Key takeaways
- Federal buying runs on a fiscal year that starts October 1, with appropriations, contract vehicles and rules unlike state and local government.
- Reaching the right program office or command means finding mission and technology stakeholders — not just contracting officers.
- KSG runs technical, mission-focused discovery outreach across civilian and defense organizations.
- For Verizon, KSG reached 200+ federal agencies, completed 5,000+ calls and generated 22 qualified leads in one quarter.
How federal buying works
Federal agencies buy within funds Congress appropriates for a fiscal year that runs from October 1 to September 30.
- Budgets and timing. Agencies often operate under continuing resolutions until full-year appropriations pass, and many purchases are finalized in the fourth quarter (July–September). Conversations months earlier let you shape requirements before money is committed.
- Contract vehicles. Agencies can buy through open-market procurements, but many prefer existing vehicles such as GSA's Multiple Award Schedule, governmentwide acquisition contracts (GWACs), blanket purchase agreements and agency-specific contracts — frequently reached through resellers and prime contractors.
- Registration and notices. Vendors register in SAM.gov, where agencies also post solicitations, requests for information and sources-sought notices.
- Market research. Agencies are expected to research the market before buying, which is why industry days, RFIs and capability briefings matter — and why being known early pays off.
Who to reach
Federal opportunities usually start with the people who own the mission and the technology, well before a contracting officer is involved:
- program managers and mission owners;
- CIO and CTO offices, IT and telecommunications leads;
- cybersecurity professionals;
- command staff and operational leaders in defense organizations; and
- small business and acquisition offices, once there's a requirement to pursue.
How KSG approaches federal outreach
- Map agencies. Prioritize civilian and defense organizations and the missions your offering supports.
- Engage technical roles. Reach IT, command, telecom and cybersecurity stakeholders.
- Qualify requirements. Assess current infrastructure, modernization priorities, mobility, resilience, security requirements and timing.
- Schedule meetings. Transfer qualified opportunities to your team with actionable context.
Representative federal meetings
In one quarter of outreach for Verizon, KSG secured meetings with stakeholders at organizations including the U.S. Navy, Army Special Operations, Marine Corps Forces Central Command, GSA, IRS, FCC, USDA, DOT, NSF, NTIA, DHS, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Space Force, the U.S. Courts, CSOSA, Pretrial Services and the Appalachian Regional Commission. Read the Verizon case study.