The GovCon Incubator is dedicated to empowering small businesses, particularly those owned by socioeconomically disadvantaged entrepreneurs, veterans, women, and HUBZone-designated enterprises. We also focus on supporting technology-driven small businesses involved in Research and Development (R&D) as they navigate the complexities of government grants and contracting. Our mission is to create a thriving community where these businesses can grow, collaborate, and succeed in securing government funding, including contracts, grants, and seed capital.

We offer a unique blend of coworking spaces, training programs, Registered Apprenticeship in Government Business Development, strategic consortiums aimed at winning grants and proposals, and specialized cohort-based programs. In partnership with Maryland TEDCO, we operate the SBIR/STTR Proposal Lab and a Grant and Proposal Lab specifically designed for Small Disadvantaged Businesses in Maryland, DC, Delaware, and Virginia. These programs provide hands-on guidance and resources to help small businesses develop the expertise necessary to compete effectively in the government marketplace.

Our curriculum is designed to foster excellence in every aspect of government contracting—from mastering capture management to crafting proposals with superior technical solutions and executing contracts with precision. By providing access to top-tier mentorship, networking opportunities, and the latest tools and resources, the GovCon Incubator is committed to helping small businesses break through barriers and achieve sustainable growth.

Join us to become part of a community where your business can thrive in the competitive world of government contracting, and together, we can build a stronger, more diverse.

The GovCon Incubator Will Accelerate Your Growth

Read more about the state of federal contracting for small businesses in this op-ed co-authored by OST Global Solutions’ CEO Olessia Smotrova and published by The Washington Examiner.

Additionally, the rules for teaming and joint ventures have changed. The competition for small business set-aside contracts is now tougher because:

• There are more joint ventures and looser prime-subcontractor teaming rules.
• Government initiatives of consolidation, strategic sourcing, and category management have resulted in fewer requirements and tougher competition.
• Agency contracting officers are using more Governmentwide acquisition vehicles and multiple award contracts, which also limit the number of opportunities for new small businesses.

We designed the Incubator specifically to help new Government contracting companies grow in the federal market and make the transition to becoming prime contractors faster.

We accept companies who are looking to grow aggressively and are serious about following proven business development practices. Our consultants and advisors will mentor your company as it grows in the federal market.

The incubator is co-located with OST Global Solutions, a premier business development consulting firm that has specialized in helping Government contractors grow over the past 12 years.

OST runs the Bid & Proposal Academy with 18 courses on all aspects of business development, capture, and proposals attended by top Government contractors and even the Government. The combination of knowledge, experience, and success that we bring to bear separates us from other incubators, coworking spaces, or shared offices.

The GovCon Incubator is a premium membership program focused on bridging the knowledge gap between those new to the Government contracting market and those that currently dominate it.

We use our Bid & Proposal Academy courses to give our members the knowledge to launch their companies to the next growth level. These processes have resulted in winning over $22 Billion for OST’s clients and are proven effective for small businesses, regardless of service or product offering.

The key differences between the Government contractors who succeed, and those who don’t are:

• Knowledge of how to grow and what opportunities to bid on,
• Mentoring to guide you around common mistakes,
• Targeted business networking with like minded professionals
• The supporting physical and virtual infrastructure.

The GovCon Incubator provides members all four. Join our Incubator and Accelerator to launch and grow your Government contracting business. If you are in D.C., Maryland, or Virginia. Work from our offices in Rockville, MD (local to Washington, DC), or join our virtual incubator if you don’t need a physical space or only need it for meetings when you come to the Nation’s Capital.

All members will have access to our continuously updated Knowledge, Networking, and Opportunities Wiki (KNOW™), a virtual collaboration workspace with:

• A hot opportunities feed for advance preparation and bidding on Government contracts, relevant to our member companies
• GovCon Incubator courses on Business Development, Operations, Entrepreneurship, and Capacity Building to accelerate company growth and avoid costly mistakes
• A member forum to answer your questions and network with colleagues
• A bulletin board for important announcements relevant to our contractor community
• A calendar of incubator’s training events, networking events, and Government events
• A library of useful templates, resources, links, and “how-to” instructions for Government contracting
• A dashboard of members’ progress and accomplishments

Our program provides guided learning, self-study, opportunities to ask questions, and assistance applying these principles to your company. It also promotes accountability: to remain in our program, a company must report weekly on their progress and achievements. Meaning they work “on the business” not just “in the business.”

