This week on Amtower Off Center , Kevin Plexico, SVP of Deltek , joins host Mark Amtower for a deep discussion on the current state of government contracting. Topics include: YTD contract activity vs FY 24, and how it has impacted spending The impact on SIs, VARs, small contractors and others Regulatory changes and the future of GWACs The new Deltek Clarity study (available free) which deals with many aspects on BD, capture and bidding What the "big beautiful budget bill" could mean to contracti...
Jun 23, 2025•45 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , Nick Wakeman, editor in chief of Washington Technology , joins host Mark Amtower for a wide-ranging discussion on the state of the GovCon market as reflected by the WashTech 2025 Top 100 contractors. Topics discussed include: First year-over-year decline in prime contracts since 2016 sequestration A recap of CGI's Stephanie Mango's interview with Nick on the state of GovCon How SERCO has used strategic acquisitions to move up The growing gap between DOD and civi...
Jun 13, 2025•41 min
Shauna Weatherly, former govie and now founder and president of FebSubK ,joins host MarkAmtower for an in-depth discussion on the current state of the SmartPay (government charge card) program. Topics include: The charge card program background from inception in the late 1980s How it works and why it is so successful at what it does What is happening now with the program, including consolidated buying at GSA The "pilot" program RFI that went out the Thursday evening before Good Friday with respo...
Apr 30, 2025•43 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , host Mark Amtower is joined by Nick Wakeman, editor in chief of Washington Technology for a wide-ranging, candid discussion of the new administration's executive orders impacting the GovCon industry. Topics include: The order from GSA to investigate the"consulting" contracts of the top 10 OASIS contractors Tthe temporary suspension of the government charge card program The downsizing of federal agencies across the board and the impact on government programs The ...
Feb 28, 2025•41 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , host Mark Amtower is joined by GovNavigators co-founder Robert Shea for a very lively discussion on the upcoming administration. Topics include: Managing the transition Major policy shifts What are some of the priorities for DOD DOGE and the impending efficiencies OPM and Schedule F Lots of great policy-nerd minutae Potential impact of the set-aside program See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy...
Dec 19, 2024•41 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , host Mark Amtower is joined by Aubrey Gainfort, by day a federal contracting officer, and after work host of the Breaking the Standard podcast, which is nearing its 5th anniversary. Topics discussed include: Five things contractors need to do Five things contractors should NOT do How and why to start your own podcast Ways to expand your knowledge of the federal market See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19....
Dec 14, 2024•43 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , host Mark Amtower is joined by Brian Lindholm, founder and managing principal at FedSavvy Strategies for a discussion on the myriad of sources available to government contractors for researching before bidding. Topics include: What open source intel is available to contractors How to parse this data for useful items Why should you be looking at protest decisions and what can you learn from them The best use and format of black hat reviews See Privacy Policy at h...
Nov 22, 2024•43 min
Ross Wilkers, senior reporter for Washington Technology , joins host Mark Amtower on this week's Amtower Off Center for a follow-up interview, this time addressing the Washington Technology Fast 50 contractors . The list includes fifty companies that submitted financial data to WashTech to verify their growth over the past 5 years. Topics include: Types of firms on the list, including IT services, management consulting/advisory services, engineering, intelligent automation and areas of specializ...
Nov 08, 2024•42 min
Chris Parente of Story Tech Consulting joins host Mark Amtower on this week's Amtower Off Center for a wide ranging discussion on B2G content. Topics discussed include: The value of a content calendar Developing your own/your company POV Listening when customers and prospects talk as they are often telling you what they want to hear back from you Where to share your content Some caveats about using AI to generate content Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices See Pr...
Oct 30, 2024•50 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , Ross Wilkers, senior reporter with Washington Technology , joins host Mark Amtower for a wide-ranging discussion regarding current events in the government market. Topics discussed include: Market trends M&A activity across the market VC activity becoming even more strategic Trends in the Top 100 contractors The upcoming Fast 50 contractors See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-...
