Between Two FARs | Oct 22, 2026

Have you ever thought, ‘I wish I could sit down with a Contracting Officer (KO) and ask my burning GovCon questions’? Maybe you haven’t said it out loud, but we’ve definitely said it at ‪@tridentproposals‬. That’s why we were honored to welcome ‪@BankofAmerica‬'s Erin Olenjack, a former KO, to discuss the proposal lifecycle with Kiley Stewart. Their candid conversation follows the acquisition lifecycle from pre-RFP planning through proposal evaluation, highlighting where priorities align, where challenges arise, and how greater understanding can lead to better acquisition outcomes. Chapters 00:00:00 – Welcome 00:00:42 – Speakers 00:04:15 – Question 1: Revolutionary FAR Overhaul 00:10:00 – Question 2: KO/CO/COR/Program Officer … who does industry talk to? 00:16:50 – Question 3: Who do I contact to advocate for my services? 00:17:07 – Question 4: COR/PM 00:21:10 – Question 5: Who cares about capability statements? 00:24:03 – Question 6: RFIs and Sources Sought 00:29:47 – Question 7: Proposal organization 00:31:43 – Question 8: Lowest Price Technically Acceptable 00:33:10 – Question 9: Win Themes 00:38:38 – Question 10: Repeat wording; who’s reading my response? 00:47:55 – Question 11: Font requirements 00:51:29 – Question 12: Uber graphics 00:52:49 – Question 13: Breaking out of the pack 00:54:20 – Question 14: Contract modifications 00:55:01 – Question 15: Modifications after submission 00:57:34 – Question 16: Award timelines 00:59:3 0– Question 17: Breaking through the ‘noise’ 01:03:10 – Question 18: Response timeline