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Mindy Learn

Your GovCon Action Plan

Learn how the federal market really works, then do it in Mindy. Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced are stages, not levels you have to pick: start anywhere. Every tutorial is free to read. Sign in only to save what you do in Mindy.

Beginner

Learn the Game

Know your market and how it’s bought. One time through.

B1 · ~3 min

Tell Mindy what you sell

What a NAICS code is, why the obvious code usually isn’t enough, and why you describe the work before you pick codes.

Free · sign inP1-02
B2 · ~4 min

See your three horizons

The difference between work you can bid today, contracts that will be bought again, and work an agency plans to buy.

FreeP2-01
B3 · ~6 min

Find who buys what you sell

Why you target a buying office, not an agency, and how to find the offices that already buy your work.

Free · sign inP2-01
B4 · ~5 min

Find a contract Coming Back

How recompetes work, the three facts to know about one (who holds it, when it ends, who buys it), and the two ways in: compete for it, or sub to the incumbent.

FreeP2-06
B5 · ~3 min

Put your market on watch

How to turn “check SAM every morning” into a system, which notice types matter, and what a set-aside label does and doesn’t tell you.

Free · sign inP3-01
B6

Record your SAM identity

No active SAM registration means no award. The difference between a UEI and a CAGE code. Registration must be renewed every year.

Free · sign inP1-03
B7

Teach Mindy your past work

A capability statement is a one-page “business resume”. Evidence beats adjectives. Self-performed work is a differentiator.

Free · sign inP1-06P4-04
Intermediate

Play the Game

Work your market every week: buyers, incumbents, partners and people.

I1

Get ahead of Coming Soon

A forecast is a plan, not a solicitation. How to use 6–18 months of lead time for capture, not bidding.

Free · sign inP2-01
I2

Know the incumbent

Ceiling vs obligated value. The contract vehicle. Why a missing incumbent stays unknown.

FreeP2-06
I3

Find the primes and partners in your market

Primes are buyers too. Get on the supplier lists of the firms that win your work. Pick partners from real award history.

Free · sign inP2-05P4-05
I4

Reach the people

Who to contact at each stage: the contracting officer, the small-business specialist (OSDBU/SBLO), the program office. What a capability briefing is.

Free · sign inP2-02
I5

Find an industry day

An industry day or site visit is a pre-solicitation signal and a chance to meet the buyer.

Free · sign inP2-03
I6

Build your Top 25 buyers

Why 25: enough coverage, still workable. How to work a list over time.

Coming nextP2-01
Advanced

Win the Game

Shape a buy, decide whether to bid, and respond.

A1

Shape a buy: answer a Sources Sought

A Sources Sought is market research. Answering it can decide whether the buy is set aside. A response is not a proposal.

ProP3-04
A2

Decide: should I bid?

Bid/no-bid is a skill. Saying no protects your capacity. What makes a pursuit worth it.

Free · sign inP3-04
A3

Shred the solicitation

Compliance before prose. Every “shall” or “must” becomes a row you answer.

ProP3-04
A4

Draft from your Vault and export

Ground every claim in your real past performance. Follow the instructions exactly.

ProP3-04
A5

Which certification pays in your market

Certifications are market-access decisions. VetCert is run by SBA, not VA. 8(a), HUBZone and WOSB each have different rules.

FreeP4-01P4-02
A6

Do it from Claude

The Map is the visual way, Claude is the conversational way, and both use the same data. When each fits.

Free
A7

Build a team for one pursuit

Prime vs sub. Complementary past performance. Teaming agreements.

Coming nextP3-02
A8

Record the result

Always request a debrief. Every loss is market research.

Coming nextP3-05
After the Win

After the Win

Deliver the contract. These steps happen outside Mindy.

W1

System registrations

Register in PIEE and WAWF to receive and invoice your award. No WAWF means no payment.

Outside MindyP5-01
W2

Subcontractor compliance

Flow down the clauses, track subcontracting-plan reporting, and pay subs on time.

Outside MindyP5-02
W3

Project compliance

Meet the spec, the schedule and the reporting. Your CPARS rating is your next past performance.

