The SDVOSB GovCon Platform
Built for SDVOSBs.
By a Navy veteran.
BidStride is the operating system for SDVOSB-led federal contractors in IT, engineering, and construction — built by Richard Faherty, a Navy ETN (reactor operator) aboard USS Maryland, who watched SDVOSB IT shops lose contracts they should have won to better-tooled competitors.
Richard served aboard USS Maryland (SSBN-738), studied Financial Economics at Columbia, and built BidStride so veteran-owned firms stop paying $30K/yr for tools that weren't built for them — or losing to firms that do.
No credit card required for free tools. Founders Circle: 13 spots remaining.
Market Context
The $31B SDVOSB opportunity — and why FY2026 is different
In FY2025, the federal government missed the 5% SDVOSB goal for the first time since 2011. Agencies are now under pressure to over-award SDVOSB contracts in FY2026 to close a $2 billion gap. This is the most favorable demand environment for SDVOSB contractors in 14 years.
$28.6B
Awarded to SDVOSBs in FY2025
Across 52,000+ contract actions — real money chasing a real set-aside.
52,000+
SDVOSB contract actions in FY2025
Each action is an opportunity a firm either captured or missed.
$2B gap
Below the 5% NDAA-mandated goal
First miss since 2011. Agencies must make up the difference in FY2026.
5% goal
Annual NDAA mandate — every agency
Congress mandated this target. Agencies that miss it face scrutiny.
Sources: SBA annual procurement scorecard FY2025; NDAA Section 821; USASpending.gov SDVOSB award data. BidStride Research Team.
The Problem
Why SDVOSBs lose contracts they should win
They don't see the right opportunities
SAM.gov dumps 1,000+ new contracts a day. Without SDVOSB-specific filtering — set-aside type, NAICS match, sole-source eligibility under FAR 19.1406 — you're sifting noise for hours to find three real leads.
No time to chase 50 portals
Federal contracts live on SAM.gov, GovWin, agency-specific portals, DIBBS, eBuy, and dozens more. A 1-2 person BD operation cannot monitor all of them. Opportunities close before the firm even knows they existed.
Can't afford $30K/yr for tools not built for them
GovWin IQ starts at $10,000/yr for a single user. Procurement Sciences doesn't publish prices. These platforms were built for 100-person BD teams at large primes — not for an SDVOSB owner who is also the program manager and the proposal writer.
Platform Features
What BidStride does specifically for SDVOSBs
Five modules. Built for the way SDVOSB-led IT, engineering, and construction firms actually work — not for the enterprise BD teams the other platforms were built for.
SDVOSB-scored opportunity discovery
LiveEvery opportunity in BidStride is scored for SDVOSB set-aside eligibility, sole-source potential under FAR 19.1406 dollar ceilings, and your specific NAICS codes — so your pipeline shows real leads, not SAM.gov noise. Goal-gap signals are baked into the daily digest: when an agency is behind on its 5% goal, those contracts surface first.
Sole-Source Pitch Generator
Shipping June 2026When your past performance + your NAICS codes + an open contract under the FAR 19.1406 sole-source ceiling align, BidStride drafts the contracting officer outreach email for you — the justification language, the capability pitch, the ask. Most SDVOSBs never pursue sole-source contracts because they don't know how to approach a CO; this workflow removes that barrier.
Contracting Officer Network
Shipping June 2026Know who at each agency actually awards SDVOSB contracts in your NAICS — with their recent award history and verified contact information. Large primes have BD staff building these relationships full-time. BidStride surfaces the same intelligence so a two-person SDVOSB can walk into an industry day knowing exactly who in the room to talk to.
Recompete War Room
LiveEvery 5-year contract will recompete. BidStride tracks your current book of business alongside contracts held by competitors, surfacing recompete windows 18-24 months out — enough time to build relationships before the RFP drops. When an agency behind on its 5% SDVOSB goal has an upcoming recompete, it surfaces at the top of your queue.
