What Capital Decisions Inc does

Capital Decisions Inc (CDI) is a privately held, boutique federal government relations and public affairs consulting firm founded on April 30, 2000, by H. Stewart "Stu" Van Scoyoc. Headquartered at 800 Maine Ave SW, Suite 800, in Washington, D.C., CDI delivers comprehensive Legislative and Executive Branch strategic advice, liaison services, and advocacy to clients seeking to influence federal policy and access federal funding. The firm operates with 1-10 employees and structures itself around the distinct specialties of its principals, including Van Scoyoc (former founder of the larger Van Scoyoc Associates), Carol McDaid (health and addiction policy), John J.R. Reskovac (federal appropriations), Holly Merbaum Strain (health appropriations and authorization), and Sarah Strup Herbert (government relations and PAC management).

CDI's service offering is organized across ten practice areas: Aerospace, Agriculture, Coalition Management, Community Development, Defense, Education, Health, Public Affairs, Research & Development, and Transportation/Infrastructure. There are no technology products, APIs, or software platforms; the firm's deliverable is bespoke professional advice. The business model is professional services fee-for-engagement (retainer or project-based), with revenue tied to principal-level billable hours on federal advocacy, appropriations, coalition management, and regulatory navigation engagements. Notable documented outcomes include $4 million in federal funding secured for downtown revitalization in Midwest City, Oklahoma, and instrumental advocacy roles in the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (2008), the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (2016), and the SUPPORT Act (2018).

The firm is entirely founder-owned with no institutional investors, external funding, or M&A activity disclosed. A structural affiliation with sister company Van Scoyoc Associates (described as the largest independent lobbying company in Washington and also led by Van Scoyoc) allows CDI to draw on dozens of additional professionals when engagements demand. Customer segments are diversified across healthcare providers and associations, municipalities and states seeking federal appropriations, Fortune 500 corporations with federal business, and academic institutions seeking federal research funding.

Name

Capital Decisions Inc

Legal name

Capitol Decisions Inc.

Website

https://www.capitoldecisions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Capital Decisions Inc is a privately held, boutique federal government relations and public affairs consulting firm in Washington, D.C., founded in 2000, providing legislative advocacy, executive branch liaison, coalition management, and federal appropriations support across ten practice areas to healthcare providers, municipalities, Fortune 500 corporations, and academic institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Relations Consulting

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Affairs, Government Relations & Lobbying (BPAFADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

Keywords

• Federal lobbying services
• Government affairs consulting
• Legislative advocacy
• Public affairs advisory
• Federal appropriations consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Relations Consulting: Professional consulting services providing comprehensive Legislative and Executive Branch strategic advice, liaison service, and advocacy for federal government affairs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Capitol Decisions Inc. is a boutique federal government relations and public affairs consulting firm that delivers comprehensive Legislative and Executive Branch strategic advice, liaison services, and advocacy to clients across diverse policy sectors. Services are organized into specialized practice areas (Aerospace, Agriculture, Coalition Management, Community Development, Defense, Education, Health, Public Affairs, Research & Development, and Transportation/Infrastructure) and span the full lifecycle from legislative strategy development through appropriations, regulatory navigation, grant and procurement support, and coalition management.

Product overview

Capital Decisions Inc is a boutique federal government relations firm offering a single integrated suite of government affairs services rather than a modular software platform. The core offering encompasses comprehensive legislative and executive branch strategic advice, liaison services, and advocacy. The firm operates across ten specialized practice areas (Aerospace, Agriculture, Coalition Management, Community Development, Defense, Education, Health, Public Affairs, Research & Development, and Transportation/Infrastructure) staffed by specialists who combine focused boutique-level attention with access to the broader resources of sister company Van Scoyoc Associates Inc. Services include coalition building and management, Congressional advocacy, and Federal regulatory navigation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Government Relations Services Comprehensive federal legislative and executive branch strategic advice, liaison services, and advocacy delivered to clients across diverse sectors including economic development, addiction-related health care, energy policy, telecommunications, and higher education.
• Legislative Advocacy Federal advocacy services including Congressional support, navigating complex federal regulatory issues, and grant and procurement process assistance on behalf of clients.
• Coalition Management Building and managing advocacy coalitions, exemplified by Capitol Decisions' work with the Parity NOW Coalition for mental health and addiction policy advocacy.
• Aerospace Practice Federal government relations services focused on aerospace industry clients.
• Agriculture Practice Government affairs services for agricultural sector clients.
• Community Development Practice Federal relations services for local economic development initiatives, including securing HUD and DOT funding for downtown revitalization projects.
• Defense Practice Government affairs services for the defense sector including military construction projects and base closure process oversight.
• Education Practice Federal advocacy services for education sector clients including academic institutions.
• Health Practice Specialized legislative and public affairs consulting on healthcare issues including addiction and mental health policy, Medicare, Medicaid, and behavioral health.
• Public Affairs Practice Public affairs consulting and communication strategies for clients.
• Research & Development Practice Federal relations services for research and development sector clients.
• Transportation and Infrastructure Practice Government affairs services for transportation and infrastructure projects including securing federal funding for municipal development.

