SM&A
SM&A provides on-demand consulting and staffing to U.S. federal contractors across the program lifecycle, anchored by its proprietary Talent on Demand (TOD®) platform connecting clients with 750+ pre-qualified associates.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersNewport Beach, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SM&A does
SM&A (legal entity SMA, Inc.) is a privately held U.S. consulting firm headquartered in Irvine, California, that provides on-demand professional services to federal government contractors and aerospace & defense primes across the entire program lifecycle — Campaign, Capture, Bid, Pre-Award, and Delivery. The company's core product is the proprietary Talent on Demand (TOD®) platform, a marketplace that matches clients with 750+ pre-qualified associates, displaying expertise, availability, proximity, and hourly rates, and managing engagement lifecycle from deployment through payroll. Around this platform, SM&A bundles a comprehensive suite of consulting services including Shape™ procurement strategy, Making Winning Choices™ win strategy, Competitive Assessment and Price-to-Win (CAPTW) analysis, capture support, turnkey proposal development, color-team reviews, QuickStart® rapid mobilization, program management, EVMS, and technical engineering services.
The company generates revenue primarily through hourly-billed professional services engagements, with transparent pay-as-you-go pricing and no platform subscription fee; secondary revenue comes from publications, books such as 'The Pursuit of High-Stakes Business', and training. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales with a self-serve PLG motion through TOD and its iOS/Android mobile app, serving 3,500+ clients including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, RTX, Leidos, General Atomics, Anduril, Booz Allen, Honeywell, and Collins Aerospace, with 1,845+ programs supported and $340B+ in cumulative client contract value. The firm has executed ten acquisitions since 1998 to broaden capabilities and has received investment from Caltius Equity Partners.
SM&A firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SM&A
- Legal name
- SMA, Inc.
- Website
- https://smawins.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- SM&A provides on-demand consulting and staffing to U.S. federal contractors across the program lifecycle, anchored by its proprietary Talent on Demand (TOD®) platform connecting clients with 750+ pre-qualified associates.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SM&A industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Federal Government Contracting Consulting
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Help Supply Services (7363)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Supply Chain & Procurement Consulting (BPAHACAC)
Keywords
Where SM&A is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Newport Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
SM&A business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Professional Services - Hourly Billing: Clients pay hourly rates for engaged associates through TOD platform; rates transparently displayed to clients; free platform access with charges only when work begins
- Consulting Engagements: On-demand consulting services across program lifecycle from pursuit through performance; services include market assessments, competitive assessment, price-to-win, capture support, proposal management, program management, and technical support
- Talent Staffing: Temporary professional support providing W-2 employees or independent contractors for project-based assignments; clients avoid full-time employment costs while accessing specialized expertise
- Publications and Training: Books and materials on expertise and processes, including 'The Pursuit of High-Stakes Business'; training services for professional development
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Hourly rate pricing with transparent associate rates |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
SM&A product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SM&A provides on-demand consulting and staffing services that support federal contractors across the entire program lifecycle—from market assessment and capture through proposal, pre-award, and contract delivery. Services are delivered through the proprietary Talent on Demand (TOD®) platform, which matches clients with a pool of 750+ pre-qualified associates and is paired with branded methodologies such as Shape™, Making Winning Choices™, QuickStart®, and Milestone Success™.
Product overview
SM&A is a full program lifecycle consulting firm that operates as a platform-plus-services model. The core offering is the proprietary Talent on Demand (TOD®) platform, which serves as an exclusive marketplace connecting clients with skilled associates for project-based work. Around this platform, SM&A offers a comprehensive suite of consulting services organized across five program lifecycle phases: Campaign (market assessment, competitive positioning), Capture (pursuit strategy, proposal development), Proposal (turnkey bids, color teams, QuickStart®), Pre-Award (solution baselines, lessons learned), and Delivery (program management, EVMS, milestone tracking). Key branded methodologies include Shape™ Procurement Strategy, Making Winning Choices™ win strategy, and Milestone Success™. The company also publishes research through the SMA Competitive Index platform and offers thought leadership via publications like The Pursuit. Services span management consulting, technical engineering, graphics/publishing, and program planning and controls, all accessed through the TOD® talent matching platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Talent on Demand (TOD®) Platform SM&A's proprietary technology platform aggregating 750+ pre-qualified associates (W-2 employees or independent contractors) whose profiles, skills, clearances, availability, proximity, and hourly rates are visible to clients for direct engagement or guided matching by Business Development leads. Available via web and iOS/Android mobile apps.
- Campaign Phase Consulting Services Pre-capture consulting services covering market arena assessment, market franchise mapping, competitive position analysis, and pipeline analysis and management, helping federal contractor clients identify and qualify pursuit opportunities.
