How this tool works
- Answer the Quick-Start Assessment (about 2 minutes). It auto-checks the matching steps across all 10 phases and tells you which phase to actually start on — no need to read Phase 01 if you're already past it.
- Work the phases and watch your Readiness Score climb. The gate graphic at the top of the page fills in as you check off real steps. The Minimum Readiness Gate near the bottom tells you when a serious prime-contract bid is actually defensible.
- Generate your documents. Your capability statement, certification control sheet, and compliance matrix build live from the Business Profile below. Preview any of them free — unlock the polished PDF/Word export when you're ready to use it.
What's free vs. what's paid
| Feature | Free | Full Report |
|---|---|---|
| Quick-Start Assessment & Readiness Score | ✓ | ✓ |
| All 10 phase checklists, links & references | ✓ | ✓ |
| Minimum Readiness Gate | ✓ | ✓ |
| Business Profile & live document preview | ✓ | ✓ |
| Polished capability statement, cert control sheet & compliance matrix (PDF/Word export) | — | ✓ |
How it works: click "Get Full Report" → pay securely via Square in a new tab → check the email you used at checkout — we'll send your finished documents within 24 hours. No account or login required. Not satisfied? Email andrew@akrandall.com within 7 days for a refund.
Content last reviewed: . Regulations, portals, and certification rules change — if anything here looks out of date, verify against the linked source before relying on it.
⚠ Not legal or compliance advice
This tool is an informational self-assessment built from publicly available guidance. It is not legal, accounting, bonding, or compliance advice, and completing it does not guarantee contract readiness or award. Before making a bid/no-bid decision or relying on any result here, verify current requirements with your contracting officer, the relevant agency, or a qualified attorney/accountant.Terms
This is a self-assessment and document-drafting tool, not a certification or guarantee. Scores, gates, and generated documents reflect only what you enter — AKRD makes no representation about their accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any specific procurement, and is not liable for business decisions made based on this tool's output. Refund policy: not satisfied with your Full Report? Email andrew@akrandall.com within 7 days of purchase for a refund.Glossary — acronyms used throughout this tool
How to use this tool. Work phase by phase — the order matters. Each phase includes a short plain-language explanation of why it exists, links to the actual public systems and agencies referenced, and the checklist itself. Fill in the Business Profile below as you go — the documents at the bottom of that section are built live from what you enter. Nothing here is legal advice; where a step touches contract law, bonding, or tax structuring, confirm specifics with an attorney or accountant. Links point to official .gov sources wherever one exists.
Quick-Start Assessment
Answer what you can — skip anything you don't know yet. Your answers auto-fill the Business Profile below and check off the matching steps across the phases, so you land exactly where you actually need to start instead of at Phase 01 by default.
Recommended starting point
Business Profile & Document Generator
Enter your company's information once. It's saved in this browser and used to auto-build the documents below — a capability statement, certification control sheet, vendor portal tracker, and proposal compliance matrix. Preview any of them free; unlocking the polished PDF/Word export requires the Full Report purchase (vendor portal tracker export is free).
Privacy note. This form collects business details you choose to enter — company name, EIN, UEI, CAGE code, certifications, and similar identifiers — so this tool can build documents from them. That data is stored only in this browser's local storage, tied to this file on this device. It is not uploaded to a server or database, and AKRD does not see, receive, or store it automatically. The only ways any of this information reaches AKRD are: (1) you click "Get Full Report," which records your purchase intent and sends your Business Profile name/company/NAICS/UEI to AKRD directly (in addition to sharing your name/email with Square if you continue through checkout) so report fulfillment has the context it needs; (2) you use the "Save my results — share with Andrew" option on the Quick-Start Assessment, which sends only your name, email, and readiness score; or (3) you email your details to us directly.
Company basics
Federal identifiers & classification
Positioning
Federal & socioeconomic certifications
Past performance
Key personnel
Certification control sheet
Vendor portal tracker
Proposal compliance matrix
Supporting documents (company-wide)
Generated documents
Vendor Portal Tracker export is free — no purchase needed. Not satisfied with your report? Email andrew@akrandall.com within 7 days for a refund.
Minimum Readiness Gate
Do not pursue a serious prime-contract bid until every item below is checked across the phases above. This is the composite gate — pulled from the categories that determine whether a bid/no-bid decision can even be made honestly.
The Real Readiness Test
A government-ready company can answer these five questions immediately. If any answer is vague, that's the next thing to fix — not the next contract to chase.
01What exactly do we sell to government?
02Which agencies already buy it?
03Why are we more useful than the incumbent?
04Can we finance and deliver the contract?
05Where is the proof?