DoD Contract Academy

Richard C. Howard USAF Lt Col (ret) is a former US military procurement officer and now helps small businesses sell products and services to the US military.

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

Congratulations to Vikram Sharma for graduating from the Gov Close Certification Program!

Vikram entered the program with an exceptionally strong background, bringing nearly 20 years of experience in enterprise technology governance, cybersecurity oversight, cloud risk, and regulatory examination programs across global financial institutions and Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Throughout his career, he has been a trusted leader executing complex regulatory engagements with U.S. and international financial regulators.

His deep technical understanding, paired with strategic risk governance, has enabled engineering and executive teams to build secure, compliant, and resilient cloud architectures.

Through #GovClose, Vikram learned how to apply his extensive cloud risk, cybersecurity, and regulatory expertise directly to the federal marketplace.

He developed the ability to analyze government spending, identify target agencies and buying offices, evaluate competitors, understand acquisition strategies and contract vehicles, and build a data-driven federal sales roadmap.

He also strengthened his knowledge of pipeline development, opportunity qualification, capture strategy, pre-solicitation engagement, RFIs and Sources Sought, and compliant proposal development.

Vikram is already positioned to leverage these capabilities to help cloud and cybersecurity solution providers navigate complex government requirements and expand their federal footprint.

Vikram brings a rare and powerful combination of enterprise technology risk leadership, cloud governance expertise, regulatory insight, and federal market strategy.

I believe he would be an outstanding asset to any organization or government contractor seeking leadership in federal business development, capture, cloud risk strategy, or regulatory engagement.

Congratulations again, Vikram! You earned it.
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Check out GovClose if you're serious about launching your government contracting career, business, or freelance consultancy: https://t.co/Y4ghP8Hsbi

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

The U.S Government is Literally Paying People To Start Businesses in 2026 https://t.co/FgDlZWsUdB via @YouTube

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

Congratulations to Jose Rivera for graduating the Gov Close Certification Program !

During his time at GovClose, Jose built a sophisticated government contract capture plan based on years of federal spending data and recent changes in federal acquisitions policy.

Based on his research, he was able to develop a pipeline strategy focused on identifying requirements and funding long before solicitations come out, in order to best capture the work for long-term federal government contracting success.

Everyone that joins GovClose does not graduate, this is a milestone for Jose, and I'm super proud to endorse him as a GovClose graduate.

I highly recommend him for any company selling to the U.S. federal government for full-scale business development services.

Congrats again, Jose. Well deserved!

If you want to check out the program Jose mastered government contracting in, head over to https://t.co/Y4ghP8Hsbi

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

The U.S Government is Literally Paying People To Start Businesses in 2026 https://t.co/FgDlZWsUdB via @YouTube

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

Congratulations to Kilee Davis on graduating from the Gov Close Certification Program!

Inside GovClose, Kilee stood out as one of our top graduates. She completed advanced training in multiple disciplines, including:

- Federal spending and market analysis

- Government customer targeting

- Competitive positioning

- Pipeline development

- GSA and contract vehicle strategy

- Proposal and compliance fundamentals

Kilee didn't just learn the material. She produced. Federal sales capture plans. A pipeline of real leads built off a deliberate strategy. Active in the community, passed a rigorous certification, and now executing as an account executive at Ghost Rx, selling in the public sector.

What Kilee walks away with is a foundation.

Government contracting doesn't sit still. The rules change, the budgets move, the priorities shift. She knows the fundamentals cold and knows where to go to keep learning — so she can adapt to whatever comes next. This isn't the finish line. It's the starting point she'll build on for years.

Congratulations, Kilee. You earned this. Excited to see what you do next! --------------------------------

Interested in GovClose?

This is a demanding program — you don't get through it watching videos. You get through it doing the work.

