Federal Contracting

For most businesses, state and local contracting is a good place to start. If your business has never filled a government contract before, we recommend you start on the state or local level before applying for federal contracts.

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.

• Evaluate your small business to see if you are prepared to bid on government contracts.
• Learn about the basic requirements to win federal government contracts.
• Learn how to register your business entity at the Federal Service Desk.

Is there a market for your product or service?

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.

• Search existing government contracts.
• Learn about the goods and services the federal government spends on.
• Search for contracts and forecasts by government agency.

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.

• Learn about small business set-aside contracts.
• Take free online marketing courses with the SBA to help with market research, social media, and more.