Apex Consulting Group LLC
VA · NAICS 541611 · 8(a) · SDVOSB · Small Business
Pursue this aggressively this week. Submit a 3-page capability statement to DHS/CISA citing your two prior DHS cyber subcontracts by contract number — the set-aside is still moveable.
Explore if proposal capacity opens after the DHS move. Send a 200-word CO-introduction to State / ECA this week — the firm that wins this recompete is already in the PM’s inbox.
- · IT Advisory Services — 21 days to respond (Department of Veterans Affairs) — Skip unless pipeline is empty. Small-business incumbent with ongoing scope and 34% win-rate signal — opportunity cost beats the upside this cycle.
One clear pursue, one explore. The DHS Sources Sought is the only item with a moveable scope and a set-aside argument that lands in your favor. Skip the VA unless the rest of your pipeline is dry.
The detail
Cybersecurity Program Support — market research phase
Department of Homeland Security / CISA · NAICS 541512
Why now
The agency is still conducting market research. Responses received this round shape the final requirements and the set-aside decision — both move against incumbents if SDVOSB firms surface now.
How to position
Lead with the DHS subcontract on cyber operations support; anchor on SDVOSB eligibility (the set-aside is already in your favor); name the incumbent’s public scope gap explicitly — they have no SDVOSB teaming partner of record on this NAICS.
Why you fit
- Two prior DHS subcontracts on adjacent cyber scope, both under five years old, both with quantified delivery records.
- Primary NAICS match. Secret clearances current on three named staff.
- SDVOSB / 8(a) eligibility — you sit inside the set-aside pool the CO is most likely to use.
Why you might skip
- Past-performance proof is subcontract, not prime — if the CO weighs prime CPARS over recency, you start one notch behind.
- The large incumbent will respond to this Sources Sought too. Set-aside decision is still in play, not certain.
What to do
- Submit a 3-page capability statement to DHS/CISA citing the two prior DHS cyber subcontracts by contract number, with quantified deliverables (incident response time, FTE count, schedule variance).
- Foreground SDVOSB status in the cover paragraph — give the CO ready language they can paste into a Rule-of-Two memo.
- Move this week — 10 days to deadline.
- Do not wait for the final solicitation. The scope is still moveable now and locked later.
High confidence — past-performance proof is on file (two recent DHS subcontracts); the buyer has a visible pattern of awarding SDVOSB firms in this NAICS; the SOW reads like work you have already delivered.
Training Services — recompete, 8-month positioning window
Department of State / Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs · NAICS 541611
Why now
PoP ends December 2026. Agency market research typically opens 9 months out — that window is now. The CO-introduction window is open this quarter and closes once a draft RFP lands.
How to position
Lead with the USAID-ECA education delivery (2023, prime); tailor the language to State Department mission framing — public diplomacy, not generic L&D; name the incumbent’s delivery-model gap (in-person only, no blended cohort).
Why you fit
- Your 2023 USAID-ECA education delivery maps directly to this scope — same buyer family, same delivery model.
- Three of the last five awards in this vehicle went to firms with prior USAID education work.
- Primary NAICS and vehicle alignment are both exact.
Why you might skip
- Mid-size incumbent with strong CPARS — displacement requires a differentiated delivery model, not a cheaper price.
- Win-rate signal is mid-range (46%). If proposal capacity is tight after the DHS move, this is the one to defer.
What to do
- Send a 200-word CO-introduction email to State / ECA this week. Reference the USAID-ECA delivery by name and value.
- Schedule a 20-minute capability briefing with the contracting activity before the draft RFP lands. That window closes once market research hardens.
- Add State / ECA to your weekly outreach list with a 30-day touch cadence.
- Do not wait for a draft RFP to introduce yourself. The scope is being shaped now.
Medium confidence — past-performance proof is on file but buyer history with your firm is indirect (USAID-ECA, not State / ECA directly); the SOW reads like work you have delivered; market-research timing is the load-bearing variable.
IT Advisory Services — solicitation posted, 21 days to respond
Department of Veterans Affairs / Office of Information and Technology · NAICS 541611
Why now
21 days to respond. Tight. Pursue only if your current proposal-writer can absorb it without bumping the higher-priority items above.
How to position
If you bid: lead with the VA subcontract; tailor language to OIT mission framing; do not try to out-price the incumbent — name a delivery-risk reduction the incumbent cannot offer.
Why you fit
- You hold the required vehicle and are inside the 8(a) set-aside pool.
- Prior VA subcontract demonstrates the domain.
Why you might skip
- Small-business incumbent with ongoing scope and no visible weakness — displacement requires a real differentiator, not a price wedge.
- Late-stage entry — the agency has already shaped the requirement around the incumbent’s delivery model.
- Win-rate signal is low (34% range). Pursue only if pipeline is empty.
What to do
- Make the bid/no-bid call within 48 hours and lock proposal team capacity.
- If go: mirror Section L outline before drafting; do not rewrite the SOW back at the agency in Section M.
- If no-go: log the pursuit and monitor the award notice to learn the final scope.
- Do not pursue this at the expense of the DHS Sources Sought above. Opportunity cost matters.
Medium confidence — buyer has a visible pattern of awarding 8(a) firms in this NAICS, but past-performance proof is adjacent (VA subcontract, not OIT prime), and the late-stage timing favors the incumbent.
Since last week
New this week
- Cybersecurity Program Support — market research phase — New posting on 2026-04-19. SDVOSB / 8(a) flagged in the synopsis — agency is signaling the lane.
What changed
- Training Services — recompete — Agency forecast moved the market-research window 4 weeks earlier. Outreach window closes sooner — bumped from "monitor" to "explore" this cycle.
What you missed
- Workforce Analytics — sole-source justification posted — J&A award notice on 2026-04-21. Sole-source to incumbent on a follow-on you would have wanted to nurture two quarters earlier. Add the agency to your standing-watch list so the next recompete window does not get missed.
High confidence on 1 of 3 ranked pursuits (the DHS Sources Sought) — past-performance proof, buyer pattern, and timing all clear together. Medium on the State recompete; treat the VA item as a forced-rank tie-breaker, not a recommendation.