Welcome back to GovCon Unscripted! In this episode, Chelsea sits down with Natasha Velez, CEO of NVS Strategic Solutions, proposal expert, and capture strategist working across state, local, federal, and even international markets.

Natasha shares how companies are pivoting from federal to state and local, why proposals are shifting toward AI-driven evaluations, and how oral presentations are becoming a new proving ground for contractors.

On this episode, we discuss:

• How state, local, and even overseas opportunities are reshaping GovCon
• Why proposals are no longer just writing exercises but real sales pitches
• The rise of AI in proposal evaluation and what it means for small businesses
• Oral presentations as the new battleground for differentiation

Timestamps:

[00:00 ] - Chelsea introduces Natasha and her background

[00:02:00 ] - From federal to international acquisitions (Sweden, Japan, Australia)

[00:03:00 ] - Why contractors are pivoting to state and local opportunities

[00:08:00 ] - Proposal writing vs. sales pitching: the danger of rinse-and-repeat AI templates

[00:10:00 ] - AI entering the evaluation process and what it means for bidders

[00:13:00 ] - The rise of oral presentations and coaching SMEs to “sell” solutions

[00:18:00 ] - Surge in proposal submissions thanks to AI tools — and the new competition

[00:21:00 ] - Capture strategy, sourcing, and avoiding costly canceled solicitations

[00:28:00 ] - Wired bids, the importance of saying “no,” and the SWOT approach

[00:33:00 ] - Why good consultants say no to blind bidding and $20/hour “writers”

[00:34:00 ] - Natasha’s contact info and closing thoughts

Links and Resources:

• Chelsea’s LinkedIn Profile

• Natasha Velez’s LinkedIn Profile

• NVS Strategic Solutions Website