Oct 09, 2024•41 min
Author, consultant and speaker Andy Fry joins host Mark Amtower on this week's Amtower Off Center for a discussion of two of Fry's books: The Consultant's Code and The Trust Paradigm . Topics discussed include: The 4 pillars of consulting (intelligence, effort, likeability and intent) with a brief dive into each pillar. Why trust is key, including Why trust is important (more reasons than you might think) The components of trust The directions of trust This is a wide ranging discussion that is i...
Sep 25, 2024•42 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , Larry Allen, president of Allen Federal Business Partners , joins host Mark Amtower to discuss current issues in contracting including upcoming changes in regulations. Topics include: The recurring issue of contractors failing to deliver on what was promised in their contracts New OMB guidance is coming on the use of AI by KOs during the acquisition process New environmental regulations for contractors are coming soon The potential scenarios for another CR and p...
Sep 18, 2024•43 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , host Mark Amtower is joined by Peter Jacobs of the Merritt Group for a discussion on the evolution and current state of podcasting, especially as it pertains to GovCon. Topics include: The advent of podcasts with other Web 2.0 tools in the late 1990s, early 2000s Types of GovCon podcasts Hurdles to starting a podcast Merritt's Lay of the Brand podcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-no...
Sep 10, 2024•43 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , host Mark Amtower is joined by GovCon marketing expert Lisa Sherwin Wulf of LSW Marketing , who returns for a lively discussion on branding in GovCon. Topics discussed include: Do small contractors understand the power of branding and how to implement it Key elements of a brand plan Tag lines and logos How does a company determine the need for a "rebrand" See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#d...
Aug 16, 2024•43 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , host Mark Amtower is joined by GovCon marketing expert Lisa Sherwin Wulf of LSW Marketing . Topics discussed include: End of FY marketing Things NOT to do at end of FY Content and when to gate your content End of FY events See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Jul 12, 2024•42 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , host Mark Amtower is joined by Elizabeth Harr , managing partner of Hinge Marketing , for a wide-ranging conversation focused on Hinge's latest study, the 2024 High Growth Study . The study is conducted annually and is a detailed survey of high growth professional services firms. Topics discussed include: What is high impact marketing and the shift in recent years of the major components The content priorities of high growth firms: generating content, differenti...
Jul 01, 2024•42 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , host Mark Amtower is joined by Larry Allen, president of Allen Federal Business Partners and a regular on Federal News Network. The wide-ranging conversation covers: Q4 do's and don'ts Issues around the GSA Schedule program, including why many do not require a Schedule The delay in Alliant 3 and issues surrounding the awarding of IDIQs Why contractors need to be agile now more than ever See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notic...
Jun 27, 2024•41 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , host Mark Amtower is joined by Brian Stauffer, CEO of Paperless Innovations at Actus , for a wide-ranging discussion on issues regarding the government purchase card- SmartPay. Topics include: The possible increase in both micro-purchase and simplified acquisition threshold Issues confronting the agency comptroller regarding audit-ready data Oversight and audit issues from a cost and burden perspective See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Californ...
Jun 12, 2024•43 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , Dr Bob Frey, author author of Successful Proposal Strategies On-the Go and principal of Successful Proposal Strategies LLC , joins host Mark Amtower for a discussion on winning proposals. Topics discussed include:. The six functional areas needed for winning proposals What do evaluators across the spectrum (DOD, military,IC, civilian) care about when reviewing proposals Differences in federal vs commercial and international proposals Key elements of and the impo...
