Companies winning their first overseas government contract usually handle the technical scope confidently and get surprised by the compliance layer. Insurance is the most common surprise, and the one most likely to delay mobilization.
What changes when work goes overseas
Your existing program was built for domestic operations. Overseas performance on a government contract introduces requirements your current policies were not written to satisfy — most notably Defense Base Act coverage, which state workers' compensation generally does not address.
Other lines may also need extension or replacement: general liability written for domestic operations may exclude overseas work; property coverage may not follow equipment abroad; personnel need medical and evacuation coverage that responds where they are going.
The sequence that works
During proposal. Extract the insurance requirements from the solicitation. Get an indication on DBA and any other required lines. Build the number into the price.
At award. Start placement immediately. Assemble the submission: contract documentation, countries of performance, headcount by classification and nationality, estimated payroll, scope, duration, loss history.
Before mobilization. Bind coverage. Obtain certificates matching exactly what the contract and the prime require. Brief site leadership on incident reporting.
During performance. Report payroll as required. Notify on changes — new countries, added personnel categories, scope modifications. Track certificate expirations.
The three most common first-timer errors
Assuming domestic coverage travels. It generally does not, in the ways that matter here.
Omitting local and third-country national staff. Coverage obligations frequently extend to them. Building a submission around expatriate headcount alone understates exposure significantly.
Starting too late. Underwriting in this class requires real information and real time. A request made a week before mobilization compresses everything into the least favorable conditions.
What to have ready before your first call
- The contract or award documentation
- Countries where work will be performed
- Headcount by job classification
- Breakdown of U.S. citizens, third-country nationals, local nationals
- Estimated payroll by category
- Scope of work and nature of duties
- Contract start date and duration
- Prior loss history if you have overseas experience
With that in hand, the first conversation produces useful answers rather than a list of follow-up questions.