Heidt Strategic Advisors — Advisory Service
Heidt Strategic Advisors provides BD pipeline and capture planning advisory to federal contractors pursuing growth in defense and civilian markets. The advisory is led by Alex Heidt, former Senior Vice President of Business Development at Harris Corporation and Senior Vice President of Navy Programs at Alion Science and Technology, with additional executive experience at Lockheed Martin and Orbital Sciences.
SR. VP AT HARRIS CORPORATION, ALION, AND LOCKHEED MARTIN
FIELD-LEVEL CAPTURE EXPERIENCE IN CONTESTED OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS
EXPERIENCE SUPPORTING FEDERAL AND FOREIGN GOVERNMENT CONTRACT PURSUITS
BD Pipeline & Capture Planning services are provided by Heidt Strategic Advisors and are distinct from and do not constitute legal representation by The Heidt Law Firm, PLLC. Engagement of Heidt Strategic Advisors does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Many federal contract competitions are shaped well before the formal solicitation is released. Factors such as opportunity identification timing, requirement shaping, customer decision-making criteria, and pre-solicitation positioning significantly affect competitive outcomes. Capture planning — the strategic work that happens months or years before a proposal is due — is the phase in which those factors are addressed.
Effective capture planning requires a systematic approach to pipeline development, customer intelligence, competitive analysis, and requirement shaping. Heidt Strategic Advisors provides this approach based on direct executive experience leading BD and capture functions at major federal contractors.
Alex Heidt directed BD and program functions at Harris Corporation, Alion Science and Technology, and Lockheed Martin — making resource allocation decisions across federal pipelines and leading capture strategy across Army, Navy, Air Force, and federal civilian programs. Advisory engagements are informed by that operational experience across the full lifecycle of federal contract pursuits.
Capture planning is not always a 24-month strategic process. In some situations, it requires decisions made in compressed timeframes under operational conditions. The following matter illustrates capture execution in that type of environment.
A major Lockheed Martin contract in Afghanistan faced termination due to logistics-related performance issues. Alex Heidt, then serving in an executive capacity, traveled to forward operating bases, engaged directly with in-country government stakeholders, and addressed the performance gap between delivered services and operational requirements through on-site engagement.
The customer did not terminate the contract and awarded an additional task order for continued performance.
The outcome reflected on-the-ground customer engagement, direct understanding of operational priorities, and capture decision-making at the execution level — rather than reliance solely on proposal documentation or traditional capture planning processes. Heidt Strategic Advisors applies this operational perspective to client engagements.
Capture planning is the strategic process of positioning a company to win a specific government contract opportunity — before the formal solicitation is released. It involves customer intelligence, competitive analysis, requirement shaping, teaming strategy, and win theme development. Effective capture planning typically begins 12 to 24 months before a major opportunity’s anticipated solicitation date. Companies that begin their capture efforts only at solicitation release often compete against opponents that have been positioning for the opportunity for months or years.
Many federal competitions are shaped during the pre-solicitation period. Competitors that engaged the customer earlier, understood operational priorities more precisely, influenced requirements where possible, and assembled teams before solicitation release often hold a structural advantage. BD functions oriented primarily toward post-solicitation response may face this structural disadvantage on opportunities where competitors have been positioning earlier.
For a major IDIQ or single-award opportunity, meaningful capture planning should begin 18 to 24 months before the anticipated solicitation release. For recompetes, planning should begin at contract award — the moment performance begins is the moment the next competition starts. For smaller opportunities or task orders under existing vehicles, 90 to 180 days of focused capture effort can be sufficient. The right answer depends on the opportunity size, competitive intensity, and your company’s current relationship with the customer.
Business development is the broad function of identifying and qualifying opportunities, building customer relationships, and maintaining the pipeline. Capture is the focused, opportunity-specific process of developing and executing the strategy to win a particular contract once it has been identified and qualified. Both require different skills and processes. Many government contractors have BD capability but may not have structured capture capability — a distinction that can materially affect win rates on pursued opportunities.
Engagements are structured based on the client’s specific situation and objectives. Some clients engage Heidt Strategic Advisors for a specific opportunity — developing the capture strategy and supporting execution through proposal submission. Others engage on a retainer basis for ongoing pipeline management, BD function development, and capture support across multiple opportunities. Initial engagements typically begin with a BD and pipeline assessment to identify the highest-value opportunities and the gaps in current capability that need to be addressed.
Yes. Heidt Strategic Advisors works with government contractors across the full size spectrum — from small businesses and 8(a) certified companies building their first competitive pipeline to mid-size defense contractors pursuing major IDIQ vehicles. For 8(a) businesses approaching graduation, BD and capture planning is particularly important — competitive BD capability built before graduation is a significant factor in the transition from set-aside to full and open competition.
Schedule a strategic consultation to discuss pipeline development, capture planning, or BD function assessment for an upcoming opportunity or ongoing engagement.
