On this episode of Former Fed Friday, Shelley McGuire and Hunter Gros welcome back Jeff Grant, founder of Schedule F Healthcare Strategies and former CMS executive, for a candid discussion about what he has learned during his first year helping displaced federal employees find new opportunities and supporting GovCon companies navigating the healthcare market.

Drawing on his experience inside CMS and now in industry, Jeff shares why networking matters long before you need a job, what federal employees often underestimate about the business development and teaming process, and how stronger collaboration between agencies and industry can lead to better procurement outcomes.

The conversation also explores emerging trends at CMS, including the agency’s growing focus on fraud prevention, modernization of legacy systems, and the increasing use of proof-of-concept evaluations to assess contractor capabilities. Jeff offers a unique perspective on why demonstrating solutions may become just as important as writing proposals, especially as agencies look to evaluate AI and digital transformation efforts more effectively.

To connect with Jeff visit him on LinkedIn here.

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