Evaluate the schedule against existing commitments

A capability can be real while the available capacity is insufficient. Begin with the required delivery or performance schedule and compare it with current commercial and government commitments. Identify the people, equipment, facilities and suppliers that would be needed during the same period. Do not count the same resource twice because separate opportunity owners are working from separate spreadsheets. Bring the assumptions into one business discussion.

FAR responsibility standards, where applicable, address the ability to meet schedules while considering existing commitments, along with resources and operational capability. Your internal review does not determine responsibility for the government. It can, however, expose a gap early enough to investigate it. Keep evidence behind a statement such as staff available, including who confirmed it and which performance dates were considered.

Follow performance through acceptance and invoicing

Map the work beyond its start date. Consider what must be delivered, how acceptance is documented and what information the applicable invoicing process requires. FAR 32.905 discusses proper invoices and supporting performance documentation within its scope. The exact contract terms and agency process still matter. Do not convert a generic payment expectation into a promise that funds will arrive on a particular date.

Use this map to identify business questions: who prepares records, who verifies the invoice, which supplier payments occur first and what happens if a deliverable needs correction? The purpose is to understand timing and dependencies, not to provide a financing recommendation. Keep banking data and confidential financial records out of a public browser worksheet. References and high-level planning notes are sufficient for the opportunity record.

Test assumptions instead of hiding them in a total

A single revenue number can hide the work needed to deliver. Separate known commitments from estimates and unresolved conditions. Ask what changes if a start date moves, a supplier is unavailable or acceptance takes longer than the team assumed. The scenarios should be grounded in the actual requirement and the business's own information. They are planning exercises, not predictions of agency behavior.

Assign an owner to each material resource or process gap. A supplier's informal indication of interest is different from confirmed availability on acceptable terms. A plan to hire is different from a staffed position. The decision record should preserve those distinctions. If the business needs specialized financial, accounting or contractual advice, identify that action rather than allowing a generic fit score to conceal the issue.

Fictional worked example: delivery is possible, the handoff is not ready

A fictional field-service company can complete the requested work with its existing technicians. Its operations lead then discovers that no one has been assigned to prepare the required service records and coordinate acceptance. A supplier also expects payment before the company anticipates submitting its first invoice. The owner records these process and timing questions before authorizing a pursuit.

The company assigns a records owner and asks its internal finance adviser to review the resource timing using the actual proposed terms. It does not assume that winning the work would solve every cash constraint. The fictional decision remains investigate until the material questions are answered. This example is a business-planning illustration, not advice to borrow, invest or accept a particular contract.

Make a sustainable commitment

A sound decision can explain why the business can perform the work under the conditions it is considering. It should identify critical resources, key dependencies and the actions needed before commitment. Some gaps may be manageable; others may justify parking or declining. The useful outcome is a reasoned decision with owners, rather than a declaration that growth always makes an opportunity worthwhile.

Revisit the record when the solicitation changes or when the business's workload changes. An amendment to the performance period can alter a previously reasonable capacity assessment. Applicable agency deviations and contract provisions may also affect the process. Keep the current source references and the date of review. This publication helps organize the questions; the business remains responsible for evaluating its resources and obtaining the advice it needs.

Official sources & scope

Sources checked October 25, 2026. The guides support a business review of opportunity fit. They do not list live opportunities, determine eligibility or predict awards. Check the actual opportunity and applicable rules.

Worked examples are fictional. No actual solicitation, client engagement or agency outcome is represented.

Editorial and source policy ↗