Goal-Gap intelligence in your daily digest
LiveThe FY2026 SDVOSB catch-up pressure isn't abstract market data — it's actionable. BidStride integrates agency 5% goal progress directly into your daily opportunity digest, so you can see which agencies are behind and prioritize accordingly. Agencies scrambling to hit their SDVOSB numbers are more likely to award quickly to firms that show up.
Founders Circle
First 25 SDVOSB-led firms get lifetime pricing
Founders Circle is a one-time offer: lock in $1,000–$4,500/yr pricing permanently, before it goes up. These spots will not reopen once filled.
13 of 25 spots remaining
The first 12 spots have been claimed. Once 25 SDVOSB-led firms are in, Founders Circle closes permanently. Pricing for all new customers after close will be the standard rates.
Lifetime lock
Founders Radar
$1,000/yr
- SDVOSB-scored opportunity discovery
- Goal-gap alerts in daily digest
- Recompete radar
Lifetime lock
Founders Capture
$2,000/yr
- Everything in Radar
- Sole-Source Pitch Generator (June 2026)
- Full pipeline CRM
Lifetime lock
Founders Oracle
$4,500/yr
- Everything in Capture
- Contracting Officer Network (June 2026)
- Priority customer support
From SDVOSB Founders
What Founders Circle members are saying
Founders Circle is filling. Testimonials from SDVOSB-led firms will appear here as members close in May–June 2026.
Be one of the first 25 firmsNo Signup Required
13 free tools for SDVOSB owners
NAICS code finder, SAM.gov registration guide, set-aside eligibility checker, contractor readiness quiz, size standards calculator, and 8 more — all free, no signup required. No sales call, no trial, no credit card.
These tools are BidStride's way of putting something useful in your hands before asking for a cent. If the free tools help, the platform will too.
SDVOSB GovCon Platform
Start free or claim your Founders Circle spot
FY2026 agencies are under pressure to award SDVOSB contracts. The firms positioned in front of the right contracting officers right now will capture the catch-up wave. The ones that wait won't.
Founders Circle: 13 of 25 spots remaining. Annual billing only. Lifetime price-lock.
FAQ
Questions from SDVOSB owners
- What is an SDVOSB and does BidStride verify my certification?
- A Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) is a small business majority-owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, certified by the SBA. BidStride does not re-verify your SDVOSB certification — that's between you and the SBA/VA. What we do is filter and score opportunities specifically for SDVOSB set-aside eligibility, so the leads in your pipeline are ones your certification qualifies you for.
- In FY2025, the government missed the 5% SDVOSB goal — what does that mean for me?
- The federal government is required by the NDAA to award at least 5% of prime contract dollars to SDVOSBs each fiscal year. In FY2025, agencies missed that target for the first time since 2011, leaving roughly $2 billion on the table. Agencies that missed their targets are under scrutiny and many will prioritize SDVOSB awards in FY2026 to close the gap. BidStride tracks which agencies are behind and surfaces their open contracts at the top of your queue.
- Can a SDVOSB win a sole-source contract without competing?
- Yes. Under FAR 19.1406, contracting officers can award sole-source contracts to SDVOSBs for acquisitions below $4 million (or $6.5 million for manufacturing). This requires the CO to have a reasonable expectation that only one SDVOSB can meet the requirement. The Sole-Source Pitch Generator — shipping June 2026 — will help you identify which open contracts fall under these ceilings and draft the CO outreach email.
- Is BidStride only for SDVOSBs or can other contractors use it?
- Any small federal contractor can use BidStride. But every feature — from opportunity scoring to the Founders Circle pricing — is designed around SDVOSB-specific intelligence. If you're not an SDVOSB, you'll still get value, but the SDVOSB-specific signals (set-aside eligibility, goal-gap alerts, sole-source screening) won't apply to your situation the same way.
- Why is the Founders Circle limited to 25 spots?
- The Founders Circle is a genuine constraint, not a marketing tactic. The first 25 firms get lifetime pricing and direct access to Richard for customer development calls. More than 25 and we can't give that level of attention. Once the spots are filled, standard pricing applies to all new customers and Founders Circle doesn't reopen.
More questions? Email the team — Richard replies personally to SDVOSB inquiries.