In this Govcon Giants episode, I sat down with Eric Raven, former Under Secretary of the Navy (2022–2024) and longtime defense budget insider, to uncover how a $260B department with nearly 900,000 people actually buys from tens of thousands of small businesses—and where the next wave of Government contracting dollars is headed. From small-business access through Gold Coast (Navy Gold Coast Conference) and buying commands like NAVAIR and NAVSEA, to workforce demands in the submarine industrial base, to the administration's ambitious "Golden Dome" missile-defense program, this episode is packed with insights you can act on now.

• Access & Wins: How to engage Navy buying commands (BSOs), why responding to RFIs/Sources Sought matters, and how to leverage events like Gold Coast.

• Scale & Policy: The shift toward "teeth > tail," OTAs, and commercial practices that scale pilots from a handful of units to 10,000+.

• Where the Money's Going: Submarine base supply chain (17k suppliers, 100k workers needed), the U.S. shipbuilding gap (0.1% vs. China's ~50%), and the $175B–$500B Golden Dome initiative.

Learn more: https://govcongiants.org/

Erik's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-raven-7359a6324/