Would You Make a 5-Minute Video for $3M?

Oct 07, 2026

When most people think about selling to the federal government, they picture long solicitations, complicated proposals, registrations, compliance requirements, and months or even years of waiting.

And while those things can absolutely be part of federal contracting, there are other ways to get in front of government buyers that most business owners have never heard of.

One of the platforms I want entrepreneurs to know about is the TradeWind Solutions Marketplace.

What makes TradeWind interesting is that it creates a much more streamlined way for companies and innovators to present solutions to government and military buyers. Instead of immediately jumping into a massive proposal, participants can use a short video pitch to explain the problem they solve, how their technology or service works, and why it matters to the government.

And this isn't some theoretical program with no money behind it.

The marketplace has already awarded billions of dollars in contracts across areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, logistics software, drone technology, and other emerging technologies.

For entrepreneurs who have never considered government contracting, this is exactly the kind of opportunity worth paying attention to.

What Is the TradeWind Solutions Marketplace?

At its core, TradeWind is designed to connect government buyers with companies and innovators that can solve specific problems.

The traditional federal contracting process can be slow and highly structured. TradeWind was created to make certain technology acquisition opportunities more accessible and faster-moving.

That matters because the government has a constant need for new technology.

The military needs better systems.

Agencies need stronger cybersecurity.

Organizations need better logistics tools.

The government needs artificial intelligence capabilities.

There are needs around drones, predictive maintenance, digital workforce development, data, software, communications, and countless other areas.

The question isn't whether the government has problems.

It does.

The question is whether you can identify those problems and demonstrate that your solution can help solve them.

That's where the marketplace comes in.

The Numbers Get My Attention

According to the figures highlighted in the marketplace material, TradeWind has awarded approximately $3.67 billion in contracts to more than 55 companies.

That's significant.

And it's one of the reasons I don't want entrepreneurs to dismiss platforms like this simply because they haven't heard of them before.

Federal procurement has many different channels.

SAM.gov is important.

Agency-specific opportunities matter.

GSA can matter.

Subcontracting can matter.

Other Transaction Authorities can matter.

And innovation-focused programs can create opportunities that don't look like traditional government contracting at all.

TradeWind falls into that last category.

It's a reminder that government acquisition is evolving.

The government isn't only looking for traditional contractors with decades of experience. It is also looking for new technology, new capabilities, and new ways to solve mission problems.

You Don't Necessarily Have to Be a Traditional Government Contractor

One of the things I find particularly interesting about this type of marketplace is the range of participants it can accommodate.

Depending on the specific opportunity and applicable requirements, participation can extend beyond established government contractors.

That can include:

Small businesses
Larger companies
Universities
Research organizations
Nonprofits
Individual innovators
Certain foreign entities that comply with applicable laws and requirements

That last point is important.

You still have to meet the applicable legal, security, export-control, eligibility, and procurement requirements.

This isn't a loophole around federal contracting rules.

But it does demonstrate something important:

You don't necessarily need to look like a traditional defense contractor to have something valuable to offer the government.

You need a capability that solves a real problem.

The Five-Minute Video Changes the Game

Here's where TradeWind gets especially interesting.

Rather than starting with a massive written proposal, certain submissions use a concise five-minute video pitch.

Think about what that means from an entrepreneur's perspective.

You have a short amount of time to answer some very important questions:

What problem does the government have?

Why does that problem matter?

What are you offering?

How does your solution work?

Why is it better or different?

How does it accelerate the mission?

And can your business actually deliver it?

That's a very different exercise from writing a traditional 50-page proposal.

But don't mistake "five minutes" for "easy."

In some ways, a short pitch is harder.

You have to be incredibly clear.

You don't have 30 pages to explain what you mean.

You don't have time for unnecessary background.

You have to get to the problem quickly and demonstrate why your solution matters.

The Government Isn't Looking for a Commercial Sales Pitch

This is one of the biggest mistakes I see when businesses try to enter the federal market.

They create a pitch that sounds great to a commercial customer but doesn't necessarily address the government's mission.

Government buyers aren't simply asking:

"Is this product cool?"

They're asking:

"Does this solve a problem we have?"

That's a completely different question.

A strong submission needs to connect the technology or service to the mission.

For example, if you're selling an artificial intelligence platform, don't just tell the government that your AI is innovative.

