Are you a small government contractor (GovCon) frustrated by federal slowdowns, gridlock, and delayed payments?. Now is the time to pivot your pipeline and eye the lucrative State, Local, and Education (SLED) market. The SLED market is massive, estimated at $1.5 to $2 trillion a year in spend.
Unlike the federal space, K–12 schools keep buying because about 87% of their budgets come from local and state funds, not federal appropriations. This means they are consistently spending billions annually on EdTech, facilities, transportation, and crucial student services.
In this episode, we break down the SLED Pivot Playbook: A fast-track, 7-day roadmap to help you land your first local school contract. You will learn how to:
- Hunt for bids using state portals (like Cal eProcure or PA eMarketplace) and education co-ops (like Sourcewell or OMNIA Partners).
- Navigate the fragmented procurement system, including using NIGP codes instead of NAICS for registration.
- Leverage your federal contracting certifications—such as SBA 8(a), Women Owned Small Business (WOSB), or Disabled Veteran Small Business (SDVOSB)—which give you a strong competitive advantage in meeting DEI goals and scoring criteria.
- Prepare your documents, including a capability statement tailored to school buyers that emphasizes improving safety, efficiency, or learning outcomes.
- Build relationships with procurement officers and attend vendor days, ensuring you highlight your unique qualifications.
Stop waiting on Congress. Learn how to build stability and diversify your pipeline by winning active, local education contracts quickly.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.