Business Data Room · Volume 02
Client Intake Workbook & AI Opportunity Engine
PracticeThe Contracting Preacher
PrincipalDr. McKnight
IssuedJul 2026
Version1.0
TCP · Federal Contracting · Faith · Expertise
Vol. 02 / Intake

Everything we need,
before we bid.

A structured intake, a verified data room, an AI opportunity engine — and clear, non-negotiable rules for what the AI can and cannot do on your behalf.
§ 01–07Identity, Ownership & Capability
§ 08–13Grants, Contracts, Capital, Compliance
§ 14–17Data Room, Scoring, Workflow, Output
§ 18–20SC, Starter Form, Launch List

Table of Contents · 20 Sections

00Non-Negotiable Truth03 01Minimum Information to Start04 02Ownership & Certifications06 03Business Capabilities09 04Problem, Solution, Positioning11 05Customer & Market Evidence13 06Past Performance15 07Financial Information17 08Grant Readiness19 09Contract Readiness21 10VC & Angel Readiness23 11Sponsorship Readiness25 12Loans & Financing27 13Legal, Compliance & Risk29 14Master Business Data Room31 15AI Opportunity Scoring Engine33 16End-to-End AI Workflow35 17What the AI Generates37 18South Carolina Profile39 19Copy-and-Complete Starter41 20Immediate Launch Requirements43
§ 00

Non-Negotiable Truth

The rules of the road
before we start
Guiding Principle

The AI works with you. It doesn't sign for you.

AI CAN
  • Search opportunities across federal, state & local
  • Check eligibility against certifications & capacity
  • Research past winners and incumbents
  • Score fit and recommend bid / no-bid
  • Draft narratives, compliance matrices & forms
  • Populate non-sensitive application fields
  • Build proposal packages & check completeness
  • Track deadlines & draft follow-ups
AI MUST NOT
  • Invent revenue, customers, certifications or past performance
  • Falsify ownership or demographic status
  • Sign certifications on behalf of the owner
  • Submit binding applications without owner / AOR approval
  • Guarantee an award
  • Handle passwords, MFA codes or bank credentials in chat
  • Relabel commercial work as federal past performance
  • Bypass the human gate on Grants.gov submissions
Grants.gov reality check: Final submissions require an Authorized Organizational Representative. Every legally binding certification stays behind an owner / AOR approval gate — no exceptions, no shortcuts.
§ 01

Minimum Information to Start

Business identity ·
Registrations · Contacts

These essential fields let the system match opportunities accurately. Nothing bloated. Nothing missing.

1.1 · Business Identity

Required · 18 fields

1.2 · Government Identifiers

Sensitive · Encrypted vault
Never collected in intake: passwords, MFA codes, banking credentials, full SSN. Those live in a restricted encrypted vault with owner approval only.

1.3 · Contact Authority Matrix

One person per role
RoleNamePhone / EmailSigning Authority
Legal Owner——✓
Authorized Signer——✓
Proposal Contact———
Contract Administrator——Partial
Financial Contact——Financials only
Grants.gov AOR——✓ (grants)
SAM.gov Entity Admin——Registration only
Technical Lead———
Sponsorship / Investor Relations———
§ 02

Ownership & Certifications

Every owner · Every cert ·
Every geographic edge

Ownership unlocks set-asides. Certifications unlock lanes. Geography unlocks bonuses. Get all three exact.

2.1 · Owner Profile

Per owner · Encrypted
Rule: Demographic data is stored encrypted, accessed only when an application specifically requires it. It powers eligibility — nothing else.
2.2 · Federal Certifications
Track status, dates & evidence
Small Business (SB)
Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB)
8(a) Business Development
HUBZone
Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB)
Economically Disadvantaged WOSB (EDWOSB)
Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB)
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVOSB)
AbilityOne (where applicable)
2.3 · South Carolina Certifications
State + local advantages
SC Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
SCDOT DBE (Disadvantaged Business)
SCDOT SBE (Small Business)
SCDOT Contractor Prequalification
SC Construction Licenses
Residential Builder Licenses
Professional Licenses
Local Minority / Supplier-Diversity Certs
Airport ACDBE (where applicable)

2.4 · Geographic Eligibility Signals

Unlock hidden lanes
Principal Office Census Tract Employee Work Locations HUBZone Status Rural Status Opportunity Zone Low-to-Moderate-Income Area Historically Underserved Community Qualified Census Tract Disaster-Affected Area County Economic-Distress Designation
Geographic eligibility can unlock contracts, grants, tax incentives, and impact-investment programs the applicant didn't know existed.
§ 03

