Valley of Death25:21 How to Learn Government Contracting With GovClose––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––RESOURCES MENTIONED––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––GovClose Program Overview (free 20-minute training): https://www.govclose.comCongress.gov — https://www.congress.govLobbying Disclosure Act Database (LDA.gov) — https://lda.gov/system/public/U.S. House of Representatives — https://www.house.govU.S. Senate — https://www.senate.gov––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––ABOUT RICK HOWARD––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Rick Howard is a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel and former DoD acquisitions officer who managed over $82 billion in federal contracts. He is the founder of GovClose and the DoD Contract Academy, with 400+ graduates working as government contract consultants, federal account executives, and business owners winning federal contracts.Rick Howard expresses his opinions as a former government contracting officer and presents public data on government contracts that he analyzes. GovClose makes no guarantees whatsoever about federal spending data or government contracts.Government contracting data changes constantly, and we make no claims of perfection when presenting data. All data can be looked at from different angles, and it is up to the viewer to do their own research, their own data analysis, and decide if government contracting is for them.Disclaimer: This video reflects Rick Howard's personal opinions and independent analysis of publicly available government data. It does not represent an official position, endorsement, or statement of the U.S. Air Force or the Department of Defense.

  7. Aug 22

    2 BORING Businesses That Quietly Make Millionaires From Government Contracts

    Get the GovClose Certification: https://www.govclose.com/sales-certificationOur students learn the government contracting skills to:1. Start their own consulting business that can earn up to $400k as a "solopreneur" advising businesses that sell to the government.2. Land high paying sales executive jobs with companies in the public sector.3. Increase government contracting revenue for companies selling to the US government.Most self-made millionaires didn't get rich chasing a flashy startup idea — they built wealth through boring, repeatable businesses that solve everyday problems. And the single biggest buyer of those "boring" services? The US federal government.In this video I break down two boring businesses — demolition and dental services — that quietly pull in hundreds of millions of dollars a year in federal contracts. We show you where to find these opportunities, how competitive they really are, and what it actually takes — and pays — to build a government contracting business or sales career around them. RESOURCES MENTIONED –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– GovClose Program Overview (free 20-minute training): https://www.govclose.com USASpending.gov SAM.govRick Howard is a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel and former DoD acquisitions officer who managed over $82 billion in federal contracts. He is the founder of GovClose and the DoD Contract Academy, with 400+ graduates working as government contract consultants, federal account executives, and business owners winning federal contracts.Disclaimer: This video reflects Rick Howard's personal opinions and independent analysis of publicly available government data. It does not represent an official position, endorsement, or statement of the U.S. Air Force or the Department of Defense.Rick Howard expresses his opinions as a former government contracting officer and presents public data on government contracts that he analyzes. GovClose makes no guarantees whatsoever about federal spending data or government contracts.Government contracting data changes constantly, and we make no claims of perfection when presenting data. All data can be looked at from different angles, and it is up to the viewer to do their own research, their own data analysis, and decide if government contracting is for them.

  8. Aug 12

    The US Government Will Pay You $1.8 Million To Build This

    The US military will pay you up to $1 million just to design augmented reality "Iron Man" glasses — and that's one topic out of hundreds. There's over $3 billion in government seed funding available this fiscal year through the SBIR program alone, and companies like Qualcomm, Symantec, and iRobot got their start with this exact funding.I walk through a real, live Navy SBIR topic step by stepThen I show you an Army xTech prize competition where a four-page white paper and a five-minute video can put you in the running for $150,000 and follow-on government contracts. Check out the GovClose certification program and start your career in government contracting:https://www.govclose.com/sales-certificationOur students learn the government contracting skills to :1. Start their own consulting business that can earn up to $400k as a "solopreneur" advising businesses that sell to the government.2. Land high paying sales executive jobs with companies in the public sector.3. Increase government contracting revenue for companies selling to the US government.

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The single biggest purchaser of goods and services in the world is the US government. Learn the step by step process of winning government contracts from former procurement officer Lt Col (ret) Richard C. Howard. We cover: sam.gov, Other Transaction Authority (OTA), GSA, government contracting leads, small business, subcontracts, GWACS, sole source contracts, federal certifications including: 8(a), SDVOSB The GovClose Training Program: https://www.govclose.com Get the Government Contract Planner Free at: https://www.dodcontract.com Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/govclose/

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