Explain what it actually does.

Does it reduce processing time?

Does it identify threats?

Does it improve predictive maintenance?

Does it reduce labor requirements?

Does it improve decision-making?

Does it reduce risk?

Does it improve mission readiness?

The technology is only part of the story.

The outcome is what matters.

Understanding How Your Submission Is Evaluated

This is where I would tell any entrepreneur to slow down and do their homework.

You shouldn't build your video first and figure out the evaluation criteria afterward.

Do the opposite.

Start with the evaluation criteria.

The material associated with this marketplace highlights several major areas of evaluation, including:

Problem definition
Mission acceleration
Technological advantage
Business model viability

The scoring places particularly heavy emphasis on mission acceleration and technological advantage.

In the example outlined in the material, mission acceleration accounts for 40% of the score and technological advantage accounts for 35%.

That means roughly three-quarters of the evaluation weight is concentrated around two fundamental questions:

Does this meaningfully improve the government's mission?

And:

Does this solution provide a meaningful technological advantage?

That's where I would spend the majority of my preparation time.

Problem Definition Comes First

Before you explain your product, explain the problem.

This sounds obvious, but businesses get this wrong all the time.

They spend most of their presentation describing themselves.

"We've been in business for 10 years."

"Our team has extensive experience."

"Our technology is revolutionary."

"Our platform has dozens of features."

That's not necessarily what the government needs to hear first.

I want you to flip the presentation around.

Start with the problem.

What is happening today?

Why isn't the current approach good enough?

What is it costing the government?

What risks does it create?

What mission impact does it have?

Who is affected?

What happens if nothing changes?

Once you've established the problem, your solution has context.

Without that context, your technology can sound like another product looking for a customer.

Show How You Accelerate the Mission

The government is ultimately trying to accomplish a mission.

Your job is to explain how your solution helps accomplish that mission faster, better, cheaper, safer, or more effectively.

Let's say the government has a predictive maintenance problem.

Don't simply say:

"We use artificial intelligence for predictive maintenance."

Explain what changes because of your technology.

Maybe equipment failures can be identified earlier.

Maybe maintenance can be scheduled before a catastrophic failure.

Maybe downtime can be reduced.

Maybe maintenance teams can prioritize the equipment most likely to fail.

Now you've connected technology to mission impact.

That's what I mean by speaking the government's language.

Technology Alone Isn't the Advantage

Another mistake is assuming that having new technology automatically makes you competitive.

It doesn't.

Government buyers need to understand why your technology is meaningfully different.

What can you do that the existing solution cannot?

Is your system faster?

More accurate?

More secure?

Easier to deploy?

Less expensive to operate?

More scalable?

More interoperable with existing systems?

Can it integrate with the government's current environment?

Can you demonstrate the results?

Those are much stronger arguments than simply saying you're innovative.

Innovation needs evidence.

Find the Government Problem Before You Sell the Solution

This is probably the biggest strategic lesson I would take away from TradeWind.

Don't start with:

"What can I sell the government?"

Start with:

"What problem is the government actively trying to solve?"

That one change in thinking can completely alter your strategy.

Government agencies regularly publish strategic priorities, technology focus areas, challenges, announcements, and requirements.

Pay attention to them.

If you see a government organization repeatedly talking about cybersecurity resilience, that's a signal.

If an agency is focused on predictive maintenance, that's a signal.

If the military is looking for better unmanned systems, that's a signal.

If an organization is trying to modernize its digital workforce, that's a signal.

You don't have to guess what the government wants.

A lot of the information is already available.

The challenge is learning how to find it and interpret it.

This Is Where Research Becomes a Competitive Advantage

One of the biggest advantages you can have in government contracting isn't necessarily a better product.

It can be better research.

I would rather have a business owner who deeply understands a government customer's problem than someone with an amazing product who has no idea who needs it.

Research the agency.

Research the mission.

Research the problem.

Research previous spending.

Research existing solutions.

Research the incumbent.

Research the strategic priorities.

Research the acquisition environment.

Then ask yourself:

Where does my capability fit?

That is how you move from random selling to strategic federal business development.

Don't Ignore Other Innovation Platforms

TradeWind isn't the only place I would look.

There are other government innovation programs and marketplaces worth knowing about.

Two examples I often point people toward are Army XTech and NASA's Solve Challenges platform.