Outside MindyP5-03
W4

Communication

Keep the contracting officer informed early. No surprises. Only the CO can change the contract.

Outside MindyP5-04
Tutorial Library

Search every tutorial and Action Plan step

  • B1 · Beginner · Free · sign in

    What a NAICS code is, why the obvious code usually isn’t enough, and why you describe the work before you pick codes.

  • B2 · Beginner · Free

    The difference between work you can bid today, contracts that will be bought again, and work an agency plans to buy.

  • B3 · Beginner · Free · sign in

    Why you target a buying office, not an agency, and how to find the offices that already buy your work.

  • B4 · Beginner · Free

    How recompetes work, the three facts to know about one (who holds it, when it ends, who buys it), and the two ways in: compete for it, or sub to the incumbent.

  • B5 · Beginner · Free · sign in

    How to turn “check SAM every morning” into a system, which notice types matter, and what a set-aside label does and doesn’t tell you.

  • B6 · Beginner · Free · sign in

    No active SAM registration means no award. The difference between a UEI and a CAGE code. Registration must be renewed every year.

  • B7 · Beginner · Free · sign in

    A capability statement is a one-page “business resume”. Evidence beats adjectives. Self-performed work is a differentiator.

  • I1 · Intermediate · Free · sign in

    A forecast is a plan, not a solicitation. How to use 6–18 months of lead time for capture, not bidding.

  • I2 · Intermediate · Free

    Ceiling vs obligated value. The contract vehicle. Why a missing incumbent stays unknown.

  • I3 · Intermediate · Free · sign in

    Primes are buyers too. Get on the supplier lists of the firms that win your work. Pick partners from real award history.

  • I4 · Intermediate · Free · sign in

    Who to contact at each stage: the contracting officer, the small-business specialist (OSDBU/SBLO), the program office. What a capability briefing is.

  • I5 · Intermediate · Free · sign in

    An industry day or site visit is a pre-solicitation signal and a chance to meet the buyer.

  • I6 · Intermediate · Coming next

    Why 25: enough coverage, still workable. How to work a list over time.

  • A1 · Advanced · Pro

    A Sources Sought is market research. Answering it can decide whether the buy is set aside. A response is not a proposal.

  • A2 · Advanced · Free · sign in

    Bid/no-bid is a skill. Saying no protects your capacity. What makes a pursuit worth it.

  • A3 · Advanced · Pro

    Compliance before prose. Every “shall” or “must” becomes a row you answer.

  • A4 · Advanced · Pro

    Ground every claim in your real past performance. Follow the instructions exactly.

  • A5 · Advanced · Free

    Certifications are market-access decisions. VetCert is run by SBA, not VA. 8(a), HUBZone and WOSB each have different rules.

  • A6 · Advanced · Free

    The Map is the visual way, Claude is the conversational way, and both use the same data. When each fits.

  • A7 · Advanced · Coming next

    Prime vs sub. Complementary past performance. Teaming agreements.

  • A8 · Advanced · Coming next

    Always request a debrief. Every loss is market research.

  • W1 · After the Win · Outside Mindy

    Register in PIEE and WAWF to receive and invoice your award. No WAWF means no payment.

  • W2 · After the Win · Outside Mindy

    Flow down the clauses, track subcontracting-plan reporting, and pay subs on time.

  • W3 · After the Win · Outside Mindy

    Meet the spec, the schedule and the reporting. Your CPARS rating is your next past performance.

  • W4 · After the Win · Outside Mindy

    Keep the contracting officer informed early. No surprises. Only the CO can change the contract.

  • P1-01 · Action Plan · Phase 1 Setup
    Choose your Business Structure

    Outside Mindy. Supplier, service provider or consultant: the model you pick shapes the vehicles and set-asides you use.

  • P1-02 · Action Plan · Phase 1 Setup

    Covered by: Tell Mindy what you sell

  • P1-03 · Action Plan · Phase 1 Setup

    Covered by: Record your SAM identity

  • P1-04 · Action Plan · Phase 1 Setup
    Register for Local Gov Sites

    Outside Mindy. State and local portals are a separate market. Mindy covers federal only.

