Contracting Officer Podcast 2.0 (samples)

Latest Episodes:

052 What Kevin and Paul Wish They Knew... Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

Cast:052Title:What Kevin and Paul Wish They Knew…Zone:ZonelessListen and Learn… One Year of the Contracting Officer Podcast! In this special episode Kevin and Paul look back at the beginning of the CO Podcast and answer the most common question received from listeners: Why did you guys create the Contracting Officer Podcast? After many episodes of asking guests “What do you wish you had known when you began your career?” or “What do you wish the other side (either Government or Industry) knew about the difficulties encountered on your side?”, Kevin and Paul discuss “what they wish” from their early, mid, and later careers. Our thanks to every listener who provided encouragement, criticism, and topics for futures episodes. And thanks to all who simply listen and learn. One Year! We’re still amazed and grateful for the opportunity to help make Government contracting better, one contract at a time. (in our own little way) If you need help with the Government market, join the Skyway Connection Community and get access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and contract-centric training resources that will make sure you’re ready to take advantage of opportunities each time they knock.The Skyway Connection© Community was created specifically to help small companies expand their knowledge and capabilities, and to increase their competitive position in federal government acquisitions. - Learn more at: https://skywayacquisition.com/connectMembership benefits include: Access to Skyway Insight© Webinars Unlimited access to The RFP Score™ Access to Ask a Contracting Officer Forum™ Priority Access to Skyway Team for Skyway Insight, capture, proposal support

039 What is a Two-Step Sealed Bid? Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

You’ve heard of sealed bids? How about Two-Step? No, not a type of dance…Two-Step Sealed bidding is a type of acquisition process that al-lows the Government to evaluate technical bids and request pricing from only those bidders who make the cut technically. (it’s a little more complicated than that, but not much) Kevin and Paul describe the bidding process and provide insight into why both the Government and Industry can benefit if used ap-propriately.If you need help with the Government market, join the Skyway Connection Community and get access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and contract-centric training resources that will make sure you’re ready to take advantage of opportunities each time they knock.The Skyway Connection© Community was created specifically to help small companies expand their knowledge and capabilities, and to increase their competitive position in federal government acqui-sitions. - Learn more at: https://skywayacquisition.com/connectMembership benefits include: Access to Skyway Insight© Webinars Unlimited access to The RFP Score™ Access to Ask a Contracting Officer Forum™ Priority Access to Skyway Team for Skyway Insight, capture, pro-posal support

042 What Happens at the End of the Fiscal Year? Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

The Government Fiscal Year (GFY is the common acronym) runs 1 October through 30 September. The last month of the GFY has the potential for great drama because Government funds have an expiration date. (check out Ep. 019 “Colors of Money” for more on that) Kevin and Paul talk through what happens in Government acquisi-tion offices at the end of the fiscal year and offer some simple rec-ommendations for both Government and Industry to help reduce the panic and stress that September often brings. DON’T FORGET: Check out Kevin’s TEDx talk on September 5th! Kevin’s TEDx topic “Why the Micro-niche is Mighty” was created from his experience with The Contracting Officer Podcast and Skyway Acquisition. If you need help with the Government market, join the Skyway Connection Community and get access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and contract-centric training resources that will make sure you’re ready to take advantage of opportunities each time they knock.The Skyway Connection© Community was created specifically to help small companies expand their knowledge and capabilities, and to increase their competitive position in federal government acquisitions. - Learn more at: https://skywayacquisition.com/connectMembership benefits include: Access to Skyway Insight© Webinars Unlimited access to The RFP Score™ Access to Ask a Contracting Officer Forum™ Priority Access to Skyway Team for Skyway Insight, capture, proposal support

043 Encore - What Are The Colors of Money? Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

What does “Color of Money” mean? In this special encore presentation of an important topic you’ll learn about different types of appropriations and how they impact acquisitions and the Government’s behavior. Kevin and Paul give examples of why the color of money matters and what goes on behind the scenes in a Government acquisition as a result of the appropriation type. Learn why the Government cares about the color of money and why Industry should. Why is September 30th such a busy time for acquisition offices? Give this podcast a listen to find out.

044 What are Incentive Contracts? Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

Incentive contracts are designed to help the Government acquire goods and services at a lower cost or with improved delivery or technical performance. These contracts provide the opportunity for creativity in crafting incentives and also great peril if the incentives aren’t perfectly aligned with the Government’s intent.In this episode Kevin and Paul explain the basic types of incentives and provide examples of how they can help both the Government and Industry if used wisely. But look out….the law of unintended consequences can be devastating if the delicate balance of cost, schedule, and performance is not considered with every incentive.If you need help with the Government market, join the Skyway Connection Community and get access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and contract-centric training resources that will make sure you’re ready to take advantage of opportunities each time they knock.The Skyway Connection© Community was created specifically to help small companies expand their knowledge and capabilities, and to increase their competitive position in federal government acquisitions. - Learn more at: https://skywayacquisition.com/connectMembership benefits include: Access to Skyway Insight© Webinars Unlimited access to The RFP Score™ Access to Ask a Contracting Officer Forum™ Priority Access to Skyway Team for Skyway Insight, capture, proposal support

