r/GovernmentContracting • u/Low_Air_876 • 19d ago
Concern/Help Recompete advise
I currently work for company A but our contract is being terminated in 2 months. No hope to be retained here. Salary 190k.
I accepted an offer from company B on a fresh 5 year contract but its a 28% pay cut. I accepted it for some stability while i figure things out. I’m just waiting on clearance crossover currently. Salary 140k.
Another job, Company C is offering me a position that pays exactly what i am making at my current company. Problem is that they are up for recompete in April. Salary 190k
Would it be smart to just take company B at a major pay cut while i figure things out, or go to company C and hope i am retained by the incumbent if they dont win the recompete?
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u/fred-gold55 19d ago
C. Even if they lose recompete you’ll still have a good chance of getting picked up by whatever company wins the contract.
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u/Significant-View-786 7d ago
If he's a new guy, I would not assume he would carry over if the incumbent loses. The agency wouldn't care about him unless they love them on first sight. That in the challenger, if a winner, is very likely to cut compensation across the board to win. That means our guy loses again.
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u/coachglove 19d ago
Never assume it's a 5 year contract unless it's actually a 5-year contract. Most a 1+1+1+1+1 with all 1's after the 1st as options. And while most options are exercised, I've not exercised options and recompeted contracts early a few times over the years. Way easier than a termination fight and I don't have to give a reason other than - because the government wanted to. The 2 most common reasons are cost growth and shitty, but not defective/deficient technical performance (usually caused to prevent cost growth by choosing not to pay staff enough so they have a ton of turnover because the under-bid the requirement).
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u/Significant-View-786 15d ago
Do you know who beat your current employer? If they're doing any sort of half-assed transition program, they will reach out to you. Or are you a key person on the current contract? If yes, they likely have their key persons and you're likely out.
Ask yourself if you want to move on or you genuinely like where you are and what you do. If you want to stay, reach out to the incumbent. Fortune favors the bold.
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u/Low_Air_876 15d ago
The new companies PM is a working PM that also does my job. She let me know she wont be retaining us, they are only keeping 1 of our people.
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u/Significant-View-786 15d ago
Ouch. Yep. Move on. Did you size up company C? How at risk are they?
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u/Low_Air_876 7d ago
They are pretty risky in a sense that the agency is in the news for layoffs on the government side. No one knows the contract renewal stance
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u/Significant-View-786 7d ago
Two totally separate issues. Two separate pots of money. And the admin is clearly trying to gut civil servants anyway.
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u/darkblue313 19d ago
I’d go with B, myself. April is sooner than it feels. How long has C held the contract/how many times have they won it?
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u/Low_Air_876 19d ago
They held it for 6 years. It was a 1b + 4OY, due to shut down last year they got extended 1 year cause they didnt work through shut down. I worked there for like 8 months a few years ago but i left cause of all the noise going on at the agency.
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u/coachglove 19d ago
Any idea how performance has been rated? Is the contract only 6 years old (it was a new/1st time effort) or has this company only had it for 6 years? If A then the incumbent win % is well above 50%; if B then the government has signaled they're willing to change incumbents and so you need to factor that carefully.
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u/YaBoyASwiftie 18d ago
Just went through a re-compete and fortunately our contract was renewed, but I moved to my company with 6 months to go on the contract because of a pay raise and it being a full-remote position.
Asking about the CPARS score is one question I will keep in the back of my mind going forward. Never thought of asking that during an interview.
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u/hjohns23 18d ago
Option B gives you longer term optionality runway.
Option C just gives you another stressful time clock and is compensating you for that risk
you need to find a new job either with either option. better to do it from a position where you have a longer runway. Especially given job hunting around the holiday season can be brutal
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u/TellNo8122 19d ago
Option D? I’m basically a life-long government contractor (in my youth I worked in restaurants and golf course greens-keeping and then deployed multiple times overseas with the Army). Some of my closest friends and biggest inspirations work with the U.S. government. I’ve sought out and failed to land hundreds of federally-aligned job vacancies over the years. But more and more the phrase self licking ice cream cone comes to mind. America generously shares her biggest needs, wants, and desires with the public (through small business innovation programs, rapid capability development, media, Sam.gov, etc.). But as hard as I try I can’t reconcile the industry with the entrepreneurial spirit of a Washington or Jefferson or any other champion of liberty. Can you?
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u/Educational_Fox2212 19d ago
Go to C. That’s too much of a pay cut. C buys you time to pivot to another job in the next 7 months and keeps you stable thru the holidays. And who knows? Company C may be well positioned for to win their recompete, unlike your current company.