October 2026 - Importance of Capture Management
Capture Management and Proposal Development are sometimes confused, but they serve fundamentally different purposes within the Business Development (BD) process.
Capture Management, at its most basic level, is the process of developing and executing a strategy to pursue and win business. It includes developing a solution that meets or exceeds customer expectations at a price the customer is willing to pay.
Proposal Development, is simply the process of creating the document that communicates that solution and strategy to the customer in response to a solicitation.
Capture Management is the most important element of the BD process because it brings together the planning, analysis, and decision-making necessary to provide the right solutions at competitive prices.
The 2026 GAUGE Report reinforces the importance of Capture Management.
Produced by Unanet and CohnReznick, GAUGE stands for Government Contract Compliance, Accounting, Utilization, Growth, and Efficiencies. The annual report examines GovCon industry trends and includes feedback from more than 1,200 respondents.
Three findings from the 2026 report are particularly noteworthy:
Finding
Capture processes remain underdeveloped
2026 Result
Just over half of respondents consistently follow a capture process; roughly one-quarter follow one inconsistently.
Finding
Win rates are declining
2026 Result
Average win rates declined after five years of improvement. The percentage of firms winning more than 75% of bids is the lowest since 2021.
Finding
Mature capture correlates with success. Firms reporting higher win rates and profitability also report more mature capture processes.
The bottom line: Developing a disciplined Capture Management process and executing it consistently are essential to winning.
For more information or to download the free report, visit: https://www.cohnreznick.com/insights/2026-gauge-report