About Us
Neil McDonnell Blog Podcast
Workshop
OnDemand
7-Step Process for Federal Revenue Capability Statement 2025 6 Essential Marketing Assets 8(a) - Certified Government Gontractors #wosb | Women-Owned Businesses How to Do Business With... Series 7 Free Mentors for Small Business Contractors Keyword Generator | GCC AI tool NAICS Generator | GCC AI tool
Directories
Daily Live Training
GovCon Newsletter

PROFILE | NEIL MCDONNELL

"Government contracting is not a secret, it's just a process."

FEDERAL SALES and MARKETING EXPERT

• LinkedIn Influencer  • Motivational Speaker • Trainer • Podcast Host
• Founder and President of the GovCon Chamber of Commerce

 
Contact Neil
 

Neil McDonnell makes Business Development Easy to Understand

With his signature energy, clarity, and passion, Neil generously shares his hard-learned knowledge from years of skin-in-the-game experience. His daily live LinkedIn trainings, podcast, YouTube channel and newsletters are viewed an average of 1 million times monthly. 

Small businesses– especially 8(a), HUSBzone, WOSB and veteran-owned small business owners – trust Neil to show them HOW to build relationships that lead to federal government contracts and subcontracts.  The GovCon Chamber of Commerce was originally founded at the HUBZone Chamber of Commerce. (see Neil's ABC GovMatters interview below)

Over the last 5 years, Neil has presented more than 700 federal sales training events – more than the SBA itself – and has helped thousands of small business contractors collectively achieve an astounding $3 billion in federal contract value. 

Experience matters. 

Neil's sales journey spans Silicon Valley to the Pentagon; from Army private to tech advisor for 3-star generals. 

As a small business Technology and Professional Services federal contractor for 25 years, Neil personally won contracts worth hundreds of millions for the DoD and civilian agencies, including:

  • US Army • US Navy • US Air Force • HHS • VA • the Executive Office of the White House
  • US Departments of Education, Transportation, Interior and Energy
  • plus, numerous large prime contractors

Leveling the Playing Field. 

Neil is removing barriers to entry in order to diversify and grow the federal industrial base. In 2024, he published numerous free Federal Buyer Directories sharing contact information for 1000s of federal buyers and showcased hundreds of in-house vendor portals across various federal agencies and large primes. 

Stressing action over policy, he has taught 8(a) minority-owned and women business owners how to market themselves strategically to compete for federal contracts. His signature 7-Step Process for Federal Revenue Success is an actionable step-by-step roadmap for BD activities that lead to federal revenue.

Public Speaking: Teaching the Process and Building Relationships

As a dynamic speaker and trainer, Neil McDonnell has been  featured at numerous federal outreach and conference events, including:

  • Department of Labor Vendor Outreach sessions
  • Department of Energy HUBZone conference
  • Regional SBA district and SBDC programs
  • APEX / PTAC small business educational sessions
Invite Neil to speak with your clients or conference guests
 

The HUBZone Turnaround Story:

How Neil McDonnell Mobilized 1,000+ Companies to Influence a $200M Set-Aside

In 2018, the SBA’s HUBZone program was experiencing a long-term decline. Contracting officers and OSDBUs reported the same challenge.

HUBZone firms:

  1. were not responding to Sources Sought and RFIs
  2. were essentially invisible and hard to find in DSBS
  3. were waiting for the government to “fix the problem” for them

Neil rejected that passive mindset.

Instead of lobbying for policy changes, he taught HUBZone companies the federal sales process. He put responsibility for success onto the HUBZone firm and taught them how to influence agency decisions through consistent, strategic participation.

Over the next year, Neil:
  • Built an active HUBZone community of more than 1,000 firms across all 50 states (over 20% of all HUBZone companies)
  • Delivered targeted training at agency events, economic development briefings, and stakeholder sessions
  • Hosted “Meet the Experts” events with acquisition leaders from the Army, DOI, DOE, USAF and major prime contractors
  • Led over 100 “Set-Aside Calls,” guiding HUBZone businesses through real-time federal market research responses

Neil's most defining achievement came when he mobilized 100 HUBZone firms within 24 hours to respond to a U.S. Department of State Sources Sought notice.

This historic coordinated industry response resulted in a $200 million HUBZone set-aside IDIQ.

Neil did not rebuild the HUBZone program — he taught HUBZone businesses how to take responsibility for their own outcomes, and they changed the trajectory of the program themselves. HUBZone contract awards started to increase for the first time in 10 years.

It remains one of the clearest examples of how education, communication, and community coordination can strengthen the industrial base and help government agencies find qualified small business partners to help them achieve their missions.