Government contracting guides
These guides walk through how government contractors actually find, pursue, and win work — from registering in SAM.gov and targeting the right opportunities to capture, teaming, set-asides, and writing compliant proposals. Every guide is practical and no-fluff, written for teams that want to move from learning to winning.
We pair this advice with GovPrimer's live data from SAM.gov, USAspending.gov, and Grants.gov, so the opportunities and award intelligence you read about here are the same ones you can search for free in the product.
The Capture Management Process Explained
Capture management is the work you do before the RFP drops to position yourself to win. This guide breaks down the capture process step by step — and why most contracts are won here, not in the proposal.
How Small Businesses Break Into Federal Contracting
Breaking into federal contracting feels daunting, but there is a proven path. This guide lays out the steps from registration to your first award, including the realistic on-ramps for new firms.
Government Proposal Writing Basics for Small Business
A great solution loses to a compliant one. This guide covers the fundamentals of federal proposal writing — reading the RFP, building a compliance matrix, and writing to the evaluation criteria.
Understanding Set-Asides: 8(a), WOSB, SDVOSB, HUBZone
Set-asides reserve federal contracts for specific categories of small business, dramatically narrowing your competition. This guide explains the major programs, who qualifies, and how to get certified.
Teaming and Subcontracting in Government Contracting
Few small businesses can cover a federal requirement alone. Teaming and subcontracting let you fill capability gaps, build past performance, and bid on work that would otherwise be out of reach.
How to Make a Bid/No-Bid Decision
The fastest way to raise your win rate is to stop chasing the wrong opportunities. This guide gives you a scoring framework for bid/no-bid decisions and the discipline to say no.
How to Respond to a Sources Sought Notice
A sources sought notice is market research, not a solicitation — but responding well is one of the highest-leverage capture moves available. This guide shows how to write a response that shapes the deal.
How to Find Your NAICS Code
Your NAICS code classifies your business by industry and drives which federal opportunities apply to you and whether you qualify as a small business. This guide shows how to find and choose the right codes.
How to Get a Unique Entity ID (UEI)
The Unique Entity ID (UEI) is the 12-character identifier the federal government uses to track contractors. It replaced the DUNS number in 2022 and is issued for free on SAM.gov.
How to Register Your Business on SAM.gov
SAM.gov registration is the free, mandatory first step to doing business with the federal government. This guide walks through each stage — from gathering documents to activating your registration.
How to Win Government Contracts: A Step-by-Step Guide
Winning government contracts is a process, not luck. This guide walks through registration, finding the right opportunities, capture, and proposal — the way successful contractors actually do it.
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