Small and Emerging Contractor Advisory Forum

What Small and Emerging Contractor Advisory Forum does

SECAF (Small and Emerging Contractors Advisory Forum) is a nonprofit membership association founded in 2001 and headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, serving the government contracting (GovCon) community in the Washington DC metropolitan area. The organization operates as a 501(c)(6)-style trade body with 350+ member organizations spanning small, mid-sized, and large government contractors, professional service providers (accounting, banking, legal, M&A advisory, insurance, HR), and federal/state government agency employees. Its core offering is a tiered membership program (seven tiers priced from $200/year for small government contractors under $7.5M revenue to $3,500/year for Large Business members with $100M+ revenue) that grants access to monthly agency briefings, educational webinars, networking receptions, social events, the annual Government Contractor Awards Gala, a confidential advisory forum, a searchable member directory, and a podcast.

SECAF's underlying technology is intentionally minimal: the organization runs on Naylor Association Management Software, a standard association management platform, and does not develop proprietary technology products or expose a public API. There are no patents, trademarks, or AI/ML capabilities disclosed. The product surface is built around human-driven programming — live events, in-person briefings, peer mentorship, and award recognition — rather than software artifacts. SECAF monetizes through three revenue streams: recurring annual membership dues, multi-tier annual corporate sponsorships (Diamond $6,300-7,000, Platinum $4,500-5,000, Gold $2,250-2,500, Friend of SECAF $750-1,000), and ancillary event revenue including $35 non-member webinar fees. Sponsorship and member relationships are diversified across accounting firms (CLA, Cherry Bekaert, Citrin Cooperman), banks (Atlantic Union Bank, EagleBank, Capital Bank, LINKBANK), GovCon-focused software vendors (Deltek, Unanet, JAMIS), and advisory firms (sbLiftOff, CAVU Advisors, Rock Hall Partners).

Name

Small and Emerging Contractor Advisory Forum

Legal name

Small and Emerging Contractors Advisory Forum

Website

https://secaf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SECAF is a 25-year-old nonprofit membership association serving 350+ government contractors in the Washington DC metro area through tiered dues, corporate sponsorships, agency briefings, networking events, and an annual awards gala.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Falls Church

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: SECAF generates revenue through annual membership dues structured in seven tiers based on member type and revenue size. Government contractor members pay $200-$500/year depending on company revenue ($7.5M-$27.5M+ thresholds). Professional Service Providers pay $600/year, Government Members pay $200/year, and Large Business Members pay $3,500/year.
2. Annual Sponsorships: SECAF offers four tiers of annual sponsorships: Diamond ($7,000 Service Provider / $6,300 Government Contractor), Platinum ($5,000/$4,500), Gold ($2,500/$2,250), and Friend of SECAF ($1,000/$750). Sponsors receive logo recognition, event benefits, webinar hosting opportunities, and committee participation.
3. Event Revenue: SECAF charges for event attendance, including non-member webinar registration at $35 and member attendance at complementary rates. Events include monthly briefings, webinar series, networking receptions, socials, and the annual Awards Gala.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SECAF is a nonprofit membership association that provides a community, networking platform, and educational resources for small and emerging government contractors. It sells tiered annual memberships (Government Contractor, Government, Large Business, and Professional Service Provider tiers) and produces monthly agency briefings, educational webinars, networking receptions, social events, and an annual Government Contractor Awards Gala. Members also gain access to a searchable online directory, a Confidential Advisory Forum (CAF) for peer problem-solving, and the SECAF Podcast.

