Course 6
Subcontracting and Teaming Deep Dive
Teaches realistic entry paths through prime/sub relationships, teaming, joint ventures, mentor-protégé, and subcontracting compliance.
What This Course Helps You Do
- Understand prime vs subcontractor roles.
- Know when to prime, subcontract, team, or no-bid.
- Evaluate limitations on subcontracting and ostensible subcontractor risk.
- Approach primes professionally.
- Understand teaming agreements, flow-downs, payment, and workshare.
Templates
Module 1Prime vs Subcontractor
2 lessons
Lesson 1
Prime Contractor
The prime has the direct contract with the government and remains responsible for performance, even when subcontractors perform part of the work.
Lesson 2
Subcontractor
A subcontractor works for the prime. Subcontracting can help a newer company build experience, relationships, proof, and federal exposure without carrying the full prime burden.
Module 2Prime/Sub Decision
2 lessons
Lesson 1
When Prime Makes Sense
Prime pursuit may make sense when the company can perform the core work, finance startup, administer the contract, manage compliance, and submit a compliant proposal.
Lesson 2
When Subcontracting Makes Sense
Subcontracting may be smarter when the opportunity is too large, vehicle-limited, clearance-heavy, cyber-heavy, or outside the company's prime past performance.
Module 3Finding and Approaching Primes
2 lessons
Lesson 1
Incumbents and Vehicle Holders
Research incumbents and vehicle holders to identify teaming targets. Current performers, IDIQ holders, GSA Schedule holders, and regional primes may need niche support.
Lesson 2
Subcontractor Pitch
A good pitch explains specific capability, geography, proof, status, available capacity, and the exact scope the company can support.
Module 4Agreements, Flow-Downs, and Compliance
4 lessons
Lesson 1
Teaming Agreements
A teaming agreement sets pre-award relationship expectations: roles, scope, proposal duties, exclusivity, confidentiality, pricing, and post-award subcontract negotiation. Read it carefully.
Lesson 2
Flow-Down Clauses
Flow-down clauses pass prime contract requirements to subcontractors, such as labor, cyber, security, quality, records, confidentiality, safety, and reporting obligations.
Lesson 3
Limitations on Subcontracting
Set-aside primes must understand how much can be paid to non-similarly situated subcontractors and how workshare is tracked. This is central to avoiding risky pass-through models.
Lesson 4
Ostensible Subcontractor Risk
Risk increases when the subcontractor performs primary and vital work or the prime is unusually reliant on the subcontractor. The prime should perform/manage meaningful work and control customer communication, quality, schedule, and performance.
Module 5JV, Mentor-Protégé, and Payment
2 lessons
Lesson 1
Joint Ventures and Mentor-Protégé
JVs and SBA mentor-protégé relationships can help combine capabilities, but they are technical structures with rules, approvals, workshare, registration, and documentation requirements.
Lesson 2
Subcontractor Pricing and Payment
Subcontractors should quote with scope, assumptions, rates, exclusions, support documents, and payment terms. Prime/sub payment timing affects cash flow.
Final Exercise
- Choose an opportunity.
- Decide prime/sub/team/no-bid.
- Identify likely primes/incumbents/vehicle holders.
- Draft a prime outreach email and workshare table.
Final Takeaway
The goal is not to look big. The goal is to be real, useful, compliant, and ready.