Government Contracting
Federal, state and local government bidding considerations regarding certifications (SAM/GSA), compliance issues, and public-sector agency regulations.
How to File a GAO Bid Protest (and When It's Worth It)
A GAO bid protest is a formal challenge to a federal solicitation or contract award, filed with the Government Accountability Office. This guide covers the five filing steps, the 10-day deadline, what it really costs and how to know when a protest is worth pursuing.
How the FAR Overhaul Benefits Small Businesses
The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul cuts more than half the information needed to register on SAM.gov, collapses the small-business set-aside test into one rule, and rewrites all 53 FAR parts in plain language. Here is where it stands in August 2026 and what to do about it.
Choosing and Responding to Government Bids
Choosing a government bid starts with the evaluation criteria: score yourself against the agency's published scorecard before you write anything. Here is where opportunities are posted at federal, state and local level, how to run a bid/no-bid decision, and what every response has to contain.
How to Identify Great Government Proposal Consultants
Judge a government proposal consultant on wins in your segment and size, a compliance process you can see, willingness to tell you not to bid, and clarity about who writes. Here are the six questions to ask, what a good answer sounds like, how to verify a record, and five warning signs.
Can Your Government RFP Still Look Good?
Government solicitations often fix your fonts, margins and page limits — but rarely everything. Colour, tables, charts, headers, captions and white space usually remain yours. Here is what is typically dictated, what you can still control, and when the right answer is to design nothing at all.
SAM Registration: The Path to Visibility and Opportunities
Federal agencies cannot award a contract or grant to an entity that is not registered and active in SAM.gov. Registration is free, takes up to 10 business days to activate, and must be renewed every 365 days. Here is what SAM registration unlocks, how the UEI and CAGE code differ, and what you need before you start.
Federal Bidding: How Small Businesses Win Federal RFPs
Small businesses win federal bids by preparing before they compete: past performance built locally, a clean SAM.gov registration, certifications that unlock set-asides and often a subcontracting apprenticeship first. Here's the playbook that beats the big incumbents.
Get Noticed by Getting Certified!
Business certifications - 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SBA VetCert and dozens of state programs - make small businesses visible to government buyers and eligible for set-aside contracts. Here's how each works, what changed with veteran certification and how to apply.
How Small Businesses Benefit From Federal Procurement Reforms
Competing for public sector contracts is no easy game. While it’s typically simple enough to start locally, the fact is that the higher the agency level, the harder the barriers to entry become. And, frankly, participating in federal procurement has historically been based on being a difficult endeavor. This is especially true for small to…
The Ultimate Guide to SAM.gov Registration
SAM.gov registration is free, mandatory for federal contracting, and less painful when you know the steps: login.gov account, entity validation, your UEI, and the four registration sections. Here's the full walkthrough, current for the post-DUNS era.
How to File a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request
To file a FOIA request, write to the specific federal agency that holds the records, describe what you want in enough detail for staff to find it, and state the maximum fee you will pay. There is no central federal FOIA inbox — every agency runs its own process. This guide covers the nine exemptions, fees, timelines and expedited processing.
How to Become a Government Contractor
To become a government contractor, register free on SAM.gov for your Unique Entity ID, join the state and local portals where you want to work, and start bidding where competition is thinnest. This guide walks the whole path, from registration to your first win.
How to Ensure RFP Compliance
RFP compliance means meeting every stated requirement so your proposal survives the first screen and gets scored on merit. Here's how to make it systematic: the compliance matrix, the Q&A period, addenda tracking and the two reviews every response needs.
State Government Contract Issuers, Vendors, and COVID-19
As the world continues to overcome COVID-19, state governments are adapting their contracting practices in subtle but important ways. Fortunately, state-issued Requests for Proposals (RFP) and other bidding opportunities are continuing. These government contracts represent a valuable opportunity, especially given the high level of uncertainty in private-sector procurement. To maintain your business’s growth potential in…
GSA Schedule Bids and Building Your Business
A GSA Schedule — officially the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) — is a long-term government-wide contract with pre-negotiated prices and terms, letting federal buyers purchase from you without running a full competition. Here is what it takes to qualify, the $25,000 sales rule people misread, and whether it is worth pursuing.