Contracting Officer Podcast 2.0 (samples)

Latest Episodes:

040 Why Contract Type Matters Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

Selecting the most appropriate contract type is an important step in a successful acquisition. This decision is made at the very beginning of the process but can haunt both the Government and Industry throughout the life of the contract if the contract type doesn’t match the needs of the program.Kevin and Paul discuss why the selection of contract type shouldn’t be taken lightly and give you insight into some of the problems you’ll encounter when contract type isn’t correctly aligned with the 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

049 What I Wish I Knew as a CO w/ Special Guest Garth Arevalo Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

Listen and Learn… This episode is brought to you by PROPRICER, the Gold Standard for Cost Proposal and Government Evaluation Software. In this Special Episode, Kevin interviews Garth Arevalo, CEO of Lukos, LLC. Like Kevin, Garth is also a former Contracting Officer who spent time at Special Operations Command. Listen in on their conversation and learn about Garth’s journey from contracting officer to CEO of a small business as well as his “top 3 things I wish I had known when I was a contracting officer”. We enjoyed learning from Garth so much that we broke this episode into two parts. You’ll hear Part 2 next week in Episode 050.

041 What is the Uniform Contract Format (UCF)? Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

Almost every Federal Government contract follows the same general format. Ever wonder why? (or wonder why anyone would have a podcast about it?) Kevin and Paul explain the FAR’s framework for contract format and how it leads to efficiency in the Government contracting process. We’re usually against FAR requirements that remove opportunities for judgment and creativity. Not this time! Learn how having a standard format for contracts helps both Gov-ernment and Industry navigate the acquisition and administration process by using a common basis for communication. (for more depth on the UCF, check out the webinar in the Skyway Acquisi-tion Community…https://skywayacquisition.com/connect)EXCITING NEWS: Check out Kevin’s TEDx talk on September 5th! http://tedxtampabay.com/tedxtampabay-presenters/ 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

034 ENCORE What is a Contracting Officer? Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

In this special rebroadcast of one of the most popular early episodes, Kevin and Paul explain what Contracting Officers do. They define the role of the CO and provide detail on how they are appointed. They also describe the different types of contracting officersand why there are so many different names for a contracting officer.For more information and deeper insight, join the Skyway Connection Community and get access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and CO-centric training resources to be 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

035 What is a CLIN? Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

Kevin and Paul explain Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) and help listeners understand why they are used and why it is important for both Government and Industry to understand them. In addition, learn how the execution and administration of your contract is impacted by the contract’s CLIN structure. For more information and deeper insight, join the Skyway Connection Community and get access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and CO-centric training resources to be 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

036 What is an Option? Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

What does it mean if your contract has “options”? Kevin and Paul explain the reasons why options are used in Government contracts and how they impact proposals and source selections.Learn how the execution and administration of your contract is impacted by the use of options.

037 What is a COTR? What is a COR? Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

What does a COTR do? What can a COR direct a contractor to do? What is outside the scope of their authority? Learn the answers to these questions and more as Kevin and Paul discuss the role of Contracting Officer Technical Representatives (also known as Contracting Officer Representatives). Gain new knowledge or refresh your understanding of why the Government appoints COTRs and CORs and why it is important for both Government and Industry to understand their responsibilities, authority, and limitations.

038 What is a Follow-On Contract? Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

Ever heard of a logical follow-on? Kevin and Paul explain why logic is just one of the many factors that can influence the decision to award a non-competitive contract to an incumbent contractor.In addition, learn some of the pros and cons of follow-on contracts that both Government and Industry should understand during the acquisition process and execution of the contract.For more information and deeper insight, join the Skyway Connection Community and get access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and CO-centric training resources to be 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, pro-posal support

032 What I Learned About Proposals With Vicky Strycharske - Part 2 Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

In Part 2 of this special episode, Kevin and Paul continue their conversation about proposals with Vicky Strycharske, Senior Proposal Manager at Skyway Acquisition Solutions. This is another “what I wish I knew”episode that covers nuances of the RFP and proposal writing process that weren’t apparent until we wrote many, many RFPs and submitted many, many proposals! This episode provides helpful tips for both Government and Industry as they go through the RFP and proposal process.

033 How Do Sole Source Contracts Work? Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

Are Sole Source Awards Easier? In this episode Kevin and Paul debate this listener question. A Contracting Officer (and listener!) took issue with a comment from a previous episode regarding sole source contracts and provided not only a great idea but encouragement for us to expand on this topic. As a result we give you some context for the decisions that need to be made before a sole source award is considered and debate the pros and cons of sole source awards, both before and after award. As always, both Government and Industry perspectives are presented.For more information and deeper insight, join the Skyway Connection Community and get access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and CO-centric training resources to be 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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