Win your first federal contract, starting with one free step.
Selling to the U.S. government looks like a maze of registrations, certifications, and acronyms. It is not. This is the honest, ordered roadmap to get registered, position your business, find the right work, and land your first award, without paying anyone for things the government provides for free.
SAM.gov registration is 100% free. You never need to pay a third party.
Register yourself, directly at SAM.gov. Avoid services that charge $300 to $1,500 to do what takes an afternoon for free. They prey on brand-new businesses to charge for something the government provides at no cost. The only legitimate help desk is the Federal Service Desk at 1-866-606-8220. If a "registration service" calls, emails, or pressures you, walk away. Nothing on the road to your first contract requires a paid middleman.
Lay the foundation
These steps are the bedrock. Every federal dollar, contract or grant, flows through them, and not one costs a cent. Do them in this order and you will be officially eligible to win work. Take your time here; it is the part you only do once.
Form your legal entity
An LLC or corporation, registered and in good standing with your state. This is the business the government will contract with.
- SAM and contracting officers verify that your legal entity exists and is active.
- File with your Secretary of State (for example, Maryland SDAT), then keep your annual report and registered agent current.
- A lapse can get you administratively dissolved, so set a calendar reminder for your renewal.
Get an EIN from the IRS
Your Employer Identification Number, a federal tax ID for your business, like a Social Security number for the company.
- Required before you can register in SAM.gov, open a business bank account, or run payroll.
- You need one even as a single-member LLC.
- Issued instantly when you apply online with the IRS, directly and for free.
Create a Login.gov account
The U.S. government's secure single sign-on, your key into SAM.gov and many other federal systems.
- Set it up with your email plus a phone or authenticator app for multi-factor sign-in.
- Use a business email you will keep. It becomes your federal identity.
- One account, used everywhere. There is nothing to buy.
Get your UEI and register in SAM.gov
Your federal business profile and Unique Entity ID (UEI), the number that identifies you to the entire government.
- You cannot be awarded a contract or grant without an active SAM registration. This is the step everything else depends on.
- You will enter your legal business info, NAICS codes (for example 541512, 541511, 541519, 518210), banking details for payment, and your reps and certifications.
- Your UEI is issued during the process; full activation typically takes 1 to 3 weeks, so start early.
- It is free, always. Do it yourself. Never pay a third party to register you.
Position your business to win
Registration gets you in the door. Positioning is how a contracting officer finds you and decides you are worth a call. Three things do most of the work, and each is free.
Write a capabilities statement
A one-page resume for your company. The single most-requested document in government contracting.
One page: a short company overview, your core competencies, your differentiators, your UEI, CAGE code (assigned automatically when you register in SAM.gov), NAICS codes, any set-aside status, and clear contact info. Lead with what you do and who you have done it for. Keep it specific; a contracting officer skims it in 20 seconds.
Pick your NAICS codes
The codes that classify the work you do. They decide which opportunities you match and which size standard applies to you.
Each NAICS code has its own small-business size standard (a revenue or headcount ceiling). Pick the codes that genuinely describe your work, set them in SAM, and make them match your capabilities statement. Browse codes at the Census NAICS reference.
Self-identify any set-aside status
In SAM you self-certify as a small business. Some statuses go further, and a few require a separate certification (covered in detail below).
Whether you count as "small" depends on your NAICS size standards, the revenue or headcount ceiling tied to your codes. Once you self-certify as small, you can immediately bid contracts reserved for small businesses. Nothing extra to apply for.
One line each: 8(a) is for socially and economically disadvantaged owners. SDVOSB / VOSB are for service-disabled and other veteran owners. WOSB / EDWOSB are for women-owned and economically disadvantaged women-owned firms. HUBZone is location-based. Each opens its own pool of set-aside work, and each requires a formal certification that is separate from your SAM registration. Details and links are in the certifications section.
Find the right opportunities
Federal work is published in public, but it is scattered across many systems and most of it never makes the front page. Here is where it lives and how to read it.
Know where opportunities live
Four places carry the vast majority of work you can pursue.
The official feed of active federal solicitations. Filter by NAICS, set-aside, agency, and place of performance, and save searches so new postings come to you. Start at sam.gov.
