How Lohfeld Consulting Uses GovWin IQ to Power Proposal Development and Strategic Pursuits

Lohfeld Consulting Group has served thousands of government contractors for more than twenty years. They provide proposal, capture, and business development expertise to a wide range of customers, from very small businesses to enterprise firms in the largest industries. Deltek is a valuable partner to their business. Lohfeld uses the Deltek GovWin IQ solution to perform government market research, plan strategically, and develop pipelines of business opportunities for their clients.

A Longstanding Partnership with GovWin IQ

As the only solution on the market built and backed by over 150 industry analysts and market experts, GovWin IQ’s market intelligence goes beyond public data to include exclusive analysis, spending trends, and forecasts that are essential for long-term success. “Our main focus for the past 20-plus years has been on federal proposals and grants,” says Brenda Crist, Senior Capture and Proposal Manager at Lohfeld. “Ever since the beginning, we have been dedicated GovWin fans. It has been our go-to solution for 20-plus years. We haven’t been swayed by bid-scraper competitors who claim to provide the same market intelligence. GovWin is worth every penny.

By developing actionable insights from GovWin, Lohfeld Consulting can spend more time strategizing pursuits with its customers and less time organizing data from disparate public sites. GovWin IQ is deeply embedded in Lohfeld Consulting’s daily operations—from building and maintaining opportunity pipelines to conducting strategic planning and competitive analysis. “Hardly a day goes by that we’re not using it in some capacity,” Crist adds.

Driving Proposal Excellence

Lohfeld’s consultants, who average over 20 years of experience, use GovWin IQ to support every phase of proposal development. “We monitor all the large vehicles like the GWACs and MACs,” explains Bruce Feldman, Vice President for Lohfeld’s Artificial Intelligence practice. “We do advanced work like defining how we think the scoring is going to work and what needs to go into customers’ bids. Specifically, knowing the market buyers, competitors, and partner organizations are all elements in the recipe for success.

Like GovWin, Lohfeld Consulting isn’t like all the other government consultants on the market. Two aspects are unique to Lohfeld Consulting’s success—its strategy and longevity. Lohfeld uses a strategic Strength-Based Winning® methodology to help its customers succeed, with a team of experts who specialize in building proposals that meet and beat RFP requirements. They also boast decades of experience in government markets and use that industry know-how to assist government contractors with building proposals in the U.S. and around the globe.

“Your proposal must be built around what your company or your team does better and differently than your competitors. That’s how you win. That’s how you score,” Feldman says. GovWin IQ helps consolidate and provide the connective tissue that can drive smartly informed proposals that win.

Crist elaborates on how GovWin IQ supports her hands-on work with clients: “I do a lot of on-site support—helping customers write proposals, build pipelines, and plan strategically. We follow industry days on GovWin and use that intelligence to keep our customers informed. We even plan our budgets based on GovWin’s timeline function.

Strategic Relationships and Pursuit Planning

GovWin IQ also plays a critical role in Lohfeld Consulting’s teaming strategies. “When the draft RFP hits, we look for solution gaps. If there are gaps, we help our client’s field teammates—and part of that is doing the research in GovWin IQ,” says Crist. “We look at who’s with the current customer, NAICS codes, areas of expertise, and location. GovWin provides the unique analysis to help you start that discussion with potential teammates.

This early identification is crucial, especially in a market where contract consolidation and increased competition are pushing more companies toward teaming. “Sometimes I’ve managed proposals with 30–40 teammates. GovWin helps us pinpoint the right firms quickly, saving us time,” Crist notes. In an environment of reduction in force and personnel changes, finding the right people to talk to is more valuable now than ever.

Embracing AI for Smarter Proposals

Lohfeld Consulting is at the forefront of integrating AI into proposal workflows. “We are very pro-AI at Lohfeld,” Crist says. “We use it for quick summaries, data retrieval, and even to analyze RFPs for risks and questions. The time between RFP release and kickoff is a crunch, so anytime you can use AI to do a task, it’s great.

The recent AI enhancements to the GovWin IQ platform make the pipeline management process even easier. For one, GovWin IQ Smart Summaries leverage generative AI technology to help Lohfeld Consulting easily identify quick learnings before diving into further research. The Smart Search features allow users to describe what opportunities they want to find with GovWin IQ’s AI-powered natural language opportunities search.

Feldman, who teaches classes in AI for proposal development professionals at Lohfeld Consulting, emphasizes the importance of language and prompting: “AI is inherently creative and language-driven. You have to practice and condition your use of language to get the results you want. It’s not a spreadsheet where 1 + 1 always equals 2.

Lohfeld Consulting has trained its entire capture workforce in AI fundamentals, focusing on how to use any platform effectively—not just pushing buttons but understanding capabilities, limitations, and meaningful outputs. They believe that AI won’t take your job, but those who don’t embrace AI will be replaced by those who do and use it successfully.

To fully realize the benefits of using AI for proposal writing, proposal teams need to integrate AI into their workflows while reducing risk. “Customer agencies don’t want to be inundated with generic AI-written proposals, because they have to evaluate all of those proposals, “ Feldman noted. “Industry needs to use AI with the intent of generating differentiated, high-scoring proposals that actually have the potential to win. You can do this by using AI to generate proposal outlines, compliance matrices, draft narrative, and other artifacts, and then apply industry expertise to complete them with winning content.” Crist adds that GovWin AI capabilities benefit clients by saving valuable time in pipeline research, tracking, and development, as well as providing insights for capture and proposal development.

AI with Human Expertise: Shaping the Future of Government Contracting

GovWin IQ is built and backed by industry experts and market analysts. The prompting behind features like Smart Summaries and Smart Fit Scores is specifically designed for the GovCon industry to make insights truly actionable for GovCon business development teams.

GovWin IQ is revolutionizing government contracting, particularly in the realm of proposal writing. Lohfeld Consulting’s staff exemplifies how combining cutting-edge technology with deep human expertise can lead to even greater success. GovWin IQ remains integral to their strategy, enabling quick research, strategic teaming, and insightful analysis for effective proposal development.

Crist emphasizes its unmatched utility: “It helps me execute my job, and do all the research, planning, and analysis. It’s fast, easy, and visual. GovWin’s customer service is unmatched. I always get the information I need within 24 hours, sometimes faster.” The platform’s longevity within Lohfeld Consulting highlights its enduring value in a competitive contracting landscape.

The integration of AI doesn’t replace human insight but augments it, ensuring proposals are informed, strategic, and tailored to deliver impactful results. With its entire capture and proposals workforce trained in AI fundamentals, Lohfeld Consulting showcases how the synergy of advanced technology and skilled experts offers quantifiable impact and enduring value in government contracting.

About Lohfeld Consulting

Lohfeld Consulting Group provides end-to-end capture and proposal services to government contractors in the U.S. and around the globe, helping them bid and win highly competitive federal procurements. Their solutions are built on decades of experience in government markets. Using their proven methodology, their experts specialize in building proposals that exceed RFP requirements and increase win rates. https://lohfeldconsulting.com/about/