How Federal Buying Is Organized
Federal agencies purchase supplies and services under the Federal Acquisition Regulation and agency supplements. The method used depends on factors such as dollar value, complexity, urgency, competition, commercial availability, and statutory requirements.
Finding Opportunities
SAM.gov Contract Opportunities publishes notices such as presolicitations, solicitations, award notices, and sole-source notices. Contractors can also study agency forecasts, spending data, procurement histories, prime contractor directories, and subcontracting opportunities.
Reading a Solicitation
Review the entire solicitation, including instructions, evaluation factors, statement of work or performance work statement, clauses, representations, delivery requirements, and amendment history. The proposal should follow the requested format and directly address every evaluated requirement.
Evaluation and Award
Agencies may use price, technical capability, past performance, management approach, schedule, and other factors. Some acquisitions select the lowest-priced technically acceptable offer, while others permit tradeoffs between price and non-price factors. The solicitation controls the method.
Prime and Subcontracting Paths
A business may compete as a prime contractor, join a team, supply a prime contractor, or pursue subcontracting opportunities. New entrants often benefit from narrowing their target agencies, matching NAICS codes to proven capabilities, and documenting relevant past performance.
Procurement Readiness Checklist
Maintain an active SAM registration, confirm size status, prepare a focused capability statement, identify target agencies, establish accounting and recordkeeping practices, understand applicable clauses, and create a repeatable process for bid decisions and proposal review.