Most agencies publish a procurement forecast of what they plan to buy in the year ahead. Reading these is how you find work months before a solicitation drops, while there is still time to position.
Before a real solicitation, agencies post sources-sought notices and Requests for Information to gauge the market. Responding puts your name in front of the buyer early and can shape how the requirement is written.
State, local, and education (SLED) buyers run their own portals, often with lighter competition and faster cycles than federal. A strong place to win early past performance.
Read a solicitation the right way
A solicitation looks dense, but a handful of sections decide whether you bid.
Check the NAICS code and set-aside first to confirm you are eligible. Read Section L (instructions: exactly how to submit) and Section M (evaluation: how they will score you) before anything else, because they tell you how to win. Note the due date, the place and period of performance, and whether questions are allowed. If it is not a fit, move on quickly; saying no to the wrong bid is a skill.
Bid, team, and win
Your first award rarely comes from going it alone on a big prime contract. The realistic path is steady bids, smart teaming to build past performance, and honest pricing.
Bid basics
A compliant, on-time bid beats a brilliant one that misses the rules.
Answer every requirement in Section L in the order it is asked, address each evaluation factor in Section M, and submit before the deadline with nothing missing. Most losing bids lose on compliance, not on quality. Tailor every proposal to the specific solicitation; reusing a generic template is easy for evaluators to spot.
Team and subcontract to build past performance
The fastest honest way to earn the federal track record buyers ask for.
Partner with an established prime on work they already hold. It is how most new firms earn their first federal experience, and it needs no certification to start. Deliver well and that past performance becomes your ticket to bidding as a prime.
Pair with an experienced mentor to form a joint venture and bid work, drawing on the mentor's track record while you build your own.
Price it right, and be patient
Honest about both money and timelines.
Price to your real costs plus a fair margin, not to a number you imagine will win. Government buyers evaluate price as reasonable and realistic; a bid that is too low reads as risky, not as a bargain. Know your labor rates and your indirect costs before you submit.
Registration takes a few weeks. A first contract often takes several months to a year or more of consistent pursuit, and a few losses along the way are normal. The firms that win are the ones that keep showing up, keep responding to sources-sought, and keep refining their bids. This is a long game, and it rewards persistence.
The set-aside certifications, explained
Certifications are optional, but each one unlocks a pool of work reserved for firms like yours. They are free to apply for through the SBA, and they are separate from your SAM registration. No overclaiming: ownership alone is not enough, you must hold the active certification.
8(a) Business Development
For socially and economically disadvantaged owners. Unlocks sole-source awards (contracts an agency can award you directly, without a competition) and a nine-year development runway. Requires a social-disadvantage narrative and financial documentation.
Apply via SBA →SDVOSB / VOSB
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned and Veteran-Owned Small Business. For firms owned and controlled by veterans, with priority for service-disabled veterans. Certified through SBA VetCert.
Apply via VetCert →WOSB / EDWOSB
Women-Owned and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business. For firms at least 51% owned and controlled by women, in industries where women are underrepresented.
Apply via SBA →HUBZone
Historically Underutilized Business Zone. No veteran or woman-owned requirement; eligibility is based on where your principal office sits and where your employees live. Check the official map first.
Check the HUBZone map →How FedFinder helps
Registration gets you in the door. Finding the right work, and the people who decide it, is the hard part. That is what FedFinder is for, and you can start with a 14-day full-access trial, no credit card required.
Find opportunities
Federal, state, local, and grant opportunities in one feed, filtered to your NAICS, size, and certifications, with alerts so you see the right work as it posts.
Track decision-makers
Program leads and contracting officers by agency, with history and verified contact paths, so you can build relationships instead of bidding blind.
Manage a capture pipeline
Track pursuits by stage with next-action reminders and an assistant that helps you qualify and prepare, from first signal to submission.
14-day full-access trial, no credit card required 30-day money-back guarantee
Stuck on step one? We can help you get going.
We have been the new company in the room. Tell us where you are stuck, whether it is registration, what you qualify for, or finding your first opportunity, and we will point you the right way. No pressure, and never a "registration fee." The trial below is 14 days of full access, no credit card required.