If you're still interested, you can check out our Introduction to the GovClose training program here: https://t.co/EcdLgTWujb

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

Will AI Replace Government Contractors in 2026? https://t.co/Val94xVGiU via @YouTube

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

GovClose LIVE (Wed, 11PM EST) https://t.co/q6rdwPrG8z

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

Listen to GovClose | Start Winning Government Contracts on Spotify for Creators https://t.co/TQrm5AfH7N

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

https://t.co/4eOKqJ2gD0 Is Taking Over: Every New Feature Explained (Full Guide) https://t.co/mvx8bHQbnW via @YouTube

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

Will this end the SBIR Farms taking advantage of the system??

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

The US #SBIR program is back with a $30 million Phase 2

00:00 – SBIR Returns: Key Changes
01:00 – SBIR 101
02:00 – Companies Built on SBIR
03:00 – 3 Phases Explained
04:00 – Why the 6-Month Freeze
05:00 – New SBIR Law 05:30 – Foreign Screening Rules 07:00 – End of SBIR Mills 08:00 – Funding Gap Solution 10:00 – Better Support Systems
11:00 – $30M Breakthrough Award
12:30 – Eligibility Rules 13:00 – Action Steps

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

Government Contracts LIVE https://t.co/tk1Z4nxj4R

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

Government Contracts LIVE https://t.co/tk1Z4nxj4R

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

Congress passed the Innovation and Economic Security Act. SBIR is reauthorized through 2031 — the longest extension in the program's 43-year history.

And there are major changes every small business owner needs to understand before topics go live in May.

Here's what's different:
→ Foreign security screening now has real teeth. If your company has foreign ties, investors, or key personnel connected to a country of concern — audit that now before you apply.

→ Proposal caps are coming in FY27. SBIR mills that gamed the system by flooding agencies with volume are done.

→ A brand new $30 million Strategic Breakthrough Award. Standard Phase Two is $1.8M over 2 years. This new award is up to $30M over 48 months. Different category entirely.

→ The Valley of Death between Phase Two and Phase Three is finally being addressed. Standardized pathways. Required training for contracting officers.

This isn't a lottery. It takes real work, the right strategy, and understanding how the government actually buys. But for the right company, this program is one of the most powerful funding mechanisms in existence.

I broke it all down in a new video.

If you want to talk through whether federal contracting is a realistic path for your business, my advisory team is available for a free strategy call.

Watch

https://t.co/s6q7STAT6y

#SBIR #STTR

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

Congratulations to Tim Lyon for graduating from the GovClose Certification Program!

Tim brings a rare mix of deep technical experience and frontline sales leadership into the government contracting space.

With decades in network engineering, telecommunications, and enterprise environments—combined with recent work helping companies win U.S. government contracts—he now has the strategy layer that most professionals never develop.

Through GovClose, Tim has built fluency in:

- Advanced federal spending analytics to understand where money is actually flowing, not where people assume it is.

- Competitor analysis to identify incumbents, contract vehicles, and real positioning gaps

- Advanced federal sales planning that moves beyond chasing RFPs and into building a deliberate, defensible pipeline

This is the difference between reacting to opportunities and engineering outcomes. Tim now understands how agencies buy, how competitors win, and how to design a sales strategy that aligns with federal reality—not theory.Well done, Tim!

Looking forward to watching you apply this skill set in the market.If you want to learn more about the program Tim just graduated from, you can check out GovClose here: https://t.co/tMCXAI1v8B

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

I analyzed every Department of Homeland Security contract award in FY25.

34,335 awards.

$32.9 billion in total spend.

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

LIVE: Deep Dive on DHS Government Contracts https://t.co/hy2xSJEEqm

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

Best 3 Government Contracts for Small Business Owners. https://t.co/bRjwsqvo3D

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

Washington’s obsession with buying everything through one office keeps failing—#GSA is just the latest version of this.

https://t.co/JJ699DrUw4

[DoD Contract Academy @DoDContract]

Government Contracting: The Most Misunderstood Career in America https://t.co/1kGXNNiUAV