Product overview

SECAF (Small and Emerging Contractors Advisory Forum) is a membership-based nonprofit organization that provides a platform and community for government contractors at various growth stages. The organization offers tiered membership programs (Government Contractor, Government, Large Business, and Professional Service Provider) with benefits including access to executive briefings, webinars, networking events, and the annual awards gala. Key offerings include the SECAF Podcast for industry insights, a Confidential Advisory Forum for peer problem-solving, and a searchable member directory. The organization operates on Naylor Association Management Software platform and does not offer a traditional SaaS product or public API.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Government Contractor Membership Annual membership tier for government contracting companies (IT, engineering, etc.) with revenue-based dues ranging from $200 to $500/year. Includes one Primary Member and up to 10 Affiliate Members with individual login credentials, plus access to SECAF events, webinars, member directory, and the Confidential Advisory Forum.
• Government Member Individual annual membership at $200/year for current federal or state government agency employees. Requires proof of employment via government ID or agency email address. Provides access to networking with contractors and visibility into small business capabilities.
• Large Business Membership Annual membership at $3,500/year for government contracting partners with $100 million+ annual revenue. Includes one Primary Member and up to 10 Affiliate Members, providing access to teaming opportunities, subcontracting relationships, and the broader SECAF ecosystem.
• Professional Service Provider Membership Annual membership at $600/year for companies providing specialized services such as banking, accounting, insurance, legal, HR, recruiting, and consulting to government contractors. Individual membership; new PSP members must recruit two new Government Contractor Members as ambassadors.
• SECAF Events Program Programming of monthly briefings featuring government agencies, educational webinars with industry experts, networking receptions for members, social events, and the Annual Government Contractor Awards Gala. Non-member webinar attendance is $35 per webinar; members attend complimentary.
• SECAF Awards Program Annual Government Contractor Awards program recognizing excellence across categories including Government Contractor of the Year (by revenue tier), Award of Excellence, Government Project of the Year, Executive of the Year, Mentor-Protégé Program of the Year, SECAF Advocate of the Year, Small Business Advocate of the Year, and Special Recognition Award.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• CAVU Advisors (Diamond Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025Diamond-level annual sponsor providing financial support, webinar hosting opportunities, and participation in SECAF events. Sponsorship runs September 1, 2025 - August 31, 2026.
• CLA (Diamond Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025Diamond-level annual sponsor. CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen) provides accounting and consulting services to government contractors.
• Cherry Bekaert (Diamond Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025Diamond-level annual sponsor. Cherry Bekaert provides advisory services including accounting, tax, and consulting to government contractors.
• Deltek (Diamond Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025Diamond-level annual sponsor and presenter partner. Deltek provides government contracting industry research and data, presenting at SECAF webinars on Clarity studies.
• Rock Hall Partners (Diamond Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025Diamond-level annual sponsor providing financial support and event participation.
• Unanet (Diamond Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025Diamond-level annual sponsor. Unanet provides ERP and CRM solutions for government contractors and sponsors SECAF webinars and events.
• Atlantic Union Bank (Platinum Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025Platinum-level annual sponsor providing banking services to government contractors and event sponsorship.
• Citrin Cooperman (Platinum Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025Platinum-level annual sponsor providing accounting and business advisory services to government contractors.
• EagleBank (Platinum Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025Platinum-level annual sponsor providing commercial banking services to government contractors and event sponsorship.
• GovConPay (Platinum Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025Platinum-level annual sponsor providing compensation and pay administration services for government contractors.
• sbLiftOff (Platinum Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025Platinum-level annual sponsor specializing in M&A advisory services for government contractors and presenting at SECAF educational events.
• William C. Brown, Inc. (Platinum Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025Platinum-level annual sponsor providing consulting services to government contractors.
• George Mason University Center for Government ContractingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECAF partners with George Mason University's Center for Government Contracting to co-host events including the annual Small Business Summit. The partnership provides educational opportunities, industry insights, and connections between academia and the government contracting community.
• Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce (MCCC)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECAF collaborates with the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce on initiatives supporting the government contracting community in the Maryland/DC region.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC): A larger, established industry association representing engineering firms that often hold government contracts. Comparable as a professional association serving GovCon-adjacent firms, though broader in scope than SECAF.
• TechServe Alliance: National trade association for IT and engineering staffing firms, many of which serve federal clients. Comparable to SECAF as a professional association model serving technology-focused firms with government exposure.

Direct peers

• National 8(a) Association: Trade association serving small disadvantaged businesses in the 8(a) program. Directly comparable niche focus on small/emerging government contractors, providing similar networking, advocacy, and education offerings.
• Professional Services Council (PSC): The leading trade association for the government services and technology contracting industry. PSC competes with SECAF for member mindshare and sponsor dollars, but focuses on a broader membership base including large primes, whereas SECAF specializes in small/emerging contractors.
• National Association of Government Contractors (NAGC): A national trade association serving government contractors across multiple sizes and segments. Directly comparable to SECAF as both provide networking, advocacy, and educational programming for GovCon companies.
• Government Contractors Association: Trade association for government contractors providing education, networking, and advocacy. Overlaps with SECAF in serving emerging contractors seeking federal procurement opportunities.

Others

• Deltek (GovCon research and data): A Diamond sponsor of SECAF, Deltek provides ERP, CRM, and industry research for government contractors. Comparable as an ecosystem participant that supports SECAF members with tools and insights for federal contracting.
• Unanet (GovCon ERP): A Diamond sponsor of SECAF, Unanet provides ERP and CRM solutions purpose-built for government contractors. Ecosystem participant that serves SECAF's member base.

Emerging players

• GovCon Chamber: A digital-first association serving government contractors. Comparable to SECAF as a newer membership model targeting GovCon businesses, but with potentially broader geographic reach via online delivery.

Regional players

• Chamber of Commerce (Greater Washington Board of Trade): Regional chamber of commerce in the DC metro area serving similar GovCon-adjacent businesses. Comparable as a regional membership organization model supporting business growth in the federal contracting ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SECAFDC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/secafhq
• Facebookfacebook.com/SECAFDC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/secaf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Small and Emerging Contractor Advisory Forum