045 What is an Indefinite Contract? Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

Listen and Learn… Indefinite Contract? How can a contract be indefinite?Indefinite contracts can be used when the Government knows ex-actly what it wants to buy, but not how much they’ll need or when they’ll need it. Discover three types of Indefinite Delivery contracts and learn why they can limit administrative costs for both Industry and Government if used wisely. Kevin and Paul discuss common uses of indefinite contracts and why it is important to understand the meaning of “indefinite”. Learn why, for industry, an indefinite contract award can be a windfall or a disappointment.If you need help with the Government market, join the Skyway Connection Community and get access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and contract-centric training resources that will make sure you’re ready to take advantage of opportunities each time they knock.The Skyway Connection© Community was created specifically to help small companies expand their knowledge and capabilities, and to increase their competitive position in federal government acquisitions. - Learn more at: https://skywayacquisition.com/connectMembership benefits include: Access to Skyway Insight© Webinars Unlimited access to The RFP Score™ Access to Ask a Contracting Officer Forum™ Priority Access to Skyway Team for Skyway Insight, capture, proposal support

046 What is a Letter Contract? Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

This episode is brought to you by PROPRICER, the Gold Standard for Cost Proposal and Government Evaluation Software. Learn how they can help you here.Letter contracts are a special type of contract that allow the Gov-ernment to authorize a contractor to start work immediately when there isn’t time to negotiate every detail of the contract in time to meet the requirement.Kevin and Paul discuss the Letter Contract process and describe common pitfalls that both Government and Industry should under-stand.

047 The Power of Do Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

There are endless calls to “fix Government acquisition” and “reduce bureaucracy” and “change or reduce Federal Procurement Policies”.Ready to scale that mountain? We aren’t either. In this episode Kevin and Paul discuss the impact that small improvements can have on large bureaucracies. Learn how choosing “now” over “perfect” and giving grace to those who “learn by doing” can improve your acquisition or proposal efforts. Simple examples are provided to illustrate how small changes, when repeated across an organization, can snowball into massive improvements in efficiency and productivity. (and the resulting savings in time and money)This topic was originally presented by the hosts of the CO Podcast at NCMA’s World Congress 2015. If you need help with the Government market, join the Skyway Connection Community and get access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and contract-centric training resources that will make sure you’re ready to take advantage of opportunities each time they knock.The Skyway Connection© Community was created specifically to help small companies expand their knowledge and capabilities, and to increase their competitive position in federal government acquisitions. - Learn more at: https://skywayacquisition.com/connectMembership benefits include: Access to Skyway Insight© Webinars Unlimited access to The RFP Score™ Access to Ask a Contracting Officer Forum™ Priority Access to Skyway Team for Skyway Insight, capture, proposal support

048 What are Discussions? Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

Did you know that the Government can negotiate with Industry right in the middle of a competition? It’s true! In the Government world negotiations during the source selection process are called “discussions”.Kevin and Paul explain the process the Government uses for discussions. Unlike the commercial market, some topics are not al-lowed to be negotiated directly and there are limits to the information that can be shared. Learn why it is important for both sides to understand the rules and how effective discussions (negotiations!) can help make Government contracts better, one contract at a time. If you need help with the Government market, join the Skyway Connection Community and get access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and contract-centric training resources that will make sure you’re ready to take advantage of opportunities each time they knock.The Skyway Connection© Community was created specifically to help small companies expand their knowledge and capabilities, and to increase their competitive position in federal government acquisitions. - Learn more at: https://skywayacquisition.com/connectMembership benefits include: Access to Skyway Insight© Webinars Unlimited access to The RFP Score™ Access to Ask a Contracting Officer Forum™ Priority Access to Skyway Team for Skyway Insight, capture, proposal support

050 Teaming and Small Business Tools - w/Special Guest Garth Arevalo Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

Listen and Learn… This is Part 2 of Kevin’s interview with Garth Arevalo, CEO of Lukos, LLC. In Part 1 they discussed the perspectives they gained after moving from the Government Contracting Officer role to the industry side. This episode provides valuable insight into the small business teaming process as well as the importance of being proactive in developing a new business pipeline. Garth also discusses some of the growing pains (and costs) that Lukos has experienced as they’ve won new business, become familiar with DCAA system reviews, and transitioned from primarily being a subcontractor to bidding as the prime contractor. Special thanks to our episode sponsor, www.govbizconnect.com If you need help with the Government market, join the Skyway Connection Community and get access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and contract-centric training resources that will make sure you’re ready to take advantage of opportunities each time they knock.The Skyway Connection© Community was created specifically to help small companies expand their knowledge and capabilities, and to increase their competitive position in federal government acquisitions. - Learn more at: https://skywayacquisition.com/connectMembership benefits include: Access to Skyway Insight© Webinars Unlimited access to The RFP Score™ Access to Ask a Contracting Officer Forum™ Priority Access to Skyway Team for Skyway Insight, capture, proposal support

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