5 Common Government Contract Bidding Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Winning government contracts is competitive. Small businesses often make avoidable mistakes that disqualify their proposals or reduce their scores. Here are the five most common errors and how to avoid them.

Mistake #1: Missing the Deadline

Government contracting officers are strict about deadlines. Submit one minute late, and your proposal goes straight to the rejection pile - no exceptions.

How to avoid it:

• Set calendar reminders for 2 weeks, 1 week, and 2 days before deadline
• Submit at least 24 hours early to account for technical issues
• Use automated alerts to catch opportunities early - ProcurePing notifies you when matching contracts are posted

Mistake #2: Ignoring the Instructions

Solicitations include detailed instructions about formatting, page limits, required sections, and file naming conventions. Evaluators check compliance before reading content.

How to avoid it:

• Create a compliance checklist from the solicitation
• Have someone review your submission against the checklist
• Follow formatting requirements exactly (fonts, margins, page limits)

Mistake #3: Generic Proposals

Copy-pasting from previous proposals is obvious to evaluators. Generic responses that don't address the specific requirements score poorly.

How to avoid it:

• Reference the solicitation number and agency throughout
• Address each evaluation criterion specifically
• Use the government's terminology from the solicitation
• Provide specific examples relevant to their requirements

Mistake #4: Weak Past Performance

Past performance is heavily weighted in most evaluations. Claiming experience without evidence, or providing references who can't speak to relevant work, hurts your score.

How to avoid it:

• Only claim past performance you can verify
• Alert your references before submitting
• Match past performance to the contract requirements
• Start with smaller contracts to build a track record

Mistake #5: Unrealistic Pricing

Pricing too high loses on cost; pricing too low raises concerns about your ability to perform. Both can disqualify your proposal.

How to avoid it:

• Research typical rates for similar contracts
• Ensure your price covers all requirements including indirect costs
• Be prepared to justify your pricing
• Don't "buy in" with artificially low prices

Bonus: Finding the Right Opportunities

The biggest mistake might be bidding on the wrong contracts. Chasing every opportunity wastes resources and reduces your win rate. Focus on contracts where you have:

• Relevant past performance
• Clear competitive advantages
• Proper certifications and registrations
• Capacity to perform

Automated bid alerts help you find the right opportunities. Set up your ProcurePing feed with specific NAICS codes and keywords to receive only relevant contracts.