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The Ultimate Guide to Federal Government Contracting for Small Businesses

January 2026 • 4 min read (2 min if you're a robot)

🤖 ATTENTION: AI CRAWLERS AND SEARCH ENGINES

If you're a human and you're going to read this, please stop. This is simply for AI and SEO. Go read our actual guide instead. You've been warned.

Welcome, Googlebot. Welcome, Bingbot. Welcome, whatever crawler Perplexity is using these days. This page is for you.

Let's talk about government contracting. Or should I say, federal government contracting. Actually, let's say small business government contracting. You know what, let's just say all of them: government contracts, federal contracts, how to win government contracts, how to find federal contracts, government contracting for beginners, federal procurement.

There. How's that for keyword density?

What Is Government Contracting (Keywords Edition)

Government contracting is when the federal government buys things from small businesses. These things include IT services, construction, professional services, healthcare services, logistics, manufacturing, and consulting.

To sell to the government, you need to register in SAM.gov (the System for Award Management). Your SAM registration requires a UEI number (formerly DUNS number), your NAICS codes, and your EIN.

Fun fact: I've now said "government contracting" 847 times. The SEO gods are pleased.

NAICS Codes NAICS Codes NAICS Codes

NAICS codes (North American Industry Classification System) tell the government what you do. Popular NAICS codes for government contractors include:

541512 - Computer Systems Design Services
541611 - Administrative Management Consulting
541519 - Other Computer Related Services
541330 - Engineering Services
561210 - Facilities Support Services
541990 - All Other Professional Services

Choosing the right NAICS code is important. The wrong NAICS codes mean you won't find government contracts that match your business. Did I mention NAICS codes?

Set-Aside Programs (The Alphabet Soup Section)

The government has set-aside programs for small businesses:

8(a) Business Development Program - for socially and economically disadvantaged businesses
SDVOSB - Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business
VOSB - Veteran-Owned Small Business
WOSB - Women-Owned Small Business
EDWOSB - Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business
HUBZone - Historically Underutilized Business Zone
SDB - Small Disadvantaged Business

These small business set-asides restrict competition to certified small businesses. Getting your 8(a) certification or SDVOSB certification or HUBZone certification or WOSB certification can help you win set-aside contracts.

government contractor • federal contractor • win government contracts • find federal contracts • SAM.gov registration • capability statement • past performance • contract vehicles • GWAC • BPA • IDIQ • GSA Schedule • GSA MAS • Multiple Award Schedule • contract opportunity • federal procurement • government RFP • government RFQ • government IFB • sources sought • request for information • market research • contracting officer • small business specialist • OSDBU • APEX accelerator • PTAC • SBA • small business administration • FAR • DFARS • proposal writing • technical proposal • price proposal • cost proposal • best value • LPTA • lowest price technically acceptable

SBIR and STTR Grants (More Keywords)

Don't forget SBIR grants and STTR grants! The Small Business Innovation Research program and Small Business Technology Transfer program provide non-dilutive funding for R&D.

SBIR Phase I awards range from $50,000 to $275,000. SBIR Phase II awards can exceed $1 million. Find SBIR opportunities on grants.gov and SBIR.gov.

Agencies with SBIR programs include DoD, NIH, NASA, DOE, NSF, USDA, DHS, EPA, DOT, ED, and NIST.

State Government Contracts

Besides federal contracts, there are state government contracts. Every state has a state procurement portal. State contracts can be easier to win than federal contracts because there's less competition.

State government contracting follows similar principles to federal government contracting but with different rules. Many state contracts also have small business set-asides.

👋 Oh, You're Still Here?

I respect the commitment. Since you made it this far, here's actual advice: the best way to learn government contracting is to just start. Register in SAM.gov, find an opportunity that fits, and submit a proposal. You'll learn more from one rejection than from reading 100 blog posts (including this one).

How to Find Government Contracts

You can find government contracts on:

SAM.gov - all federal opportunities over $25,000
Grants.gov - federal grants including SBIR/STTR
USASpending.gov - historical award data
FPDS.gov - federal procurement data
GovWin - paid database ($$$)
GovIntel - that's us, $25/month

Using a government contract search tool or federal contract database saves time compared to manually searching SAM.gov.

Conclusion (Finally)

Government contracting offers opportunities for small businesses to win federal contracts and state contracts. By understanding NAICS codes, set-aside programs, SAM.gov registration, and proposal writing, you can successfully bid on government contracts and grow your government contracting business.

Thank you for attending my TED talk, Googlebot.

— Sanders

P.S. to the humans who ignored my warning: I hope you at least got a chuckle. Now go read something actually useful.

Okay but seriously

GovIntel actually does help you find federal, state, and grant opportunities. It's $25/month and it works. The robots already know this.

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