Federal Contracting

Assess Your Business

Evaluate your small business to see if it has what it takes to win a government contract.

What It Takes

The federal, state and local government prefers to work with established, reliable businesses. Do you have a track record of delivering quality goods and services on time and within budget? Is your reputation within your industry strong?

Not only can it take a long time to win your first government contract, it can take a significant amount of money. Some businesses spend between $80,000 and $130,000 to earn their first contract.

• SBTDC’s Taking The Leap
• Small Business Center Network

Basic Requirements

Your small business must meet some basic requirements before you can compete for government contracts.

• Basic Requirements
• SAM Registration
• Federal Service Desk

Market Research

In order to bid on and win government contracts, you’ll have to sell products or services that the government buys — and at a competitive price. Use the resources below to see if there’s a market for your product or service, determine how big the market is, and find potential buyers.

• Federal Procurement Data System
• US Government Spending
• General Service Administration

Marketing Strategies

You may want to market your small business directly to a government agency or prime contractor. You can do that by learning what agencies or prime contractors need, and then showing them how your business can fulfill that need.

• Set-asides
• SBA Learning

Capability Statement