A lot of ink and radio waves have been dedicated to GSA’s IT innovation lab “18F”.  Everyone likes innovation and companies get excited by the prospect of delivering cutting edge solutions that set themselves apart.  Let’s take a look at the numbers, though.  18F has recently said it will focus primarily on micro-purchase acquisitions.  The federal micro-purchase threshold is $3,500.  Even if your company won 20 of 18F’s innovative acquisition contests, the most you would collect would be $70,000.  While you’re dedicating resources to 18F proposals, you’re also likely missing out on other, almost certainly larger, pieces of business.  On top of all of that, 18F contracts are often awarded using reverse auctions, a tool notorious for cutting into profit margins.  It’s worth keeping an eye on 18F as sometimes they may conduct a bigger project and some of their smaller ones may lead to bigger opportunities later on.  Still, no one should get carried away just because something’s labeled “innovative”.  Allocate your BD time and resources wisely.