Apr 25, 2024•41 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , host Mark Amtower is joined by capture guru Jennifer Namvar, CEO of The Peerless Group . Namvar developed a multi-point "cheat sheet" on the capture process, which we discuss on the show. Topics include: The fundamentals of opportuities Acquisition timing and capture process Corporate capabilities to win Customer intelligence See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Apr 20, 2024•41 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , GovCon expert Katie Helwig of MildRed joins host Mark Amtower to discuss the value of GovCon associations. Topics include: Creating visibility in GovCon The GovCon association landscape Criteria for selecting the association which will be best for you Getting involved with your association See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Mar 30, 2024•41 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , host Mark Amtower interviews Fergal McGovern, CEO of Visible Thread . Visible Thread(VT) provides support tools and processes for the contractor side of the proposal community, especially in the evolving area of generative AI. Topics include: Fergal's background and what VT offers to the contractor community An overview of generative AI's impact on the GovCon ecosystem Why hallucinations occur and some potential work-arounds Two questions to ask when applying ge...
Feb 23, 2024•41 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , host Mark Amtower starts year 18 at Federal News Network with guest Kevine Jans, president of Skyway Acquisition and host of the Contracting Officer's Podcast . Topics include: Kevin's background as a DOD contracting officer prior to Skyway Starting his podcast 10 years ago Proposal "do's and dont's" The Aristotelian method of RFPS (ethos, pathos and logos) Why Kevin prefers LinkedIn to conferences See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California P...
Feb 16, 2024•44 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , Nick Wakeman, editor in chief of Washington Technology , joins host Mark Amtower for an animated and wide-ranging discussion of the biggest issues facing contractors. Topics include: The top stories of 2023-24 M&A trends and activity The increasing role of private equity in the federal market Key elements for growth in GovCon The impact of a year-long CR The new National Defense Industrial Strategy See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Californ...
Feb 01, 2024•41 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , Host Mark Amtower interviews contract funding expert Teresa Moon of Parabilis on a wide variety of issues facing smaller contractors and those new to the market. Our topics include: Is your product or service viable in GovCon and have you done enough research to bear this out What is your event/networking strategy? Which events are most germane to what you do and who you need to know? Does your business plan include a plan for funding contracts that you win? Whe...
Jan 31, 2024•43 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , host Mark Amtower is joined by ACT-IAC CEO Dave Wennergren for a lively and wide-ranging discussion about ACT-IAC. Topics include: a brief history of ACT-IAC the mission of the organization professional development opportunities committees and communities of interest the ongoing events for the councils and the major annual events award programs small business participation See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://a...
Nov 16, 2023•41 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , host Mark Amtower is joined by Peter Erickson of MoDev , producer of the GovAI Summit . Topics discussed include: the current evolutionary stepping point in technology that AI, ML and LLM represent a little historical perspective on what brought us to this point, including earlier uses of voice recognition the emergence of AI as a tech transformational event key players in this emerging arena and the scope of the upcoming GovAI Summit See Privacy Policy at https...
Nov 01, 2023•45 min
Government proposal guru Carl Dickson joins host Mark Amtower on this week's Amtower Off Center to discuss several recent topics Dickson has written about, including: 5 Ways to use AI to Improve proposals 14 ways to determine if your proposal is any good How branding can hurt your proposals 10 things the customer might choose to do instead of accepting your offer. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Oct 06, 2023•40 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , host Mark Amtower is joined by Eileen Rivera , Federal MarCom leader and the author of Hard Talk: Confessions of an Accidental Marketing and Communications Professional. Topics discussed include: Why did you write Hard Talk? Who is the audience Dealing with unexpected situations that can impact a company's reputation Lessons learned from the front lines of MarCom in the government market Advice for would-be authors See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy...
Sep 25, 2023•42 min
This week on Amtower Off Center , host Mark Amtower is joined by fellow GovCon consultant Mike LeJeune of RSM Federal for a wide ranging discussion on branding and marketing in GovCon. Topics include: Defining your market niche Being able to enunciate your market position in 90 seconds or less Why your capabilities statement is not etched in stone The power of social media in GovCon Staying on the radar See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art1...
Aug 30, 2023•43 min