Business Capabilities

What you actually deliver
· in precise detail

3.1 · Core Offering — one profile per product / service

Per line item
3.2 · Government Classification
Primary NAICS — six-digit code
Secondary NAICS — up to 5 more
PSC / FSC Product/Service Codes
NIGP commodity codes
UNSPSC codes
SIC when requested
Contracting-officer search keywords
Set-aside eligibility by NAICS
Applicable size standards
3.3 · Contracting Capacity
Prime contractor eligible
Subcontractor ready
Bonding capacity documented
Line of credit in place
Mobilization capacity
Employees / contractors count
Equipment & vehicles owned
Facilities & warehouse capacity
Security clearances
Quality-control system
Cybersecurity level (CMMC?)
Emergency-response availability
§ 04

Problem, Solution & Positioning

One approved truth set
every narrative flows from

Every proposal, pitch, grant narrative, and marketing asset draws from these three canonical answers. Approve them once — the AI reuses them everywhere.

4.1 · Problem Statement
  • What problem does the business solve?
  • Who experiences the problem?
  • How large is the problem?
  • What does the problem cost?
  • Why are current solutions inadequate?
  • Why must the problem be solved now?
  • What evidence proves the problem exists?
4.2 · Solution Statement
  • What exactly does the company provide?
  • How does it work?
  • What is technically or operationally different?
  • Why is it faster, safer or more effective?
  • What measurable result does it produce?
  • What IP supports it?
  • What prevents competitors from copying it?
  • What evidence proves it works?

4.3 · Competitive Analysis — 5 competitors minimum

Per competitor
CompetitorWebsiteProductPricingSegmentThreat
—————TBD
—————TBD
—————TBD
—————TBD
—————TBD
Contract HistoryFunding HistoryStrengthsWeaknessesDifferentiationReplacement RiskPartnering Opportunity
§ 05

Customer & Market Evidence

Who buys · How much ·
What proves it
5.1 · Target Customers
  • Federal / State / County / Municipal Agencies
  • School Systems & Universities
  • Healthcare Systems
  • Enterprise Customers
  • Small Businesses & Consumers
  • Nonprofits
  • Prime Contractors
  • Target Sponsors & Investors
5.2 · Market Evidence Metrics
  • TAM · SAM · SOM
  • Customer count · Active / Paying
  • Pipeline · Conversion · Retention · Churn
  • Avg contract value · CAC · LTV
  • MRR · ARR · YoY growth
  • LOIs · Preorders · Pilots · Partnerships
  • Testimonials & Customer References
  • Waitlist depth
VC lens: Investors evaluate team, validation, progress, and market potential — not just the idea. These metrics are what makes an intake investable.
§ 06

Past Performance

The single strongest
federal asset you have

6.1 · Per Engagement Record

Repeat for each
6.2 · Acceptable Evidence
  • Executed contracts / POs
  • Paid invoices & Award letters
  • Notices to proceed
  • Client acceptance letters
  • CPARS reports & Performance evaluations
  • Reference letters
  • Case studies with before/after data
  • Analytics screenshots
6.3 · When Federal PP is Thin

Translate comparable commercial experience honestly.

  • Match scope, size, or complexity — say so
  • Match customer type or industry — say so
  • Never relabel commercial work as federal
  • Cite the parallel, not the equivalence
§ 07

Financial Information

History · Forecast · Ask ·
Owner details (vault only)
7.1 · Historical (up to 3 yrs)
  • P&L · Balance Sheet · Cash Flow
  • Business tax returns
  • Revenue by customer / product / geography
  • A/R & A/P aging
  • Debt schedule · Payroll summary
  • Bank statements & current cash balance
  • Monthly burn · Gross margin · Operating margin
  • Existing grants, loans, investor capital
7.2 · Forecast
  • 12-month monthly forecast
  • 3-year annual forecast
  • Hiring plan & capex plan
  • Revenue & expense assumptions
  • Working-capital requirements
  • Break-even analysis
  • Best / Base / Worst-case scenarios

7.3 · The Ask — Funding Request

One-page truth
Owner financials (SBA Form 413, personal returns, credit auth): Only collected when specifically required. Stored in an encrypted restricted vault — never in ordinary chat, email, or shared folders.
§ 08

