Frequently Asked Questions

CaptureLens is an AI-powered capture intelligence service that helps government contracting firms make smarter bid/no-bid decisions, accelerate opportunity qualification, and reduce wasted proposal spend. Instead of spending weeks analyzing RFPs internally, you get structured, actionable intelligence in days—delivered by capture professionals, not just algorithms.

CaptureLens analyzes each opportunity against your specific capabilities, competitive position, and past performance. You get a clear assessment of your capability fit, identified gaps, and strategic recommendations—so you can confidently say "yes" to winnable pursuits and "no" to resource drains before committing proposal budget.

A single prevented bad bid typically saves $50K–$150K in wasted proposal spend. Most clients see ROI within the first 2–3 assessments. Beyond cost avoidance, you also strengthen capture discipline by focusing resources on higher-probability opportunities and accelerating time-to-decision on your pipeline.

A full-time senior capture manager costs $250K+ annually. CaptureLens delivers equivalent strategic output on-demand, scaled to your pipeline—so you pay for pursuits, not headcount. It's ideal for firms that don't have dedicated capture staff or need to scale capability without hiring overhead.

No. CaptureLens is decision-support intelligence, not a guarantee. We provide rigorous analysis, competitive positioning, and strategic recommendations—but winning depends on your proposal quality, pricing, past performance, and execution. Think of us as your strategic advisor, not a magic wand.

Depends on the tier. Quick screens (Tier 1) deliver in 48 hours. Core assessments (Tier 2) deliver in up to 5 days depending on initial intake opportunity discussions. Ongoing retainer clients (Tier 3) get priority turnaround at 24–48 hours. Speed is one of our core differentiators.

That's exactly what Tier 3 (Ongoing Intelligence) is designed for. If you have up to 4 opportunities per month, a retainer model gives you continuous support, priority turnaround, and a strategic advisor who learns your business over time. Quarterly reviews help you optimize your capture approach across your entire pipeline.

We treat client data with the highest confidentiality. All materials are stored securely, access is restricted to authorized team members, and data is deleted per our agreement. We also have strict conflict management protocols to ensure your proprietary information is never used to benefit competitors.

We can manage this through strict data segregation—keeping each client's information completely separate. However, we screen for conflicts upfront and notify you if a conflict exists. We never use one client's proprietary information to benefit another on the same opportunity.

CaptureLens fits into your early-stage qualification phase. You provide the RFP and company evidence; we deliver structured analysis of requirements, capability gaps, competitive position, and strategic recommendations. You use this intelligence to inform your bid/no-bid decision and capture planning—it's a decision-support tool, not a replacement for your team.

Depends on the tier. Tier 1 gives you a quick go/no-go screen. Tier 2 gives you a full assessment with requirements summary, capability alignment, competitive analysis, gap mitigation, and a capture roadmap. Tier 3 includes all of that plus ongoing support, quarterly strategic reviews, and advanced modules like competitor deep-dives and teaming analysis.

Significant. Instead of your team spending 40–80 hours manually analyzing an RFP, extracting requirements, and assessing competitive position, CaptureLens delivers that analysis in days. Your team can then focus on strategy, proposal planning, and execution—not document hunting.

Absolutely. Tier 1 is specifically designed for early-stage screens. RFIs and sources sought are perfect use cases—quick, low-cost validation of whether an opportunity is worth deeper pursuit.

Tier 2 supports multiple assessments per engagement. If you have a surge of opportunities, you can request multiple assessments and get them sequenced based on your timeline. Tier 3 retainer clients get priority handling for surge periods.

We assess your teaming options as part of the core analysis—identifying gaps that teaming could fill, evaluating likely competitors, and recommending prime/sub/team participation strategies. Advanced teaming analysis is available as an add-on module.

We provide pricing signals extracted from the solicitation—government estimates, market data, past award patterns—to give your pricing team a head start. However, we currently don't provide certified pricing estimates or proposal-level pricing analysis. We're a decision-support tool, not a pricing certification service.

That's fine. CaptureLens is advisory intelligence, not gospel. We provide our analysis and recommendations, but you make the final decision. If you want to discuss our findings or get clarification, we're available for follow-up conversations.

We offer time-limited pilots at discounted rates so you can test the service before committing to a paid engagement. Pilots include structured feedback sessions and a follow-up conversation to discuss results. If you like what you see, we discuss conversion to a paid package.

Tier 2 is per-engagement—you request an assessment, we deliver it. Tier 3 is an ongoing retainer with up to 4 assessments per month, priority turnaround, quarterly strategic reviews, and a dedicated advisory relationship. Tier 3 is ideal if you have a consistent pipeline and want continuous support.

