May - Small Business Education Series - Government Contractors

About Jim McCarthy

Principal Owner and Technical Director, Key Solutions, Inc.

Mr. McCarthy’s career spans 30 years of marketing and proposal development support to companies seeking to enter the government market or to expand their market shares. As Principal Owner and Technical Director of AOC Key Solutions, Inc (KSI), his leadership has forged an organization that is the first consulting firm of its kind that a senior executive turns to when faced with a “must win” government contract opportunity, or when failure is not an option.

His government contracting expertise includes information technology, energy and environment, infrastructure operations, design build, and a variety of new and emerging market sectors. Mr. McCarthy has led the creation of KSI’s Business Development Toolbox™--a collection of proven best practices for advance marketing, strategic support, and bid and proposal services that help win government contracts. His specialties include: 1) providing leadership and strategic capture advice to senior executives charged with the responsibility of winning major contracts (“win-coaching”); and 2) developing compelling value propositions and coherent storylines which resonate with government evaluators and maximize point scoring of proposals. An excellent writer, he is frequently called on to craft powerful executive summaries or other key documents in pursuit of government contracts valued from tens of millions of dollars to a several billion dollars. Mr. McCarthy’s other competencies include: business image brand enhancement, team building, strategic market positioning, creating company alliances, competitive assessments and “black hat” exercises, proposal management and training, oral presentation facilitation, and directing comprehensive reviews (“win team”) of proposals in progress.

An innovator in the area of “Principle-Centered Winning,” Mr. McCarthy is the architect of the KSI Advantage™ Proposal Process—a disciplined, yet customizable, approach to deliver the winning edge to clients. To date, this process has played a role in achieving over $122 billion in contract awards for KSI’s clients from nearly every federal agency with a win rate in excess of 75%. His clients range from small businesses to Fortune 50 firms. He is particularly adept in guiding commercial entities through the intricacies of the government contracting.

Large, complex projects and proposals…multi-company teaming alliances…tight proposal production deadlines…shrinking bid and proposal budgets…competing priorities…lack of customer insight…entrenched incumbents…aggressive competitors…declining market shares…unsatisfactory proposal win rates…shortage of in-house resources…high stakes, and ”must win” pressures…these and others are the leading reasons why new and established government contractors enlist the value-added strategic support of Mr. McCarthy.

Mr. McCarthy serves as a frequent guest speaker on topics ranging from leadership, to winning government contracts through the most aggressive, yet highly ethical, means available. He is available for speaking engagements, training assignments, and win-coaching to enable his clients to achieve the winning edge in government contracting.