Conducting a thorough competitor analysis helps you position your business effectively for United States Department of War (U.S. DoW) contracts. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of competitor proposals, you can highlight exactly why your solution is the better choice. This page describes how Canadian companies can analyze their competitors to effectively position themselves for U.S. DoW contracts.
Step 1: Gather competitor data
- Sign in to your SAM.gov account
- Click on Search in the primary navigation
- Select Contracting and Contract Awards
- Filter search results
- Dept of Defense under Contracting
- Enter your NAICS or Product and Service Code
- Select Inactive and Active under Status
- Filter further by adding Words or Phrases
- Make note of Company Names, Unique Entity IDs, Solicitation IDs and Contract Award IDs (PIID) of interest
To find all the contracts a given vendor has been awarded by the Dept of Defense:
- Clear any Words and Phrases from your previous search
- Enter the company’s entity ID in the Word search
To find details about a specific contract:
- Click on Search in the primary navigation
- Select Contracting
- Enter the PIID of the Contract Award in the Word or Phrase search bar
- Select Inactive and Active under Status
This will give information about any subcontracts associated with that contract award.
For more advanced reporting, consider using Ad Hoc reporting in the Data Bank section of SAM.gov. Here are some helpful videos from the GSA (General Services Administration) on how to create your own reports with data that is relevant to your organization:
- Contract Data Reports: Introduction to Ad Hoc Reports
- Contract Data Reports: Ad Hoc Reports – How to Use Ad Hoc Reports
- Tutorial 1A: Ad Hoc Contract Data Reports – Report Builder
- Tutorial 2: Ad Hoc Contract Data Reports – Building a Complex Filter
Step 2: Build your competitor reference table
Now that you have raw data, it’s time to create a reference table to stack your offering up against theirs. Don’t forget to review their public capability statements for extra insight.
This can then be used as a resource to guide your bid/no-bid decisions and proposal differentiation.
Compare these key areas:
- Technical Capabilities: How does their tech stack up against yours?
- Innovation Roadmap: Where are they heading next?
- Cost Structures: Are they the low-cost option or the premium choice?
- Market Positioning: How do they sell themselves?
- Resources: What teaming arrangements or partnerships do they have?
- Historical Wins: What specific contracts have they secured?
Step 3: Build your differentiation strategy
This is where you turn insight into action. Use your analysis to craft a unique value proposition that sets you apart.
Emphasize unique strengths – Showcase the capabilities and advantages your offering delivers that competitors simply cannot match.
- Leverage past performance – Highlight proven results and success stories, especially those that underscore gaps or weaknesses in competitor solutions.
- Develop compelling case studies – Create evidence-based examples that validate your claims and demonstrate measurable impact.
- Analyze targeted bids strategically – For each opportunity, assess competitor positioning.
- Plan strategic partnerships – Identify and secure alliances that enhance your ability to compete effectively against specific rivals.