Federal bid/no-bid decisions
A federal bid/no-bid decision — the GovCon go/no-go call — is an investment decision about scarce proposal capacity. RADSVI structures it in a fixed order so the same inputs always produce the same, explainable outcome.
The decision order RADSVI uses
Evidence → Pursuit Gate → Pursuit Fit → Decision → Portfolio consequence → Learning.
- Evidence. What the solicitation states, and what the company has verified in its Company DNA profile.
- Pursuit Gate. Each mandatory requirement resolves to CLEAR, UNKNOWN or BLOCKED.
- Pursuit Fit. Strategic scoring, applied only to opportunities that are not blocked.
- Decision. PURSUE, REVIEW or DO NOT PURSUE, with the evidence trail attached.
- Portfolio consequence. What pursuing this costs the rest of the pipeline.
Why gate before score
Scoring an ineligible opportunity produces a confident number about work you cannot win. Gating first keeps the score meaningful: a Pursuit Fit score only describes opportunities with no verified mandatory blocker.
Common go/no-go inputs
- Set-aside and socioeconomic eligibility stated in the solicitation.
- NAICS coverage and size standard.
- Required certifications, facility clearance and cleared personnel.
- Relevant past performance and place of performance.
- Response deadline against available proposal capacity.
See SAM.gov opportunity qualification for how these are read from a live notice, and the methodology for how the determination is produced.
Frequently asked questions
What is a bid/no-bid decision in federal contracting?
A bid/no-bid decision (also called go/no-go) is the judgement about whether a company should invest proposal resources in a specific federal solicitation. It combines mandatory eligibility, strategic fit and the opportunity cost of the proposal effort.
What should be evaluated first in a go/no-go review?
Mandatory requirements come first. If the solicitation states a requirement your company verifiably cannot meet, no amount of strategic fit changes the outcome. Only opportunities that are not blocked are worth scoring for fit.
What happens when the required evidence is missing?
Missing evidence is not a failure. RADSVI reports such a requirement as UNKNOWN and names exactly what has to be confirmed. UNKNOWN is never treated as ineligibility, as BLOCKED, or as an automatic pass.
Why does proposal capacity matter to a bid decision?
Proposal resources are finite. Pursuing a marginal opportunity consumes the capacity needed for a stronger one, so a portfolio view of consequence is part of a sound bid/no-bid decision.
Decision support only. RADSVI does not make the bid decision for you and does not provide legal or contractual advice.