Primarily the RFP or solicitation document and your company evidence (capabilities, past performance, org charts, etc.). We may also request external research (market data, competitor information, past awards) to complete the analysis. We'll specify exactly what we need in the engagement agreement.

We ask upfront what data is confidential, controlled, export-controlled, or procurement-sensitive. We then implement appropriate safeguards—secure storage, restricted access, and agreed-upon deletion timelines. If data requires compliance certifications we don't have (e.g., FedRAMP), we'll let you know upfront.

Yes, but only with your explicit consent. We'll disclose which tools we use and get your approval before proceeding. You have the right to decline use of specific tools or request alternative approaches.

We keep data only as long as necessary to complete the engagement and deliver the assessment. After that, we delete or archive per our agreement. You can request deletion at any time.

We screen for conflicts upfront as part of our intake process. If we identify a conflict we can't adequately manage, we notify you within 24–48 hours and discuss options: we can withdraw, implement additional safeguards, or you can accept the conflict in writing. We never proceed without addressing conflicts.

We use encrypted storage, restrict access to authorized team members only, and maintain secure deletion protocols. We don't share your data with third parties without consent. Specific security details are outlined in our Master Services Agreement.

Yes. We carry professional liability insurance appropriate for advisory services. Details are available in our MSA.

Our MSA includes dispute resolution procedures. We're committed to working through disagreements professionally and in good faith. If you have concerns about deliverable quality, we discuss them and work toward resolution.

We're happy to provide references where clients have agreed to be contacted. We respect client confidentiality, so we only share references with permission.

Capture intelligence is structured analysis of a government contracting opportunity—requirements, competitive position, your capability fit, gaps, risks, and strategic recommendations. It's the intelligence you need to make a smart bid/no-bid decision and plan your capture strategy.

No. CaptureLens is a professional advisory service that uses AI to analyze opportunities at scale, but every assessment is reviewed and delivered by experienced capture professionals. We're human-in-the-loop by design—AI handles the heavy lifting, humans provide judgment and validation.

Consultants typically charge $200–$400/hour and take weeks to deliver. CaptureLens is productized, faster, and more affordable. You get professional-quality analysis without the overhead of a full consulting engagement.

We don't write proposals, provide legal advice, guarantee contract awards, certify pricing, provide compliance certifications, or conduct lobbying/government relations. We're a decision-support and capture planning service, not a full-service consulting firm.

Yes. We assess your past performance relevance to the opportunity and identify gaps. We can recommend which past performance examples to highlight and which gaps to address. We don't write past performance narratives, but we inform your strategy.

If the RFP is amended after we deliver an assessment, you can request a refresh or update. We'll re-analyze the changes and provide updated recommendations. This is typically faster than the initial assessment since we already have your baseline analysis.

We handle complex opportunities regularly. If scope is unusually large or complex, we'll discuss it during intake and may recommend a custom engagement or phased approach. We're transparent about what we can deliver and what might require additional work.

Yes. If you have multiple divisions pursuing different opportunities, we can support each independently. We manage data segregation to ensure each division's information is protected.

Our team monitors market data, past awards, agency priorities, and industry trends. This external intelligence informs our competitive analysis and recommendations. We're not just analyzing your specific opportunity—we're contextualizing it within the broader market.

A pilot is a time-limited, discounted engagement that lets you test CaptureLens before committing to a paid package. Pilots include structured feedback and a follow-up conversation so we can learn what worked and what didn't. It's a low-risk way to validate the service.

Depends on the tier. Quick screens (Tier 1) are 2 weeks. Core assessments (Tier 2) are typically 30 days. Strategic pilots (Tier 3) are 30–60 days. We discuss timeline during intake.

Pilot pricing is discounted up to 25% off standard rates. Specific pricing depends on the tier and complexity. We discuss pilot pricing during intake and provide a clear quote before you commit.

Provide materials (RFP, company evidence), participate in a feedback session, and allow us to use anonymized lessons learned from your pilot in our future work. We may also ask for a testimonial or reference if you're happy with the results.

Absolutely. That's the goal. If you like the pilot results, we discuss conversion options—continuing with per-engagement assessments, upgrading to a retainer, or expanding to additional opportunities.

We want to understand why. We'll discuss your feedback and see if there's a path forward. If CaptureLens isn't the right fit, we'll be honest about it and may recommend alternative approaches or partner services.

