[untog]

It happens far too often. Right now I'm looking at a government RFP (request for propsals) that fits what I'm doing very well. But everyone I speak to tells me that it's an entirely doomed process, and that the government will never choose a tiny tech startup over a large corporation. I'm pretty sure they're right.

[ebiester]

The trick is to get an intro to a big boy and be a sub on their contract. It takes some social proof (wins on other RFPs) and you really have to know people. It's an entirely different way of selling.

Government contracting really is a different world.

[idoh]

By law many federal agencies have to give research grants to small businesses. My mom runs a physics research company and that's how they stay in business.

You check out SBIR grants - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Business_Innovation_Resea...

[JabavuAdams]

> My mom runs a physics research company [...]

I'm curious -- how does this work? I.e. what kinds of organizations contract her for what kinds of tasks / duration? I would have thought that research was inherently un-estimatable.