Everyone’s watching SAM.gov. Meanwhile agencies are already moving.

One thing I don’t see discussed enough here is how much decision-making happens before a solicitation is ever posted.

By the time an opportunity appears on sam.gov agencies have often already clarified:
• the problem they’re trying to solve
• whether the work is better suited for a prime or subcontractor
• if a set-aside is likely
• what kind of vendor profile they want

Periods of uncertainty (budget delays, CRs, shutdown chatter, new directives) don’t necessarily slow this down. In many cases, they shift activity earlier into market research, vendor conversations, and internal planning.

This is usually when:
• agencies reassess incumbents
• subcontracting discussions open up
• lifecycle, replacement, and follow-on work gets scoped
• relationship-building actually matters more than bidding

Curious how others here approach this phase.
Do you lean into primes, focus on subcontracting, or stay in market-research mode until things firm up?

Interested to hear how different GovCon shops handle it.