Derek James · Founder, GovKidMethod
Being small doesn’t disqualify you from winning big.
A repeatable process for contractors who are already bidding and want to stop guessing. Turn years of trial and error into months of real progress.
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Federal contracts Derek won since 2013, worth over $15M
$0M+
Won by Derek's students since 2019
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Student win rate
Real people building real businesses
Real people. Real businesses. Real wins.
No overnight success and no get rich quick. Just contractors who showed up, bid consistently, and built a process they can repeat.
Before
New to government contracting and looking for a reliable way to write proposals correctly.
After
Won her first contract, moved close to a second, and gained experienced review before submitting proposals.
Already bidding and want to work directly with Derek? Apply for the Bid Challenge
The GovCon Operating System
Deals don’t fall apart randomly.
They fall apart at the same six places, for the same reasons, over and over. Every one of them is preventable.
Asset 1
Search
Prove the demand before you chase it
Start on USAspending to see who actually buys what you sell and how often. Then validate it on SAM.gov. Your searches are built on evidence.
Asset 2
Select
Pick the right deals, not every deal
Run every opportunity through the CLEAR filter. If a deal passes, you start with a real chance. If it doesn't, you move on in minutes.
Asset 3
Contact
Own the prime role on every call
You run the contract. Your sub runs the work. You don't need to know how to do the work. You need to know how to run the contract.
Asset 4
Quote
Stop getting ghosted at the deadline
Move your deadlines up and break them into separate dates. If a partner is going to fail you, find out on day three, not the night before.
Asset 5
Proposal
Compliant first, then competitive
Ten to twenty real submissions is what it usually takes. Aim for a 10% win rate, then fill the funnel. Stop treating bids like lottery tickets.
Asset 6
Pre-Award
Be ready to perform when you win
Money, insurance, a start of work plan, and a backup sub, all in place before award. Performing well is how the next contract gets easier.
This is a discipline, not a lottery.
In the room
Real people. Real work.
This isn’t only online. Derek teaches contractors in person, working through real bids side by side.
Meet Derek James
I didn’t grow up knowing government contracting was a possibility.
Nobody handed me contracts or gave me a shortcut. I started in 2013 and learned by doing the work, making mistakes, and figuring out what gets a small company taken seriously. I won 32 federal contracts worth over $15M.
Since 2019 I’ve coached new contractors who have won more than $100M. I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t, so I can meet you where you are.
When you’re small, you don’t have much to lose and you have everything to gain.
“I’ll get in the trenches with you. But you have to do the work.”
From the blog
Tactics you can use this week.
Plain answers on finding, bidding, and winning government contracts.
Choose your next step
Put a real system behind your bids.
Get the free GovCon Operating System and find where your deals are leaking.