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The Base Bid Academy · Video course on Udemy

Federal Construction Contracting: GSA, VA and DoW Work

How the federal government buys construction, from registration to closeout. Twenty lectures, about six and a half hours, in the order a real project runs: the market and the buyers, set-asides and NAICS codes, IDIQs, capture, bidding and bonds, Davis-Bacon, contract administration and closeout.

78-second preview · two full lectures are free to watch on Udemy

Launch price

$14.99

with code BASEBIDLAUNCH through October 28, 2026. Udemy list price $84.99; prices can vary by country.

Enroll on Udemy Watch the free lectures
  • 20 lectures · 6 hr 23 min
  • GSA PBS, VA, USACE, NAVFAC, AFCEC, CBP
  • Lifetime access and a Udemy certificate of completion

What you'll learn

  • Find and win federal construction work at GSA, VA, the Department of War and DHS, and know what each agency actually buys.
  • Pick the right NAICS code and size standard, and use the set-aside programs: 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB and WOSB.
  • Work IDIQs and task orders — MATOC, MACC, SATOC, JOC and SABER — from the initial competition through task order awards.
  • Know what you owe after award: notice to proceed, submittals, Davis-Bacon payrolls, payments, modifications, inspections and closeout.

The curriculum

Six stages, in the order a federal construction project runs.

Start here

  1. Course introduction: building for the federal governmentFree preview4:55

Stage 1 · Market and readiness

  1. The federal construction market: who buys, what they build, how bigFree preview20:58
  2. Getting registered and getting educated: SAM, SBA, GSA and free help19:19
  3. Size standards and choosing the right NAICS codes19:38
  4. Set-asides and socioeconomic programs: SDVOSB, 8(a), HUBZone and WOSB22:08
  5. The buyers, part A: GSA PBS, USACE, NAVFAC, AFCEC, VA and CBP14:34
  6. The buyers, part B: funding, contract types and how each agency buys18:57
  7. Owned vs. leased: federal landlords and the commercial real estate opportunity21:41
  8. Construction standards you will be built to: P100, CBS, VA TIL and UFC25:45
  9. Project delivery methods, part A: design-bid-build, design-build, bridging and CMc18:04
  10. Project delivery methods, part B: contract types, quality control and funding14:18

Stage 2 · Vehicles and selection

  1. IDIQ contracts in construction: how MATOCs work and why agencies use them24:00
  2. A/E contracting and the Brooks Act: qualifications-based selection24:11

Stage 3 · Capture

  1. Business development and capture: forecasts, sources sought and RFIs18:00

Stage 4 · Pre-award

  1. How construction contracts are awarded: IFB, LPTA, tradeoff and HTRO20:31
  2. Site visits, questions, bonds and bid guarantees19:13

Stage 5 · Award and post-award

  1. Kickoff, notice to proceed, deliverables and Davis-Bacon13:00
  2. Payments, modifications, claims and release of claims16:37
  3. Contract administration: inspections, acceptance and site compliance24:55

Stage 6 · Close-out

  1. Punch lists, as-builts, final submissions, warranty and CPARS22:25

Put it to work

Then run the job in BaseBid Command.

The course teaches the federal construction lifecycle. BaseBid Command is the software that runs it: bids and proposals, IDIQs and task orders, kickoffs and monthly reports, weekly certified payroll, site access and pay apps. One purchase, no subscription.

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Every Monday, The Base Bid lists the construction solicitations, sources sought notices and awards from GSA PBS, VA and the Department of War, with one piece of analysis. Free.

Questions

Who is this course for?
General contractors, specialty trades, A/E firms and subcontractors who want federal construction work, plus business developers and proposal staff new to the federal side. No government experience needed.
How long is it?
Twenty lectures, about six and a half hours of video, in the order a federal project actually runs: market and readiness, vehicles, capture, pre-award, award and post-award, then closeout.
Can I watch part of it first?
Yes. The course introduction and the lecture on the federal construction market are free to preview on Udemy.
Who presents it?
K2, The Base Bid Academy's AI presenter. The material is written by The Base Bid, which is built by a former federal construction contracting officer and competition advocate.
Is it official government training?
No. It is independent training and not legal or contracting advice. Always follow the solicitation, the contract and the agency's current instructions.

Udemy is a registered trademark of Udemy, Inc. The Base Bid Academy is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.