If you’re a business looking to expand your contracting portfolio, you likely already recognize the value of teaming with a larger and/or more experienced Prime. But when it comes to making connections, are you using a proven process that presents your company as a responsive teammate, or are you leaving your partnerships to the karmic fate of serendipity? I sat in on a great panel during the 2024 Pacific Defense Contracting Summit and Pacific Tech Conference that explored what Prime contractors are looking for in potential teammates and what businesses can do to make themselves more appealing as teammates. Here are the six top tips I walked away with:

Tip #1: Be relevant.   Every Prime contractor’s goal is to support a client’s mission, so it makes sense that you would also want to present your capability/experience in the context of a specific mission. In other words, your skills and capabilities need to be relevant to the opportunity you want to work on together. So, how do you make sure you’re proposing a partnership that makes sense? Well, that’s a great segue to Tip #2!

Tip #2: Do your homework. Successful, deliberate teaming looks a lot more like spearfishing than seine fishing. In other words, you can’t just cast a big net and hope you catch the right type of (metaphorical) fish. Before you approach a potential teammate, you should already have an idea of how you can work together – maybe it’s for a specific client or an upcoming opportunity. And if you can identify the specific Program Manager or Business Lead you ultimately want to get connected to, that’s even better. Whatever the case, you have to be able to answer the question every Prime will have: “What’s in it for me?” As an aside, when we talk about doing your homework, that doesn’t just apply to a potential Prime – it applies to the Government client/agency you’re hoping to support as well. The more you can learn about their landscape – meaning their needs, challenges, opportunities, and priorities – the better equipped you’ll be to tailor your capabilities to a relevant solution (remember Tip #1?). Check out this blog or this blog for additional insights on tips to help you with your research.

Tip #3: Reach out early. Sorry to say, but if you’re scanning SAM.gov for active opportunities to team on, you’re already too late. Organized Primes start preparing for bids – especially recompetes – MONTHS before the actual RFP comes out. While the specific details of a teaming agreement may be finalized during the actual bid, the mutual Non-Disclosure Agreements and capability statements are exchanged well before the proposal response phase. A Prime needs the time and space to get to know and trust you before they commit to delivering alongside you.

Tip #4: Know your audience. This tip complements Tip #2 – make sure you know who you are talking to when approaching the company you’re trying to team with. Are you speaking with a Business Development lead? An Executive? A Program Manager? A Recruiter? If you’re connecting at a trade show, industry day, or matchmaking event, the representative could be from any one of these categories – and that can (and should) make a big difference in the information you share because your “relevant” capabilities may be different for each representative. And here’s some advice for innovative technology companies: don’t get too technical too early in the conversation. Are you proud of your company? Yes. Do you have something cool to offer? Probably. Does the person you’re talking to need to know the exact specifications and series of buttons to push for it to work? Probably not.

Tip #5: Be brief, but specific. Be prepared to talk about your company’s capabilities and experience. For your capability statement, include a use case or two around how your technology (or your company’s services) can be used – help your potential teammate understand how to apply your experience. Avoid generic “enterprise provider” and “professional services” labels, and include some differentiators. You should also have a few versions of your capability statement so that you can select the best format and focus for each engagement, and each version should be no more than 2 pages (1 page is ideal) – similar to a resume. Use bullet points, and be sure to include your company information, including size/economic status, contact information, and, most importantly, your list of clients. Remember: the people you meet at the trade shows may not be the technical representatives, but they can probably connect you to the right point of contact at their company *if* they can understand what you do (or, more accurately, what you can do for them). New to tradeshows or interested in tips on getting the most out of that event? Watch the recap from our tradeshow and business matchmaking webinar here.

Tip #6: Follow up and be responsive. This sounds obvious, but one representative I talked to shared that as many as 50% of potential relationships never moved forward because the company representative didn’t return his call. To be clear, these were individuals who first approached his company looking for opportunities to team, and then when the time came, they were not responsive. Primes are looking for reliable, responsive business partners, so be sure you respond and conduct yourself with the same professionalism you’d want from a teammate. This goes for data calls, too. Often, a Prime sends out a data call because they’re trying to find the resource that best matches the Government’s requirements – and those requirements can change during the course of a solicitation. As we all know, solicitations all come with a time crunch, so if you get a data call request, do your best to respond promptly. Importantly, if you can’t meet the Prime’s deadline, be sure to manage that expectation – in some cases, they might be able to grant an extension, and in all cases, they’ll appreciate the communication. Remember, being responsive goes beyond shaking someone’s hand at an event. Do the follow up, respond to the queries, and be available. The Prime you’re working with will thank you.  

At this point, you might be thinking that teaming is a lot of work that mostly has to be done by you. You’re not wrong. But that’s why we started with figuring out where your skills and capabilities are relevant and doing the homework to match them to teammate and/or customer needs. You’re not marketing yourself to every Prime out there – just those with whom you already have something in common. Remember, you’re not net casting to find Primes.

At this point, you might also be asking, but what do you do if you don’t have any experience? This is, admittedly, a tough hurdle. You’re probably reading this post because you know you need to team in order to get more experience, but to get on the team, you need to have some experience. Fortunately, teaming opportunities can come in all shapes and sizes. If you’re a small business, look for ways to team with other small businesses. Grow your network organically from there and ask for referrals and introductions. Focus on the things you’re good at where you know you can deliver value. Conduct outreach, network at events, ask for introductions, go to the matchmaking sessions (this webinar really is helpful!), and participate in the one-on-ones. And remember, teaming can be a two-way street. Maybe you start by finding opportunities where you can be the Prime (these DO exist for new small businesses) and approach companies you want to work with. Large businesses can help fill requirements on small business bids! If you need help researching companies, developing your capability statements, building your call plan, or more, we’re an email or a phone call away!

Conclusion

Some companies are lucky enough to know the right players at the right time and spaces to make a meaningful connection easily. It might take a little more work for the rest of us, but all of the tips listed here are designed to help you prioritize your efforts so that you don’t waste resources pursuing partnerships that don’t make sense for your business.

If you don’t find your perfect match right out of the gate, it’s important to remember that if a Prime says “Not now,” that doesn’t mean “Not ever.” It might be that when you first meet, there isn’t a clear path for your companies to work together, but if they understand what you can do, and they know you’ll pick up the phone when they call, you be laying the groundwork to move them from an interested party to an invested partner.

If you need help researching potential Primes or opportunities for you, contact Trident. Our team of Business Intelligence Analysts can help identify the right opportunities for you. Contact us today.

Written by Rebecca Wayland  

Rebecca is our Chief of Staff. While Rebecca may primarily wear the HR hat, she offers comprehensive proposal management, capture support, market research and training. She is also our GWAC and MA-IDIQ lead so if you’re exploring SeaPort NxG, SEWP VI, OASIS+, or Alliant 3, she is definitely your SME. As a U.S. Navy veteran and military spouse based in Hawai’i, she supports clients around the world as part of our globally dispersed team.