Frequently asked questions
The $250 refundable pursuit deposit
The deposit is an operational filter and performance bond — never a revenue source. It exists to solve four specific breakdowns that routinely ruin small business teaming pursuits.
Eliminates "flakers" and ghosting
In open teaming groups, people eagerly agree to join a bid team, promise to write a section of the proposal, and then disappear 72 hours before the submission deadline. A $0 commitment attracts talkers; a $250 financial stake requires deliberate commitment. Contractors who aren't serious about doing the work self-select out immediately.
Guarantees the internal Pink Team deadline
Because the $250 is returned the moment a partner submits their compliant technical section on time, it creates an immediate incentive to hit the milestone. It turns a soft deadline into a hard operational deliverable.
Emergency reserve to fix incomplete work
If a partner drops out or submits unusable work, the remaining team members are forced to scramble and write that partner's section. The forfeited $250 acts as an immediate micro-fund to compensate the member who stepped in, or to hire an emergency 1099 proposal writer to finish the volume before the government portal closes.
Accessible enough not to block real small businesses
Unlike enterprise bid bonds or thousand-dollar retainer fees that choke early-stage firms, $250 is small enough that any legitimate operating business with a credit card or bank account can post it without cash-flow strain — yet tangible enough that nobody wants to throw it away by acting carelessly.
It protects everyone's time. When two companies enter an active BidBoard pursuit room, both know the other partner has literal skin in the game — before a single hour of unpaid proposal work is spent.