Breaking In: Selling to the DoW with Sarah Bard

Scott Cohen of The CET Sandbox sat down with Sarah Bard, a former senior official at the U.S. Small Business Administration, who walked Israeli defense tech founders through the basics of breaking into U.S. government contracting.

The market opportunity is massive. The U.S. government spends over $2.3 trillion annually on contracts, with defense accounting for roughly 60% of federal contract activity and over $176 billion flowing to small businesses last year alone.

The central message was strategic: don’t start big. Bard urged founders to pursue small business contracting pathways like simplified acquisition contracts, SBIR grants, OTAs, and subcontracting under established primes rather than chasing large RFPs that require past performance most startups don’t yet have. Skydio, Shield AI, Anduril, and Palantir all used these entry-level pathways to build their track records before scaling to major contracts.

Timing matters as much as technology. By the time an RFP hits SAM.gov, it is often too late to compete. Founders need to engage early through RFIs, industry events, and prime contractor relationships before the formal procurement process begins.

Looking ahead, Bard flagged October 1, 2025 as a key inflection point, with the Pentagon’s budget exceeding $1 trillion and new priorities around AI, autonomy, and faster commercial adoption.

The bottom line: the U.S. defense market rewards those who learn its language, start small, and build relationships before the contract window opens.