Glossary

Capture & Business Development

The terms that describe identifying, qualifying, and shaping an opportunity before a proposal begins: pipeline, bid decision, competitive assessment, price-to-win, and win themes among them. Written for capture managers and business development leaders building and prioritizing pipeline ahead of a solicitation.

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Capture & Business Development
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Account Planning
Strategic process of identifying and developing long-term relationships with target customers, mapping decision-makers, and positioning for future opportunities.
Capture & Business Development
Bid Decision
Decision by the capture team to pursue an opportunity based on win probability, weighing risk, value, and investment required.
Capture & Business Development
Business Development Lifecycle
The end-to-end process from market identification through contract delivery. Shipley defines seven phases (0–6) with decision gates at each stage.
Capture & Business Development
Capture
The art and science of pursuing opportunities before the Draft RFP and RFP are released. Involves customer engagement, competitive intelligence, and solution development.
Capture & Business Development
Competitive Assessment
Systematic evaluation of competitors' likely strategies, solutions, pricing, and teaming arrangements.
Capture & Business Development
Gap Analysis
Tool to determine an offeror's capability and experience gaps, and whether the combined team covers all contract areas.
Capture & Business Development
Opportunity Assessment
Evaluation of a potential contracting opportunity based on profitability, win probability, strategic fit, and resources.
Capture & Business Development
Pipeline
A listing of potential opportunities a company wants to bid or pursue, tracked through BD lifecycle stages.
Capture & Business Development
Price to Compete
An interim, early estimate of what price the customer will perceive as competitive, made before final requirements are known and used to guide initial solution design.
Capture & Business Development
Price-to-Win
Analysis-driven estimate of the price required to win a competitive bid.
Capture & Business Development
Probability of Win
A tool to assess the chance of winning a contract. Helps prioritize which opportunities to pursue.
Capture & Business Development
Solutioning
Brainstorming session to determine the best solutions for the customer's concerns and requirements.
Capture & Business Development
SWOT Analysis
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats analysis for competitive positioning.
Capture & Business Development
Winning Price Window
A comparison of an organization's likely bid and solution against competitors' likely bids and solutions, used within the pricing-to-win process to identify a price range that is both competitive and profitable.
Capture & Business Development
Win Strategy
The overarching approach for positioning your offer as the best value, based on discriminators and competitive intelligence.
Capture & Business Development
Win Themes
Theme statements designed to persuade the government of your unique capabilities. Should run throughout the proposal.
Capture & Business Development
Wired
Slang for the perception that a contract award has been predetermined.
Capture & Business Development