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How to Get Government Contracts as a Small Business

To get a federal government contract, register your business with the government, find the open notices that match your trade, and answer them before their deadline. Today there are 10,875 open federal contract opportunities, and 4,580 of them are set aside for small businesses.

1. Register your business

Every contractor needs a free registration in SAM.gov, which gives your business a Unique Entity ID. It asks for your bank details for payment, your NAICS codes and your size. Registration has to be renewed every year. Be wary of anyone who charges you for it: it is free.

2. Know your NAICS codes and size

Every notice names one NAICS code, the government's number for a trade. The SBA sets a size standard for each code, by revenue or by employees, and that decides whether you count as small for set-aside notices. Check yours in the SBA size standards table.

3. Use the set-asides you qualify for

Many notices are open only to small businesses, or to one kind of them: 8(a), HUBZone, women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned. Fewer bidders can compete for those. The certifications are made through the SBA.

4. How to find government contracts every day

Notices come out every day and many close within weeks: 4,552 of today's open notices are due within 7 days. The trades with the most open notices right now:

Federal Bid Alerts reads every new notice each day and emails you only the ones for your trade, state and set-aside.

5. Read the notice, then answer it

Read the whole notice and its attachments: the scope of work, the place, the deadline, how to submit and any questions period. "Sources sought" and presolicitation notices are early signals: answering them puts your business in front of the buyer before the real solicitation comes out.

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