Tier 1 is for quick early-stage screens (RFIs, sources sought, immature opportunities). Tier 2 is for meaningful opportunity qualification and bid/no-bid support. Tier 3 is for ongoing pipeline support with up to 4 opportunities per month. We help you choose during intake.

Tier 3 retainer clients typically commit to a 3-month minimum. This gives us time to learn your business and deliver increasing value as we accumulate intelligence about your capabilities and competitive position.

Yes. We're flexible. If your pipeline slows or circumstances change, we can pause or adjust your engagement. We want long-term partnerships, not forced commitments.

Perfect. Many clients start with Tier 2 to test the service, then upgrade to Tier 3 when they see the value and have a consistent pipeline. We make the transition seamless.

We track whether you prevented bad bids, improved your bid/no-bid discipline, accelerated decision-making, and ultimately improved the quality of your bids. We discuss success metrics during intake and review them in follow-up conversations.

We schedule a conversion discussion within 5 business days of pilot completion. We review your feedback, discuss what worked, and present conversion options. If you're not ready to convert, we can discuss next steps or part as friends.

We offer three tiers with pricing that varies based on complexity and scope. Tier 1 is for quick screens. Tier 2 is for core assessments. Tier 3 is a monthly retainer for ongoing support. Specific pricing depends on your needs and is discussed during intake.

Pricing varies significantly based on opportunity complexity, scope, and your specific needs. We prefer to discuss your situation during intake and provide a customized quote. This ensures you're paying for what you actually need, not a one-size-fits-all package.

Absolutely. We're happy to provide a quote based on your described needs. If you want to test the service first, we offer pilot pricing at a discount.

Yes. If you commit to multiple assessments or a retainer, we discuss volume pricing. The more you engage, the better the economics.

We accept standard business payment methods—ACH, credit card, check. Payment terms are discussed in your engagement agreement.

Yes. Tier 3 retainer clients who commit to 12 months typically receive a discount. We discuss this during conversion.

We offer expedited turnaround for time-sensitive opportunities. Rush fees apply. We discuss availability and pricing during intake.

Yes. CaptureLens is a professional advisory service and should be expensed as a business service. Consult your accounting team on the specific treatment for your organization.

We use a structured, multi-stage process that combines AI analysis with human review. We extract requirements, assess your capability fit, analyze competitive position, identify gaps and risks, and deliver strategic recommendations. Every assessment is reviewed by experienced capture professionals before delivery.

Yes. We work across government contracting—federal, state, local, and international. We handle fixed-price, cost-plus, T&M, and other contract types. If you have specific industry or contract-type expertise needs, we discuss that during intake.

We use public data—past awards, FPDS-NG, SAM.gov, agency websites, and market research. We identify likely competitors based on past performance, capabilities, and market positioning. We don't use confidential or proprietary competitor information.

Our core expertise is U.S. government contracting. We can discuss other markets during intake, but our primary focus is federal, state, and local government opportunities.

We use the most current publicly available data—recent past awards, current market trends, agency priorities. We update our data regularly to reflect market changes.

We deliver assessments as reports and workbooks that you can integrate into your internal processes. We don't currently offer API integration, but we can discuss custom approaches if needed.

We handle opportunities across the spectrum—from small RFIs to large, complex federal contracts. Scope and pricing adjust based on opportunity size and complexity.

We flag gaps and inconsistencies upfront. We work with what's available and note limitations in our assessment. We're transparent about what we can and can't analyze based on available information.

You'll have a primary contact who manages your engagement. For Tier 3 retainer clients, you'll have a dedicated advisor who becomes familiar with your business, capabilities, and strategic priorities.

Your primary contact is your first point of contact. We're responsive and available for follow-up questions, clarifications, and strategic discussions.

We'll do our best to accommodate preferences. For Tier 3 clients, we assign a dedicated advisor based on fit and availability.

Depends on your tier. Tier 1 and 2 clients typically communicate during intake, delivery, and follow-up. Tier 3 clients have regular touchpoints—at least quarterly strategic reviews, plus ad-hoc discussions as needed.

We have a clear escalation process. If you're not satisfied with a response, you can escalate to senior leadership. We're committed to resolving issues professionally and promptly.

Absolutely. We actively solicit feedback and use it to improve. Feedback is part of every pilot and engagement.

Your feedback is confidential. We use anonymized feedback in our internal learning and improvement processes. We don't share specific feedback with third parties without your consent.

We appreciate referrals. If you refer a company that becomes a client, we're happy to discuss referral benefits. Contact your primary contact for details.