Co-written by Kris Brinker (Ocean 5 Strategies) and Katie Helwig (Mild Red LLC), OASIS+ Strategists
You Will Learn:
- Define unique government contractor value
- Target the right federal agency buyers
- Understand key government buying channels
- Create consistent, credible messaging
- Align teams with brand story
- Use data-driven market intelligence
- Execute strategic go-to-market plans
- Adapt strategy to policy changes
- Learn from real contractor success
- Ensure consistent messaging everywhere
Go-to-Market Strategy for Government Contractors: How to Define, Connect, and Win
A Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy is one of the 10 Disciplines in winning gold in the GovCon Decathlon. Once you’ve found your niche, the next step is determining who buys what you sell—and how they buy it. In today’s federal market, that increasingly means competing through Best-in-Class vehicles like OASIS+.
Step 1: Identify What You Do Best
Before you can sell, you must be clear on your niche. In a crowded market, trying to be everything to everyone dilutes your brand.
Ask yourself:
- What problems do we solve? Not just services, but mission pain points you remove.
- Why do they matter? Tie solutions to outcomes, compliance, or savings.
- How do we do it better? Faster delivery, innovation, niche expertise, and past performance.
This clarity positions you as the low-risk choice—building brand trust—and makes you memorable when agencies look for vendors under OASIS+ task orders.
Step 2: Define Your Ideal Customer
Not every agency is a fit. Focus your GTM strategy where you can win.
- Agency missions: Does your capability directly advance them?
- Procurement trends: Are they channeling more work through OASIS+ or other GWACs?
- Competitors: Who already holds OASIS+ task orders? Where are teaming gaps?
- Set-asides: Do your socio-economic statuses align with agency goals?
OASIS+ dashboards and spend reports make this analysis actionable—showing who buys, how much, and where opportunities exist.
Step 3: Map How Customers Buy
Here’s a breakdown of the “where to buy” options agencies use for commercial and professional services:
- Governmentwide Contract Vehicles (Best-in-Class & MAS)
• GSA MAS (Multiple Award Schedule) – broadest marketplace (IT, professional services, facilities, etc.)
• OASIS+ – professional services (acquisition, logistics, program management, engineering, etc.)
• 8(a) STARS III – IT services and solutions
• Alliant 2/3 (GSA) – IT solutions - DoD-Specific Pathways
• Commercial Services Offerings (CSOs) like Tradewinds – DoD’s marketplace for AI, data, and emerging tech
• DIU (Defense Innovation Unit) – rapid acquisition of commercial tech
• SBIR / STTR (Small Business Innovation Research & Technology Transfer) – phased R&D funding that transitions commercial tech into DoD programs. (like AFWERX / AFVentures)
• NavalX Tech Bridges – Navy innovation and dual-use tech transition
• Army xTechSearch – Army innovation competition for commercial solutions - OTA & Consortia Models
(Used when tech doesn’t fit traditional FAR rules)
• Consortia/CMOs (e.g., C5, ATI, NSTXL, SOSSEC, NSC, IWRP, SpEC) – membership-based competitions - Other Governmentwide Pathways
• NASA SEWP – IT products and services
• FedRAMP Marketplace – for cloud providers (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS)
• SAM.gov – open procurement listings
• GSA eBuy – online RFQ portal for GSA Schedule holders - Innovation-Focused Buying Channels
• In-Q-Tel (IC) – invests in commercial technologies for the government
• S&T Directorates (e.g., DHS S&T) – pilots and R&D buys
• Accelerators & Pitch Days – agency-specific (e.g., Air Force Pitch Day)
👉 OASIS+ sits at the center of this buying ecosystem for professional services contractors—making it one of the most strategic places to focus your GTM plan.
“Marketplaces, CSOs, OTAs, and SBIRs shouldn’t be overlooked. Recent legislation, industry articles, and direct conversations with agency stakeholders all point to these as rising procurement trends. That’s why we joined the P1 Marketplace and are actively pursuing multiple CSOs in parallel. Our strategy was reinforced at AFCEA TechNet Augusta, where the Army underscored CSOs and OTAs as their go-to acquisition approaches.” — Diana Orozco, Director of Business Development, BreakPoint Labs
Step 4: Build Targeted Government Contractor Messaging
Messaging must prove you:
- Understand agency missions
- Solve challenges better than competitors
- Deliver results with reduced risk—under OASIS+ and other key vehicles
Consistency across websites, proposals, capability statements, and employee LinkedIn profiles builds credibility and trust.
To leverage all the acquisition pathways, we researched and got familiar with all types of acquisition vehicles, including GWACs, IDIQs, CSOs, OTAs, BAAs, SLED vehicles, Marketplaces, and even SBIRs and developed strategies that best supported our customer’s needs.” — Diana Orozco, Director of Business Development, BreakPoint Labs
Do you know the six critical aspects of successful messaging?