These programs can provide additional ways for companies, researchers, and innovators to engage with government organizations.

And importantly, they don't always look like traditional contracting.

Some innovation programs use competitive challenges, prizes, prototype opportunities, or other mechanisms to encourage companies to solve specific government problems.

That's important because entrepreneurs sometimes assume that the only path into the federal government is a traditional solicitation.

It isn't.

There are multiple acquisition and innovation pathways.

Your job is to understand which one fits your capability.

Army XTech: Look for Problems Worth Solving

Army XTech is an example of how the government can use innovation challenges to find new technology and capabilities.

The basic concept is straightforward:

The Army has problems.

Industry has technology.

Innovation programs create a structured environment where those two sides can meet.

For a technology company, this can create opportunities to demonstrate a capability that might otherwise be difficult to get in front of government decision-makers.

Again, the lesson isn't simply:

"Go apply to every challenge."

The lesson is:

Find the challenges that align with what you actually do well.

NASA's Solve Challenges Platform

NASA provides another example through its challenge-based approach to innovation.

The agency has used challenges and competitions to engage outside innovators in solving specific problems.

This can be particularly interesting for companies, researchers, universities, and individuals working on specialized technologies.

And it reinforces a broader point:

Government agencies don't always have to develop every solution internally.

Sometimes the best answer exists outside the government.

The challenge is creating a mechanism for the government to find it.

Why I Wouldn't Rely on One Platform

If you're serious about building a government business, I wouldn't put all of your effort into one portal.

TradeWind can be part of the strategy.

Army XTech can be part of the strategy.

NASA challenges can be part of the strategy.

SAM.gov can be part of the strategy.

Agency forecasts can be part of the strategy.

Subcontracting can be part of the strategy.

Industry days and networking can be part of the strategy.

The strongest federal sales strategies usually come from combining multiple sources of information.

You're building a market intelligence system.

You're looking for signals.

You're watching requirements.

You're tracking agencies.

You're studying spending.

You're identifying problems.

You're building relationships.

And then you're positioning your company before the opportunity becomes obvious to everyone else.

Getting Listed Isn't the Same as Winning Contracts

This is another distinction I want to make very clearly.

Being visible on a marketplace does not guarantee a contract.

A listing doesn't replace business development.

A submission doesn't replace relationships.

A great technology doesn't replace execution.

Government buyers still need confidence that you can deliver.

That's why relationship-building remains so important.

And by relationship-building, I don't mean trying to influence an acquisition improperly.

I mean becoming informed about the agency's mission, communicating professionally, understanding the problem, participating in legitimate industry engagement, and demonstrating that your company can be trusted to perform.

The government wants solutions.

But it also wants vendors who can execute.

Your Pitch Should Tell a Story

If I were preparing a five-minute video, I wouldn't treat it like a commercial.

I'd treat it like a story.

Here's the structure I would think about:

First: Here's the problem.

Explain the government challenge in plain language.

Second: Here's why it matters.

Connect the problem to mission impact, cost, readiness, risk, time, or another measurable outcome.

Third: Here's our solution.

Explain what you actually do.

Fourth: Here's why it's different.

Demonstrate your technological or operational advantage.

Fifth: Here's the evidence.

Show results, testing, customer validation, demonstrations, data, or other proof wherever possible.

Sixth: Here's how we can deliver it.

Explain your business model, implementation approach, scalability, and ability to support the customer.

That's a much stronger pitch than spending five minutes telling the government how great your company is.

Evidence Beats Hype

If your technology works, prove it.

If you reduced processing time, show the numbers.

If you improved accuracy, show the numbers.

If you reduced equipment downtime, show the numbers.

If you have commercial customers, explain the relevant results.

If you've completed successful pilots, demonstrate them.

If you've tested your system, explain the results.

Government buyers have heard plenty of marketing language.

The more you can replace vague claims with evidence, the stronger your case becomes.

You don't have to have decades of federal past performance.

But you do need credibility.

And evidence is one way to build it.

What If You Don't Have a Product Yet?

This is where I think entrepreneurs need to broaden their thinking.

You don't necessarily need to have a giant company with hundreds of employees.

You may have a technology.

You may have intellectual property.

You may have research.

You may have a prototype.

You may have specialized expertise.

You may have an idea that solves a very specific government problem.

