Illuminating the path through defense contracting
Who I Am
I'm Dean "Dino" Brabant. I spent 22 years inside the U.S. Army contracting enterprise, and I did not observe the acquisition process from a distance — I ran pieces of it.
I chaired source selection councils on acquisitions up to $12.1 billion and directed evaluation boards of 27 people scoring proposals against criteria I had written. As lead government negotiator I produced $173 million in documented cost avoidance across two actions, negotiating opposite L3Harris, Boeing, Raytheon, Motorola, and Viasat. As a GS-15 division chief I led contracting operations for nine Organic Industrial Base installations and oversaw a $2.3 billion Other Transaction portfolio funding the next generation of domestic industrial capacity.
Most consultants in this field sell relationships. I sell something more durable: the ability to read an acquisition the way the people who built it do — before the solicitation drops, while the structure is still being decided, and again when the government sits down to analyze your price.
That is a method, not an introduction. It works whether or not I know anyone in the room.
What we do
Illumina Consulting builds durable relationships between industry and government by translating complex acquisition requirements into actionable strategy — supporting mission success and sustainable growth in the federal market.
We work on fixed-fee, milestone, and hourly terms, depending on the service. No contingency, no success fees.
Who We Help
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Dual-use and commercial technology companies entering the defense market for the first time
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SBIR/STTR-funded companies moving from a completed Phase II toward production and sustained government business
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Small and mid-tier defense suppliers competing for prime awards and subcontract positions
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Companies in energetics, munitions, critical materials, and industrial base supply chains
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Established contractors facing complex negotiations, definitization actions, or significant contract change
Our Services
Source Selection and Proposal Evaluation → Your proposal read the way the board will score it.
Cost and Price Proposal Analysis → Your numbers tested against the analysis they will face.
Acquisition Strategy and Market Entry → Understanding how an acquisition was built before you decide to bid.
Transition and Growth Advisory → For companies that proved the technology and now need someone to buy it.
Contract Lifecycle and Compliance → Pre-award strategy through closeout, and everything that changes in between.
Specialized Expertise and Training → Building federal contracting capability inside your own team.