Grant Readiness

Eligibility · Project design ·
Budget · Documents
8.1 · Eligibility Screen
  • Applicant type & org age
  • For-profit / nonprofit status
  • Project location & beneficiary population
  • Minority / veteran / women ownership
  • Active SAM & Grants.gov registrations
  • Matching-fund availability
  • Fiscal sponsor if applicable
  • Previous federal awards
  • Debarment / exclusion status
  • Audit & lobbying disclosure status
  • Conflict-of-interest disclosures
8.2 · Project Design
  • Project title & executive summary
  • Statement of need
  • Target population & service area
  • Goals & measurable objectives
  • Activities & timeline
  • Staffing & partners
  • Evaluation plan & sustainability plan
  • Risk management & community involvement
  • Equity & accessibility plan
  • Environmental considerations
  • Data-collection plan

8.3 · Grant Budget Line Items

Standard federal categories
Personnel Fringe Benefits Travel Equipment Supplies Contractual Construction Other Direct Indirect Costs Matching Funds In-Kind Contributions Budget Narrative Cost Assumptions
Federal grant reality: Applicants generally need an active SAM.gov registration and UEI before applying through Grants.gov. If SAM is expired, we fix that first — the deadline waits for no one.
§ 09

Government-Contract Readiness

Admin · Content library ·
Bid / no-bid gate
9.1 · Administrative Documents
  • Active SAM · UEI · CAGE code
  • IRS info matching SAM · W-9 · EFT banking
  • State vendor registration
  • Procurement portal registrations
  • Certifications & org chart
  • Resumes · licenses · insurance certificates
  • Bonding letter · safety record
  • Quality-control & cybersecurity plans
  • Subcontractor list · teaming agreements
  • Joint-venture & mentor-protégé docs
9.2 · Reusable Proposal Library
  • Executive summary · Technical approach
  • Management approach · Staffing plan
  • Transition plan · QC plan · Risk mgmt
  • Communications · Cybersecurity plan
  • Supply-chain plan
  • Small-business participation plan
  • Sustainability plan
  • Past-performance narratives
  • Key-personnel resumes
  • Price narrative · Assumptions & exceptions

9.3 · Bid / No-Bid Gate — before we write a word

All must be YES
Company is eligible
SAM active through award date
Every mandatory requirement satisfiable
Relevant past performance available
Required licensing active
Can finance performance
Can obtain required bonds
Deadline realistic
Incumbent vulnerable
Buyer budget known / estimated
Competitive on price
Viable teaming partner (if needed)
Expected profit > pursuit cost
Discipline: No-bid weak opportunities early. Protect time. Chase fit — not noise.
§ 10

VC & Angel Readiness

Company info · Narrative ·
Data room
10.1 · Company Info
  • Incorporation docs · EIN · DE registration
  • Foreign qualifications
  • Cap table & founder ownership
  • Option pool · SAFEs · Convertibles · Warrants
  • Previous fundraising · Valuation history
  • Investor rights & Board composition
  • Material contracts · Pending litigation
  • IP ownership
10.2 · Investor Narrative
  • One-sentence description
  • Problem & solution
  • Product demonstration
  • Market size · Business model · Traction
  • Competitive advantage & GTM strategy
  • Team · Financials · Ask
  • Use of funds · Milestones unlocked
  • Long-term vision · Exit paths
Securities law reality: Raising money from investors can constitute an offer or sale of securities. Use an applicable registration exemption or a registered offering path. Involve qualified securities counsel before soliciting investment.
§ 11

Sponsorship Readiness

Sponsors buy access ·
not goodwill
11.1 · Sponsorship Profile
  • Event / program / platform
  • Mission & audience size
  • Demographics · Geography · Industries
  • Job titles · Purchasing authority
  • Email list · Social following · Traffic
  • Engagement rate · Event attendance
  • Media reach · Press coverage
  • Community impact · Previous sponsors
11.2 · Sponsor Inventory
  • Naming rights · Presenting sponsor
  • Stage branding · Digital advertising
  • Email inclusion · Social content
  • Speaking & product-demo opportunities
  • Lead-capture rights · VIP access
  • Booth space · Scholarship naming
  • Content-series & newsletter sponsorship
  • Category exclusivity · Employee engagement

11.3 · Tier Package Structure

Per tier
TierPrice# AvailableDeliverablesEst. ImpressionsExclusivity
Presenting$—1All-in—✓
Platinum$—2Premium—Category
Gold$—4Standard+——
Silver$—6Standard——
Community$—OpenListing——
§ 12

