Capture Management: What Do You Do Before the RFP Drops?

The best proposal rarely beats the incumbent who shaped the requirement two years ago. Capture is where contracts are actually won. Checklist: track opportunities in SAM.gov and agency forecasts 12-24 months out; respond to RFIs and sources-sought notices (influence, not paperwork); meet the program office at industry days; build your team early; develop win themes from the customer's actual pain.

What's the longest capture you've run — and did it pay off?