Bid/No-Bid Calculator
Should you pursue that opportunity? Answer seven questions and get a 0–100 score, the risk factors working against you, and what to do next. The discipline that separates profitable contractors from busy ones.
Free tool · rule-based scoring · runs entirely in your browser — nothing you enter here is sent to a server.
Why no-bid decisions win contracts
Every proposal you write costs 20–100+ hours. Spread across opportunities you can't realistically win, those hours produce nothing. Concentrated on well-qualified pursuits — where you have the experience, the certifications, and the time to write a compliant response — the same hours produce contracts. Agencies see the difference too: a focused proposal from a credible bidder reads nothing like a template blasted at every solicitation.
Frequently asked questions
What is a bid/no-bid decision?
A structured go/no-go evaluation done before investing proposal hours. Experienced contractors bid fewer, better-fit opportunities — a disciplined no-bid process is one of the biggest drivers of win rate.
How is the score calculated?
Six weighted factors: relevant experience (25 points), required certifications (15), competition level (15), proposal complexity (15), team availability (15), and time to deadline (15). 70+ suggests bidding, 45–69 means resolve the risks first, below 45 suggests passing.
Should I always follow the recommendation?
No — it's a decision aid, not a rule. Strategic reasons to bid anyway exist (entering a new agency, positioning for a recompete), but make those exceptions consciously rather than bidding everything by default.
What's a healthy win rate for small government contractors?
Established contractors typically win 20–40% of well-qualified pursuits. If you're winning under 10%, you're likely bidding opportunities you should no-bid — exactly what this calculator helps filter.