Loans & Financing

Lender-ready package
· complete or don't apply

12.1 · Loan-Readiness Documents

All 15 · Complete package
Business plan
Loan amount & use of funds
Repayment source
Historical financials (3 yrs)
Business tax returns
Debt schedule
Bank statements
A/R & A/P aging
Personal financial statement
Collateral schedule
Equipment quotes
Purchase / Lease agreements
Franchise docs (if applicable)
Management resumes
Ownership information
SBA guidance: The SBA provides formal business-plan guidance and uses Form 413 for personal financial information in applicable programs. Use their template — don't reinvent.
§ 13

Legal, Compliance & Risk

Corporate · Contracts ·
Insurance · Policies
13.1 · Corporate & Contracts
  • Articles / bylaws · Operating agreement
  • Good-standing certificate
  • Ownership ledger · Board minutes
  • DBAs · Foreign registrations
  • Customer & vendor agreements
  • Subcontract & teaming agreements
  • NDAs · Leases · Loan agreements
  • Sponsorship & licensing agreements
13.2 · Insurance Portfolio
  • General liability
  • Professional liability (E&O)
  • Cyber liability
  • Workers' compensation
  • Commercial auto
  • Umbrella
  • Directors & officers (D&O)
  • Errors & omissions

13.3 · Compliance Policies on File

Federal-facing minimum
Privacy policy
Terms of service
Accessibility policy
Information-security policy
Incident-response plan
Records-retention policy
Conflict-of-interest policy
Whistleblower policy
Code of ethics
EEO policy
Drug-free workplace policy
Debarment certification
Lobbying disclosures
Foreign ownership disclosures
Export-control assessment
Environmental compliance
OSHA / safety records
Pending claims / litigation
§ 14

Master Business Data Room

24-folder taxonomy ·
Every document tagged

14.1 · Folder Structure

Version-controlled
01 Corporate
02 Ownership
03 Registrations
04 Certifications
05 Licenses
06 Insurance
07 Financials
08 Tax Returns
09 Past Performance
10 Capabilities
11 Products & Services
12 Team & Resumes
13 Customers & Traction
14 Contracts
15 Intellectual Property
16 Grant Library
17 Proposal Library
18 Investor Data Room
19 Sponsorship
20 Policies & Compliance
21 Awards & References
22 Opportunity Research
23 Submitted Applications
24 Post-Award Reporting

14.2 · Every Document Needs a Metadata Row

Non-negotiable
FieldPurposeRequired
OwnerWho is responsible for this document✓
VersionSemantic version (v1.0, v1.1…)✓
Effective DateWhen it took effect✓
Expiration DateRenewal trigger✓
Confidentiality LevelPublic · Internal · Restricted · Vault✓
Verified StatusVerified by whom, when✓
Supporting EvidenceBacking docs linked✓
Allowed UseProposals · Marketing · Internal only✓
Last Reviewed DateFreshness check✓
§ 15

AI Opportunity Scoring Engine

Disqualifiers · Weights ·
Decision bands

15.1 · Hard Disqualifiers

Auto-reject · No override
EligibilityApplicant type is ineligible
GeographyBusiness location is ineligible
CertificationRequired certification is absent
RegistrationSAM will not be active at award
TimelineDeadline is impossible
Match FundingRequired match unavailable
LicenseRequired license absent
ConflictCOI rule cannot be satisfied
ExperienceRequired experience unprovable
IntegritySubmission would require false certification

15.2 · Weighted Fit Score · 100 pts

Applied post-eligibility
Eligibility
20
Capability Alignment
15
Past Performance
15
Customer / Agency Alignment
10
Geographic Alignment
10
Financial Capacity
10
Competitive Positioning
10
Deadline Readiness
5
Strategic Value
5

15.3 · Decision Bands

What we do at each score
ScoreBandActionOwner Notified
90–100Priority PursuitFull package, all-hands, executive reviewSame day
80–89Strong PursuitStandard bid team, on scheduleWithin 24 hrs
70–79Pursue w/ PartnerTeaming or capability gap plan firstWithin 48 hrs
60–69MonitorWatch list; re-evaluate at next amendmentWeekly digest
Below 60No-BidDecline; log lessons for future intake tuningDigest only
Any DQRejectAutomatic — regardless of scoreImmediate
Separate scoring models per lane: government contracts · grants · SBIR/STTR · VC · loans · sponsorships · accelerators · corporate supplier programs. One engine — many rubrics.
§ 16