- Capture & Proposal Phase Consulting Services End-to-end capture and proposal consulting including capture managers, proposal managers, volume leads and proposal writers, Shape™ procurement strategy, competitive assessment and price-to-win (CAPTW), win strategy Making Winning Choices™, stakeholder influence, turnkey proposal development, color teams (Pink/Red/Gold), rapid mobilization QuickStart®, and lessons learned processes.
- Program Management & Delivery Services Post-award program delivery consulting including program and project managers, PMO specialists, program planning and controls, Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS) design and implementation, scheduling and cost analysis, Milestone Success™ tracking, and Keep Sold Strategy customer retention and growth.
- Technical Management & Engineering Services Deployment of engineering and technical specialists (aeronautical, electrical, mechanical engineers and materials scientists) to federal contractor clients for program execution and technical support across the program lifecycle.
- Management Consulting Services Strategic management consulting including competitive analysis, market analysis, cost analysis, strategic pricing, and corporate strategy advisory services for federal contractor clients.
- Graphics & Desktop Publishing Services Data visualization, technical graphics, document design, desktop publishing, and video production services to support proposal development and program execution deliverables for federal contractor clients.
- SMA Competitive Index Interactive research platform that analyzes competitive performance across federal markets, measuring how companies perform relative to peers and surfacing insights on competitive gain and federal contracting competitiveness.
- Publications and Training (The Pursuit) Books, training materials, and professional development programs on program lifecycle expertise and high-stakes business pursuits, including 'The Pursuit of High-Stakes Business' and supporting training services.
Quantifiable outcome
- $340B+ in contract value supported across 1,845+ programs
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SM&A
Customer profileNamed customers38 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SM&A technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
SM&A partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SM&A competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SAIC: Large federal services integrator delivering systems integration, engineering, IT and program management to DoD, intel and civilian customers. Competes for the same program management, EVMS and systems engineering engagements SM&A supports.
- ICF International: Public-sector-focused advisory and digital services firm serving federal civilian, defense, energy, health and infrastructure clients. Closely comparable in scale, services mix (capture, proposal, program management) and customer profile to SM&A.
- Guidehouse: PwC's former public sector practice, now an independent consultancy serving defense, civilian and intelligence agencies with management consulting, program management and technology services directly comparable to SM&A's federal services portfolio.
- CGI Federal: US subsidiary of CGI Group providing IT, engineering, and program management services to federal civilian and defense agencies. Similar mid-sized positioning to SM&A and overlapping program lifecycle and technical services work.
Emerging players
- Govini: Data and analytics platform for the federal market providing competitive intelligence, pipeline analysis and price-to-win insights. Direct overlap with SM&A's Competitive Index and CAPTW services, with a more software-centric, automation-forward model.
- Public Consulting Group: Mid-sized US consulting firm providing program management, technology, and advisory services to state, federal and education clients. Comparable in size and services mix, with stronger public-sector footprint outside DoD.
Broad incumbents
- Deloitte Government & Public Services: One of the Big Four federal practices, providing strategy, operations, technology and human capital services to DoD, intel and civilian agencies. Overlaps with SM&A's management consulting and program management offerings as part of a much broader portfolio.
- McKinsey & Company Public Sector Practice: Top-tier strategy firm serving federal and defense clients on procurement, organizational and operating-model strategy. Competes at the high-end of the strategy and competitive assessment work SM&A performs in its Campaign phase.
- Booz Allen Hamilton: Largest US federal services and consulting firm, providing capture, proposal, program management and technology support to the same defense and civilian customers SM&A serves. Larger and more diversified, but competes head-to-head for lifecycle services work.
- Accenture Federal Services: Accenture's federal arm, providing digital, cloud, cybersecurity, and program management services to US government clients. Competes with SM&A for program support work and on the systems engineering / program planning & controls side.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SM&A social profiles
Digital presenceSM&A financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SM&A leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
SM&A funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SM&A M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A10 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SM&A
What does SM&A do?
SM&A provides on-demand consulting and staffing services that support federal contractors across the entire program lifecycle—from market assessment and capture through proposal, pre-award, and contract delivery. Services are delivered through the proprietary Talent on Demand (TOD®) platform, which matches clients with a pool of 750+ pre-qualified associates and is paired with branded methodologies such as Shape™, Making Winning Choices™, QuickStart®, and Milestone Success™.
Is SM&A a public or private company?
SM&A is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was SM&A founded?
SM&A was founded in 2013. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is SM&A based?
SM&A is headquartered in Newport Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does SM&A make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Professional Services - Hourly Billing is the primary driver. The others are consulting Engagements, talent Staffing and publications and Training.
Who are SM&A's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SAIC, ICF International, Guidehouse and CGI Federal. Emerging players are Govini and Public Consulting Group. Broad incumbents are Deloitte Government & Public Services, McKinsey & Company Public Sector Practice, Booz Allen Hamilton and Accenture Federal Services.
Does SM&A have an API?
No public API is recorded for SM&A.
What industry is SM&A in?
SM&A's product category is Federal Government Contracting Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHACAC, Supply Chain & Procurement Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.