You may even discover that your best opportunity is not to build the technology yourself but to help another company bring its solution into the federal market.

That's where government contracting consulting becomes interesting.

There Is a Business on the Other Side of the Marketplace

Not everyone who learns federal contracting is going to become a technology manufacturer.

And they don't have to.

There is another opportunity here:

Helping companies sell to the government.

Once you understand federal acquisition, you can potentially build a consulting practice around services such as:

Government market research
Opportunity identification
Federal sales strategy
Capture planning
Proposal support
Pipeline development
Government relationship strategy
Subcontracting strategy
Federal business development
Compliance support
Contracting education

The same knowledge you develop to win government contracts can become a service you sell to other businesses.

That's an important point because government contracting doesn't have to be your only revenue opportunity.

You can participate in the ecosystem in different ways.

The Biggest Mistake: Treating Government Contracting Like Commercial Sales

Commercial sales often reward speed.

Government sales reward preparation.

Commercial customers can sometimes make decisions quickly.

Government acquisition usually has more structure.

Commercial customers may choose based heavily on relationships, convenience, and price.

Government buyers have to operate within laws, regulations, acquisition procedures, evaluation criteria, and mission requirements.

That means you need to understand the environment you're entering.

You can't simply take a commercial sales pitch and put the word "government" on it.

You have to learn how the government buys.

What I Would Do First

If I were advising a business owner who wanted to pursue this opportunity, I wouldn't tell them to immediately create a five-minute video.

I'd tell them to start with research.

I'd ask:

What government problem do you solve?

Then:

Who has that problem?

Then:

How does the government currently solve it?

Then:

What does that solution cost?

Then:

What isn't working?

Then:

What makes your solution better?

Then:

Can you prove it?

And finally:

How would the government actually acquire your solution?

Those questions force you to think like a government business developer rather than someone simply trying to sell a product.

The Opportunity Is Bigger Than One Marketplace

This is the part I want entrepreneurs to remember.

Don't become obsessed with TradeWind itself.

The real opportunity is learning how to identify government problems and match them with solutions.

TradeWind is one channel.

Army XTech is another.

NASA challenges are another.

Traditional contracting is another.

Subcontracting is another.

Consulting is another.

Once you understand the ecosystem, you stop relying on one website.

You start building a strategy.

And that's where things get interesting.

Federal Contracting Rewards the People Who Do Their Homework

I've spent a significant part of my career on the government acquisition side, and if there's one lesson I would emphasize to someone entering this market, it's this:

Do your homework before you try to sell.

Know the mission.

Know the agency.

Know the problem.

Know the acquisition process.

Know the competition.

Know your solution.

Know your numbers.

Know your partners.

Know your risks.

Know what you can actually deliver.

The businesses that take the time to understand those things are much better positioned than businesses that simply chase every opportunity they see.

Final Thoughts

The federal government has a massive need for innovation.

The military needs new technology.

Agencies need better systems.

Organizations need cybersecurity.

Operations teams need better logistics.

Maintenance teams need better tools.

Government employees need better digital capabilities.

And entrepreneurs, researchers, universities, nonprofits, and technology companies are building solutions to these problems every day.

The challenge is getting those solutions in front of the right government buyers.

That's why marketplaces and innovation programs like TradeWind, Army XTech, and NASA's challenge platforms are worth understanding.

But don't mistake the platform for the strategy.

The platform is only the door.

The strategy is understanding the problem on the other side of it.

Find the problem.

Understand the mission.

Build the right solution.

Prove that it works.

Understand the evaluation criteria.

Present it clearly.

Build legitimate relationships.

And learn how the government actually buys.

That's the foundation.

And if you can master that process, you don't have to limit yourself to one contract, one marketplace, or even one business.

You can build an entire career around helping the government solve problems.

That's exactly why I believe learning federal contracting is so valuable.

The opportunity isn't just in winning a government contract.

The opportunity is in learning how to find the government's problems, position yourself as the solution, and build a business around solving them.

👉 Learn more about starting your consulting business at GovClose.com

👉 Hire a GovClose-Trained Consultant here: https://match.govclose.com

👉 Get Weekly Government Contracting Business Tips: https://federalytics.substack.com

👉 Explore the GovClose Certification Program for step-by-step training

👉 Follow me on LinkedIn for free live training and Q&A