End-to-End AI Workflow

18 stages · 3 human gates ·
1 approval bar
01Business Intake
02Document Extraction
03Fact Verification
04Capability & Eligibility Profile
05Daily Opportunity Search
06Deduplication
07 · GateHard Eligibility Gate
08Weighted Fit Scoring
09Bid / No-Bid Recommendation
10Application Compliance Matrix
11Draft Narrative & Forms
12Evidence Validation
13Budget & Pricing Review
14 · GateAuthorized Human Approval
15 · OutputSubmission
16Confirmation Capture
17Follow-up & Amendments
18 · OutputAward / Loss Analysis → Memory Update

16.1 · Required Approval Gates — Owner / AOR Must Sign

Non-delegable
Banking details
Tax identifiers
Ownership certifications
Demographic certifications
Lobbying disclosures
Debarment certifications
Grant assurances
Final pricing
Equity terms
Loan guarantees
Legal representations
Application submission
§ 17

What the AI Generates

Once the profile is verified ·
everything downstream is fast
17.1 · Contracting
  • Government capability statement
  • Corporate capabilities deck
  • SAM description & small-business profile copy
  • Sources-sought responses · RFIs · RFQs
  • RFP compliance matrices
  • Technical & management proposals
  • Past-performance volumes
  • Staffing plans · Price narratives
  • Teaming-partner outreach
17.2 · Grants
  • Grant-readiness assessment
  • Statement of need · Project narrative
  • Logic model · Goals & objectives
  • Implementation timeline
  • Evaluation plan · Sustainability plan
  • Budget narrative
  • Letters-of-support templates
17.3 · Investors
  • Pitch deck & investor memo
  • One-page teaser
  • Financial model
  • Data-room index
  • Target-investor list
  • Personalized outreach sequences
  • Due-diligence responses
17.4 · Sponsors & Financing
  • Sponsorship deck & tier packages
  • Activation concepts
  • Prospect list & outreach sequences
  • Fulfillment tracker · Impact report
  • Lender-ready business plan
  • Use-of-funds statement
  • Loan package index
  • Financial projections · Debt-service analysis
§ 18

South Carolina Profile

The home-turf advantage ·
fields unique to SC
18.1 · SC Geographic & Political
  • County—
  • Municipality—
  • Congressional District—
  • Rural / Urban Designation—
  • HUBZone Status—
18.2 · SC State Registrations
  • SC Secretary of State Status—
  • SC Dept. of Revenue Accounts—
  • Local Business License—
  • SC Vendor Number—
  • SCEIS Registration—
18.3 · SC Certifications
  • SC MBE Status—
  • SCDOT DBE / SBE—
  • SCDOT Prequalification—
  • SC Contractor License—
  • Residential Builder License—
  • Workers' Comp Status—
18.4 · SC Relationships
  • Local Chamber Memberships—
  • Economic-Development Contacts—
  • County / Municipal Vendor Registrations—
  • Target SC Agencies—
  • Target Federal Installations—
Free assistance in-state: SC APEX Accelerator and South Carolina SBDC offer no-cost consulting for federal contract readiness. Use them alongside — not instead of — a dedicated consultant.
§ 19

Copy-and-Complete Starter

Send first · No passwords ·
No SSNs · No banking
Intake Form · v1.0

Client Starter Intake

Fill this and return. Everything else can wait. — Dr. McKnight
A · Business Identity
B · Ownership
C · Registrations & Credentials
D · Capabilities
E · Financial Snapshot
F · Track Record & References
G · Funding & Goals
H · Which Lanes Matter First
I · Open Field
Do not send in this form: passwords · MFA codes · complete SSNs · full tax returns · bank account numbers · credit-card data. Those are collected separately, in an encrypted vault, at the moment of need.
§ 20

Immediate Launch Requirements

The 12 items that unlock
day-one opportunity search
Send These 12 · We Start Today

Twelve fields.
Then we hunt.

01
Exact business nameLegal + DBA
02
Website URLPublic-facing
03
One-paragraph business descriptionWhat you actually do
04
Location + service areaCity · County · State · Radius
05
Ownership profile%'s · veteran · woman · disadvantaged
06
NAICS codes, if knownPrimary + secondary
07
Certifications heldFederal + state
08
Registration statusSAM · SC vendor · Grants.gov
09
Revenue rangeLast 3 years
10
Three strongest completed projectsClient · Value · Outcome
11
Funding ask & use of fundsAmount · timeline · milestones
12
Which lanes matter firstContracts · grants · VC · sponsors · loans
Reminder — never in chat: passwords · SSNs · complete tax returns · banking credentials. Those live in an encrypted vault we set up together, with owner approval on every access.
"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans."
Intake Workbook · Volume 02 · The Contracting Preacher · Dr. McKnight · Issued July 2026