💡 OASIS+ Pro Tips: Market Intel in Action
When it comes to market research on GSA OASIS (and its sister vehicle, HCaTS), your first stop should be GSA’s Data to Decisions (D2D) Dashboard. This resource makes it easy to see who’s buying, how much they’re spending, and where the biggest opportunities might be hiding. Over the 10-year span of OASIS (FY2015–FY2025), the agencies that led the pack in task order volume and total estimated sales:
Top 5 Agencies by Task Orders
- U.S. Coast Guard – 379
- Air Force Materiel Command – 312
- Department of Homeland Security – 231
- Department of the Air Force – 227
- Department of the Army – 222
Top 5 Agencies by Estimated Sales
- Air Force Materiel Command – $22.5B
- Department of the Army – $17.4B
- U.S. Army Missile Command – $7.3B
- Department of Defense – $6.8B
- GSA – $6.3B
Small Business Standouts (OASIS SB, 2020–2025)
- Torch Technologies – $1.7B
- OASIS Systems – $1.0B
- Applied Research – $891M
- Odyssey Systems – $820M
- Radiance Technologies – $524M
These firms mastered how to position, bid, and win—offering a blueprint for contractors preparing to compete under OASIS+.
Step 5: Align Internal and External Messaging
If leadership, BD, HR, and delivery tell different stories, credibility suffers. Ensure your employees—your best brand ambassadors—know how to talk about your niche and your OASIS+ strategy.
Recruitment materials, onboarding, and even employee LinkedIn profiles should reinforce the same narrative as your external messaging. Employees are your most powerful brand ambassadors. Equipping them with the right story can multiply your reach, improve recruitment, and strengthen customer trust.
Step 6: Use Research and Market Intelligence
Market intelligence is the backbone of a strong GTM strategy. Invest time and resources into:
- Procurement forecasts – Track agency pipeline documents
- FOIA requests – Gather details on incumbent contracts
- Market research tools – HigherGov, GovTribe, GovWin, SAM.gov
- Surveys and reports – Understand how federal buyers consume content and make decisions
This research ensures your GTM strategy is grounded in reality, not assumptions.
💡 OASIS+ Pro Tip:
Be aware that each legacy OASIS pool operated under a single master NAICS code. To focus on opportunities that best align with your past performance, filter by PSC (Product Service Code) to fine-tune your search. This approach helps you identify the most relevant task orders and plan a targeted GTM strategy under OASIS+.
Step 7: Execute with Consistency
Execution turns strategy into results:
- Publish thought leadership tied to OASIS+ domains
- Optimize your digital presence for credibility
- Network at industry days and GovCon events with a clear OASIS+ value story
- Align proposals with your GTM messaging
Step 8: Measure, Learn, Adapt
Track policy shifts and adapt your GTM strategy accordingly. Recent reforms—like the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, FAR Part 8 class deviations, GWAC consolidation, and SAM.gov modernization—are reshaping how agencies buy. These changes favor Best-in-Class vehicles like OASIS+, streamline data visibility, and favor vendors who deliver with transparency and speed. To stay competitive, use real-time data sources, align with simplified contract vehicles, and continuously refine your positioning for a more dynamic, centralized, and performance-driven procurement environment.
Conclusion: From Capability to Credibility
A GTM strategy is more than a plan—it’s a discipline. Success in today’s federal market means:
- Defining your niche
- Targeting the right buyers
- Mastering the channels agencies must use
- Delivering a consistent, credible story
For many contractors, that channel is OASIS+. Aligning your GTM strategy to it ensures you rise above the noise, build enterprise trust, and position your company for long-term success in the federal marketplace.
Pay close attention to firms that have mastered how to position, bid, and win on OASIS SB — a blueprint worth studying for both small businesses and prime contractors building teams for OASIS+.
The “Spaghetti Bowl” of B2G: Why Your Government Contractor Content Strategy Matters
To thrive in today’s B2G market, your messaging must be consistent across all platforms—from your website to your RFI/RFP responses. The modern government buyer’s journey is no longer a linear process. Instead, it’s a “spaghetti bowl” of research and discovery.
Decision-makers and contracting officers are conducting extensive independent research online long before they engage with a vendor. They jump between your website, social media, peer forums, and third-party content. You risk being eliminated from consideration if they can’t easily find relevant information when they need it most.
This shift means the vendor’s role has changed from a reactive bidder to a proactive, strategic partner. It’s no longer enough to be the company that writes the best RFP response. The winners are those who have already established themselves as indispensable partners, providing valuable insights and resources long before an RFP is even released.
– Christina Westover, Senior Marketing Manager, Public Sector, Iron Mountain Government Solutions
Ready to stand out in the OASIS+ ecosystem? Clarity isn’t just helpful—it’s essential. Make it easy for your customers to find you, understand you, and choose you.
Ocean 5 Strategies helps government contractors refine their niche, craft powerful messaging, and implement brand strategies that win contracts and attract top talent. If you’re ready to move from “good” to “great” in the federal market, Reach Out to Ocean 5.
Mild Red LLC helps government contractors turn complex federal procurement opportunities into competitive advantage. We combine data-driven market intelligence with strategic communications to position clients for growth in programs like OASIS+, Zero Trust, and AI initiatives. Our expertise translates policy and market shifts into actionable strategies that win. Reach out to Mild Red.
Read All GovCon Decathlon Series Articles:
OVERVIEW: The GovCon Decathlon: 10 Disciplines for OASIS+ Success
1. Stand Out from the Crowd – Find Your Niche
2. Go-to-Market Strategy for Government Contractors: How to Define, Connect, and Win
4. Operational Excellence Meets Marketing: The Hidden OASIS+ Differentiator
5. OASIS+ Growth Engine: Recruiting, Retention, and the Government Contractor Marketing Connection
6. OASIS+ Success Strategies: Compliance, Government Contractor Marketing, and Growth
7. Security as a Growth Engine: Building Brand Trust and Compliance in OASIS+