  • P1-05 · Action Plan · Phase 1 Setup
    Talk to Local Apex Accelerator

    Outside Mindy. Free expert counseling (formerly PTAC). Bring your market summary from Mindy.

  • P1-06 · Action Plan · Phase 1 Setup

    Covered by: Teach Mindy your past work

  • P2-01 · Action Plan · Phase 2 Business Development

    Covered by: See your three horizons · Find who buys what you sell · Get ahead of Coming Soon · Build your Top 25 buyers

  • P2-02 · Action Plan · Phase 2 Business Development

    Covered by: Reach the people

  • P2-03 · Action Plan · Phase 2 Business Development

    Covered by: Find an industry day

  • P2-04 · Action Plan · Phase 2 Business Development
    Attend Site Visits

    Outside Mindy. See the work before you price it. Find visits through “Find an industry day”.

  • P2-05 · Action Plan · Phase 2 Business Development

    Covered by: Find the primes and partners in your market

  • P2-06 · Action Plan · Phase 2 Business Development

    Covered by: Find a contract Coming Back · Know the incumbent

  • P3-01 · Action Plan · Phase 3 Bidding

    Covered by: Put your market on watch

  • P3-02 · Action Plan · Phase 3 Bidding

    Covered by: Build a team for one pursuit

  • P3-03 · Action Plan · Phase 3 Bidding
    Apply for Vendor/ Supplier Credit

    Outside Mindy. Government pays late, so line up working capital before you need it.

  • P3-04 · Action Plan · Phase 3 Bidding

    Covered by: Shape a buy: answer a Sources Sought · Decide: should I bid? · Shred the solicitation · Draft from your Vault and export

  • P3-05 · Action Plan · Phase 3 Bidding

    Covered by: Record the result

  • P4-01 · Action Plan · Phase 4 Business Enhancement

    Covered by: Which certification pays in your market

  • P4-02 · Action Plan · Phase 4 Business Enhancement

    Covered by: Which certification pays in your market

  • P4-03 · Action Plan · Phase 4 Business Enhancement
    Mentor Protege Program

    Outside Mindy. A mentor adds capacity and past performance. Candidates can come from “Find the primes and partners in your market”.

  • P4-04 · Action Plan · Phase 4 Business Enhancement

    Covered by: Teach Mindy your past work

  • P4-05 · Action Plan · Phase 4 Business Enhancement

    Covered by: Find the primes and partners in your market

  • P4-06 · Action Plan · Phase 4 Business Enhancement
    Speak at an event

    Outside Mindy. Authority makes buyers call you.

  • P5-01 · Action Plan · Phase 5 Contract Management

    Covered by: System registrations

  • P5-02 · Action Plan · Phase 5 Contract Management

    Covered by: Subcontractor compliance

  • P5-03 · Action Plan · Phase 5 Contract Management

    Covered by: Project compliance

  • P5-04 · Action Plan · Phase 5 Contract Management

    Covered by: Communication

The GovCon Action Plan

All 27 steps, and where each one is taught

Steps Mindy can’t do for you are marked Outside Mindy, with the principle to follow.

Phase 1 · SetupONCE

  • P1-01Choose your Business StructureOutside Mindy — Supplier, service provider or consultant: the model you pick shapes the vehicles and set-asides you use.
  • P1-02Identify your Industry codes (NAICS)Tell Mindy what you sell
  • P1-03Create your SAM.GOV ProfileRecord your SAM identity
  • P1-04Register for Local Gov SitesOutside Mindy — State and local portals are a separate market. Mindy covers federal only.
  • P1-05Talk to Local Apex AcceleratorOutside Mindy — Free expert counseling (formerly PTAC). Bring your market summary from Mindy.
  • P1-06Create/ Fix your Business Resume (Cap Statement)Teach Mindy your past work

Phase 2 · Business DevelopmentREPEAT

Phase 3 · BiddingREPEAT

Phase 4 · Business EnhancementONCE

Phase 5 · Contract ManagementREPEAT