EP 17: Sheena Little – Where Small Business Expectations Collide with Award Reality

Описание: Small business programs promise opportunity — so why do expectations so often collide with contract award reality?

Across federal contracting, one pattern keeps repeating: small businesses invest time, energy, and resources into certifications, relationships, and positioning — yet outcomes don’t always line up with what they expected. Awards feel unpredictable. Decisions feel opaque. And confusion often shows up late, after significant effort has already been spent.

In this episode of Unsolicited, Hope Skibitsky sits down with Sheena Little, Founder and Principal of The Little Advantage Group, to unpack why that gap between expectation and reality keeps surfacing — and what’s really driving it behind the scenes.

Drawing on her experience working alongside acquisition teams, small businesses, and federal contracting processes, Sheena breaks down the difference between how advantage is assumed to work and how decisions are actually made in practice. From authority and eligibility, to comfort, familiarity, and long-term program intent, she explains why misunderstandings compound over time — and why they often turn into problems only after award.

The conversation explores how capability, eligibility, and influence are commonly misunderstood, why oversight and correction mechanisms exist, and how acquisition teams and small businesses can better align their expectations earlier in the process. Rather than focusing on what’s “broken,” this episode sheds light on how small gaps in understanding quietly create recurring friction across the federal contracting ecosystem.

Whether you’re shaping requirements, building a pipeline, or trying to understand why outcomes don’t always match effort, this episode offers a clearer lens into how federal contracting actually works — and why reality so often diverges from perception.

What You’ll Learn:
Why small business expectations don’t always align with award outcomes
The difference between perceived influence and actual authority in federal contracting
How capability and eligibility are evaluated differently — and why that matters
Why surprises tend to surface late in the acquisition lifecycle
How comfort and familiarity can drift from original program intent
What both acquisition teams and small businesses can do to reduce friction earlier

About Our Guest:
Sheena Little is the Founder and Principal of The Little Advantage Group, where she advises organizations navigating the complexities of federal contracting. Her perspective is shaped by years of experience working alongside acquisition professionals and small businesses, helping them understand how expectations, eligibility, and execution intersect in real-world contracting environments.

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