Network & Team with Other Government Contractors

The GovCon Incubator offers members an opportunity to network naturally as they co-work with peers in an office environment, or online through our virtual workspaces including KNOW™. From spontaneous conversations to planned activities, our members:

• Learn from each other,
• Find teaming opportunities to pursue Government contracts jointly,
• Seek support grappling with challenges other entrepreneurs are facing.

Our members will work alongside OST’s expert consultant mentors and instructors to get timely advice on different Government contractor situations. Our members also benefit from OST’s network of Government contracting officers and companies for easier identification of prime or subcontract opportunities.

Our staff works closely with the Government to promote small business contracting. We arrange networking with Government representatives and established large, mid-tier, and small prime contractors for our incubator members. Our network with Government customers is vast, based on more than two decades in the federal contracting space.

We regularly update the KNOW portal to reflect the networking events perfect for our incubator companies, creating a foundation for a marketing and outreach campaign for our member businesses.

Located Near Government Agencies

The GovCon Incubator offers our members physical and virtual infrastructure to help build a foundation for success in the Government contracting market.

Physical Infrastructure—Coworking Space in Rockville, MD, local to Washington, DC where most of the Government agencies have their headquarters.

Members receive a business identity with an address in Rockville, MD.

GovCon Incubator’s offices are in a Class A corporate building with ample free covered parking.

Our facility offers furnished offices and common space for coworking side by side with experts in business development and other incubator members. This is a full-immersion environment into federal business development.

Coworking members can work anywhere in the office that is available, including offices with desks and common areas. Our space naturally promotes networking and gets our members in a professional setting where they can focus on growing their businesses at a fraction of the cost of an office space.

Your entire team will be immersed in the best practices of business development, turning your entire workforce into a Government sales force. Alternatively, you can have just your business development team work out of our spaces.

Members can conduct meetings or run proposals in 4 conference rooms. This includes our Bid & Proposal Academy’s training room that accommodates up to 24 people and a proposal war room. Conference rooms have whiteboards and audiovisual equipment.

Members enjoy a professional setting with:

• A reception area
• Fully stocked kitchen/break room
• Common areas for networking and internet for guests
• Printing room with high-speed printer/copier/scanner, fax, binding equipment, laminator, and other proposal production equipment.

The GovCon Incubator is easy to get to from anywhere in the metropolitan Washington, DC area (DC, Maryland, Virginia): 1 block from Rockville Pike, 2 miles from I-270 Exit 6, 1 mile from I-200 Exit 3, 1 mile from the Shady Grove Metro (Red Line and bus access).

This means ready access to all the Government clients and Government contractor primes in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia. We’re also conveniently located next door to a major FedEx hub to easily ship proposals, and we’re a short walk away from our business park’s café. Many restaurants are within minutes, and Rockville Town Center is less than 10 minutes by car. Check our Visitor Guide for location details, driving directions, nearby hotels and restaurants, and more.

GovCon Incubator Resources

Members have on-tap access to resources that help with a win strategy, a bid-no-bid decision, proposal outlining, proposal reviews, and timely advice on dilemmas and confusing requirements frequently posed by RFPs. Members have all the competent resources on tap to help with:

• Strategy development
• Executive coaching and peer group coaching
• Capability statement, marketing materials, and presentation development
• Opportunity pipeline development
• Financing
• Implementing business development processes
• GSA schedule proposal preparation
• Website design
• Bookkeeping and accounting support for Government contractors
• Wealth planning and personal finance management
• Graduation planning, including real estate brokerage services

GovCon Incubator members don’t leave their company’s growth to chance. They understand that learning and getting timely support are the keys to consistently growing in the federal market.