Testimonials

VIP is a program by veterans for veterans to equip Veterans to win in the government contracting marketplace… If you really want to know what you’re doing when you get into business, and how specifically to grow and win a part of the $4 trillion worth of government business, sign up for VIP.

These successes are definitely the result of a team effort,” stated Larry Stubblefield, Associate Administrator of the Office of Veterans Business Development for the U.S. Small Business Administration, “including the very important role VIP played in helping the federal government exceed the SDVOSB goal. SBA is proud of its partnership with VIP and all the organization does for the Veteran entrepreneurial community. VIP is clearly making a difference.

As a veteran business owner, VIP graduate, and board member, I love the Veteran Institute for Procurement for 3 reasons: I love my country, my fellow veterans, and my fellow business owners; VIP is free for any veteran entrepreneur looking to enter the federal market and be successful; and VIP courses are taught by experts and the information is instantly actionable in your business in the federal market.

I’ve been in commercial business for 30 years, and before the program, I didn’t know what I didn’t know about federal procurement. After VIP START, I now have the tools to succeed in the federal marketplace.

Fellow Veteran Entrepreneurs, when you are able to attend the VIP START Certification Program, don't walk, RUN! I am forever indebted to the scores of presenters and panel members who shared their candid, insightful, and wisdom-filled perspectives. Prior to the event, I approached RFP/RFI submission efforts like a sporadic ping-pong match. VIP START provided information that will guide my strategic development, save time and, I am confident, produce successful results! Thank you for providing world-class content, mentors, subject matter experts, post-program support (VIP Marketplace), and your vote of confidence for each of us!

The VIP START program exceeded my expectations and was exactly what I needed. This program has given me the tools, resources and connections that will help build my company and hopefully I will be able to participate in VIP GROW in the near future.

Being a VIP GROW graduate has truly propelled my company forward. The instructors give very informative and detail-specific presentations and what I have learned from the experiences, insights and in-depth know-how of my fellow VIP classmates has given my organization the confidence to pursue more challenging bids, as well as increase our chances of obtaining awarded contracts.

I now know how to find new business within the federal government and 'close the deal.' Before VIP, finding out this information was impossible, no matter what I tried to do. The VIP Program opens doors and unlocks secrets!

The VIP GROW program was one of the most informative, resourceful and remarkable procurement training that I’ve had the honor and opportunity to attend in years. I found the VIP program to be in the top 1% of government procurement trainings. I highly recommend that all veterans in the federal procurement business attend VIP. This program was invaluable to my procurement development and knowledge base, future growth and business success.

The VIP GROW training was magnificent. All classes were outstanding with creditable instructors who all spoke with conviction. It was a “Harvard MBA” in federal marketing and running a small business. No amount of money could have bought me the concise, expertly presented and real-world business knowledge I gained from VIP.

The VIP GROW program was a fantastic experience! The business training provided will be invaluable to the growth of our company. Training side-by-side with other company leaders, who were also military veterans, reminded me of the camaraderie and teamwork I experienced during my career in uniform. Truly a “must do” experience for any veteran who owns their own business.

This is an amazing program. There is something therapeutic being around so many business owners in similar situations. The M&A exercise is a once in a lifetime opportunity to have so much talent in the room at the same time.

It was energizing to reconnect with other Veteran business owners. There's an element among us that isn't as prevalent in a random group of entrepreneurs - possibly because of shared experience and training. I thought the makeup of the group/attendees was fabulous and diverse.

What I liked most about this program is the real-world lessons learned by other businesses. The breadth and depth covered in such a short timeframe is priceless and can't be learned from a book.

I sat down with my team and described the VIP INTERNATIONAL program as one of the most intense, productive, and invaluable training events I've ever attended. VIP has assembled a dream team of ultimately qualified professionals. I'm still in awe of the depth of experience I had access to throughout the sessions. This program was just-in-time for my company - before we made costly missteps or missed great opportunities because we were not prepared. I feel like Causal Design just spent a week with a private consulting team of exemplary CEOs, contract officers, accountants, and lawyers. We are ready to put this all to work, and I look forward to updating you on our success moving forward.

The international VIP program was all and more than my expectations. The teachers were so knowledgeable and helpful with information they graciously shared. My goal was to find a way to be able to find a source for additional work at our expertise Export Packaging. Never would I have guessed that I would find it so fast. Yesterday in the breakout session with Bede I found it. When he found out what we did he shared that two weeks ago he had put together a deal where he would be helping major of his customers to identify packaging services to meet there needs. Those needs included heavy machinery etc. That is what we do. I was like a young kid that just found the candy store. Wow just the best news ever. I could not have done this without your hard work to make this all happen. Bede and I will be talking next week about opportunities and I am sure we can work together. Thank you again for all you do.

Veteran-owned small businesses have always been essential business partners in helping Lockheed Martin meet the evolving needs of our customers. We are delighted to support this program, to help veteran-owned businesses increase their federal aerospace revenue and learn what it takes to be competitive in this complex market.

I want to thank the Veteran Institute for Procurement for helping me achieve The Kentucky Veteran Small Business of the Year Award. I could not have done it without you and the VIP program.

For every business, the key questions at some point become whether you know how to manage, develop and grow. That is what VIP does – teaches veteran-owned businesses the skills to deal with those issues. VIP companies have grown almost 50% after just one year of graduating, have created thousands of new jobs, and several are SBA Small Person of the Year Winners.

I want to personally thank you and your team for a very well organized and valuable course. What your team has done for Veterans is truly special and more importantly a network that is essential for every veteran owner to compete to get to the next level!

The program is one of the kind and it really addressed the key areas that are important to the success of any small businesses working with the Federal, State and Local Governments. Thank you for your efforts and your passion.

The recent VIP course I attended was hands down the best course I have ever attended, thank you for the opportunity to attend. The quality of the instructors, the course material and the facility were all topnotch. I may not become the next Catapult but you have certainly given me the tools to do it. I hope one day I will be in a position to pay it forward. Thanks.

The amount of information in the VIP Program is intense! In 3 days I was given 30 hours of training that was invaluable to my business. It gave me the knowledge to understand the complexity of Government Contracting and what I needed to do to successfully bid on jobs. It helped me to create relationships with other Veteran Owned Companies with different skills enabling all of us to work together to improve our companies

Tell and I will forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I will learn. This is the latter."

At first it’s like drinking from a fire-hose! VIP offers so much good information and you just want to take it all in. The courses really focus on teaching organizations how to prioritize efforts, and VIP provides top subject matter experts to teach us how to do this most effectively.

I was told by my mentors, both graduates of the VIP program, that I had to attend this program. The information, the contacts, and students shared information freely which contributed to me winning my first government contract before the course ended. The best way to describe the VIP program is like going to school. I consider this course to be the Ph.D. of other courses. Why? The instructors and guest speakers are the owner, CEO, or director. So you are getting real information and not theory. They held nothing back in their response and they shared their contact information to keep the lines of communication open to build business relationships

The Veteran Institute for Procurement is a phenomenal program that is a win-win for the federal government and prime contractors, and for the small veteran-owned businesses that it serves. Companies that participate in VIP emerge well-positioned for greater success in Federal contracting, and, ultimately, help to ensure that we have more qualified veteran-owned businesses competing for contract opportunities.