Guides
Federal contracting, in plain English.
SAM.gov, set-asides, Section L and M, and how to read a solicitation without losing a weekend.
How to register in SAM.gov and get a UEI
A step-by-step, plain-English walkthrough of SAM.gov entity registration: what you need before you start, how the Unique Entity ID works, and how to avoid the common delays.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
How to read a federal RFP (start with Sections L and M)
Federal solicitations run to hundreds of pages. Here is the order to read them in, what each section of the Uniform Contract Format does, and why Sections L and M decide most proposals.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
What a compliance matrix is (and how to build one)
A compliance matrix maps every requirement in a federal solicitation to the exact place your proposal answers it. Here is how to build one in a spreadsheet in an afternoon.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
Set-aside programs explained: 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB and small business
A plain-English overview of the federal small business set-aside programs, who qualifies, how certification works, and how set-asides change who you compete against.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
How to find your NAICS codes for federal contracting
NAICS codes decide which contracts you see, whether you count as small, and which set-asides you can bid on. Here is how to choose them well.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
Sources sought vs RFI vs RFP vs RFQ: what each notice means
Federal notices on SAM.gov use a lot of acronyms. Here is what sources sought notices, RFIs, RFQs, RFPs and IFBs mean, whether you should respond, and what is at stake with each.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
How to write past performance for a federal proposal
Past performance is often one of the most important evaluation factors. Here is how to choose references, write them so evaluators can score them, and what to do if you are new to federal work.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
Pricing your first federal bid: firm-fixed-price vs time-and-materials
How federal contract types shift risk, how to build a price from the bottom up, and the labor and wage rules that catch first-time bidders off guard.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
FAR basics for small firms: the parts you will actually use
The Federal Acquisition Regulation is thousands of pages. Here are the parts a small contractor runs into most often, what agency supplements are, and how to look things up quickly.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
How to make a go/no-go bid decision
A practical framework for deciding which federal opportunities to bid on — and which to pass on — so a small team spends its proposal hours where it can actually win.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
How to win your first federal contract
A realistic, step-by-step path for a small business going after its first federal contract: getting registered, picking a niche, finding the right-sized opportunities and building a record.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
The GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) explained
What a GSA Schedule is, how agencies buy from it, what it takes to get one, and how a small business can decide whether it is worth the effort.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
Subcontracting to prime contractors (and finding them with SBA SubNet)
How subcontracting works in federal contracting, why large primes look for small subcontractors, and practical ways to find and approach them.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
Micro-purchases and the government purchase card
How federal micro-purchases work, why the government purchase card matters, and how small businesses can make themselves easy to buy from for small, fast purchases.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
Simplified acquisition procedures (FAR Part 13) explained
How the government buys between the micro-purchase and simplified acquisition thresholds, why these buys are set aside for small businesses, and how to answer an RFQ well.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
How to write a federal capability statement (with a template)
A capability statement is your one-page federal resume. Here is what goes on it, a section-by-section template, and how to tailor it for each agency or prime.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
How to respond to a sources sought notice
Sources sought notices shape whether contracts get set aside for small businesses. Here is a practical, step-by-step way to write a response that a contracting officer can use.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
How to read Section C: the SOW, PWS and SOO
Section C tells you what the government is actually buying. Here is how to read a statement of work, performance work statement or statement of objectives and turn it into an approach and a price.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
Past performance with no federal history: how to compete anyway
New to federal work? Here is what the FAR says about offerors without a past performance record, and practical ways to present commercial, personnel and teaming experience.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
Teaming agreements vs joint ventures: which one do you need?
Two common ways small businesses partner on federal work. Here is how prime-sub teaming arrangements and joint ventures differ, and the small business rules to watch.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
The SBA Mentor-Protégé Program explained
How SBA's Mentor-Protégé Program works, who qualifies as a mentor or protégé, how to apply, and how mentor-protégé joint ventures can compete for set-asides.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
CMMC and cybersecurity basics for small contractors
A high-level, plain-English overview of federal contractor cybersecurity requirements: basic safeguarding, CUI, NIST SP 800-171 and the DoD CMMC program levels.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
IDIQ contracts and task orders explained
Much federal work is bought through indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts. Here is how IDIQs, task and delivery orders, fair opportunity and on-ramps work for small businesses.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
How to find federal bids: SAM.gov search tips and other sources
Practical tips for searching SAM.gov Contract Opportunities, setting up saved searches, and using forecasts and award data to find federal bids before your competitors do.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
Bid protest basics: agency, GAO and the Court of Federal Claims
What a bid protest is, where you can file one, the strict GAO deadlines, and how small businesses can decide whether a protest makes sense.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
Small business size standards: how to check yours
How SBA size standards work, how to calculate your receipts or employees the way SBA does, why affiliates matter, and when your size is measured for a contract.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
Wage determinations basics: Service Contract Labor Standards and Davis-Bacon
What federal wage determinations are, when the Service Contract Labor Standards statute and Davis-Bacon apply, and how to price and comply with them.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
Getting paid: invoicing through IPP and WAWF basics
How federal contractors submit invoices, what makes an invoice "proper," how the Invoice Processing Platform and DoD's WAWF work, and what the Prompt Payment rules mean for you.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
Debriefings: how to request one and how to use it
A debriefing is the government's explanation of how it evaluated your proposal. Here is how to request one on time, what you are entitled to learn, and how to turn it into a better next bid.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
Pricing a services bid: labor rates, fringe, overhead and wrap rates
How to build fully burdened labor rates for a federal services bid: direct labor, fringe, overhead, G&A, profit, wrap rates and the checks that keep your price realistic.
Updated Oct 2, 2026
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