Quantifiable outcome

• $4 million in federal funding secured for downtown revitalization in Midwest City, Oklahoma

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Coalition to Stop Opioid Overdose (CSOO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Capitol Decisions served as consultants to CSOO who were part of the successful effort to pass the bi-partisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act in 2016.
• Parity NOW CoalitionflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Carol McDaid served as strategist and advisor to the Parity NOW Coalition, which was influential in passage of the 2008 Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. The Coalition included addiction and mental health provider and consumer organizations, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association and other partners.
• McShin FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Co-founded by Carol McDaid in 2004 in Richmond, Virginia with her husband John Shinholser. McShin is the leading non-profit, full-service recovery community organization in Virginia committed to serving individuals and families in and seeking recovery from addiction.
• Van Scoyoc Associates Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company and the largest independent lobbying company in Washington. CDI can call upon any of the dozens of professionals in its sister firm to address specific issues or access specific actors in Washington and the Federal Government. H. Stewart Van Scoyoc serves as President and CEO of both companies.
• Faces and Voices of RecoveryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarol McDaid is a founding Board Member of Faces and Voices of Recovery, a recovery advocacy organization.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Global law firm with one of the largest and most established Washington government-relations practices, representing clients across defense, energy, healthcare, and financial services. Broader and larger than CDI but competes for the same federal-appropriations and policy-advocacy engagements.
• Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck: Major Washington, DC law and lobbying firm consistently ranked among the top federal lobbying revenue generators. Overlaps with CDI on federal advocacy across healthcare, defense, energy, and appropriations, but operates at substantially larger scale with integrated legal practice.
• Holland & Knight: Major US law firm with one of the largest Washington, DC government-affairs practices, regularly ranking among top federal lobbying revenue leaders. Competes with CDI on federal appropriations, defense, healthcare, and transportation advocacy, with substantially broader resources.
• Squire Patton Boggs: International law and public-policy firm with a substantial DC lobbying and government-affairs practice covering energy, healthcare, transportation, and financial services. Competes with CDI for federal advocacy mandates but offers broader geographic and practice-area coverage.

Direct peers

• Forbes Tate Partners: Bipartisan strategic consulting and government-relations firm in Washington, DC, with strong practice in healthcare, energy, and education policy advocacy. Directly comparable to CDI on boutique-to-mid-size positioning, bipartisan federal representation, and multi-sector client base.
• Van Scoyoc Associates: Sister company and largest independent lobbying firm in Washington, DC. Operates as a full-service government-affairs firm with shared leadership (H. Stewart Van Scoyoc serves as CEO of both entities) and is the direct operational peer that CDI draws upon for capacity.
• The Bockorny Group: Boutique DC government-relations and strategic consulting firm focused on federal advocacy, public affairs, and coalition management. Directly comparable to CDI on boutique size, federal lobbying focus, and cross-sector coalition work.
• Cassidy & Associates: Long-established Washington, DC boutique lobbying firm specializing in federal appropriations, defense, transportation, and infrastructure advocacy. Directly comparable to CDI on boutique positioning, federal-appropriations focus, and bipartisan client base.
• Crossroads Strategies: Bipartisan government-relations and public-affairs firm in Washington, DC, focused on federal appropriations, defense, and healthcare policy. Directly comparable to CDI on boutique positioning, federal-appropriations specialization, and bipartisan advocacy work.
• BGR Group: Bipartisan Washington lobbying and public-affairs firm with practices spanning healthcare, defense, transportation, and international affairs. Closely comparable to CDI on boutique-to-mid-size positioning, bipartisan federal advocacy, and multi-sector practice breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/capitol-decisions-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Capital Decisions Inc