Few things expose the strange incentives of federal contracting quite like the small business size cliff. A contractor can spend years building past performance, hiring specialized employees, strengthening its accounting systems, and developing the financial capacity to perform larger contracts. Then it crosses its SBA size standard and discovers that much of the market it […]
For years, government contractors treated major contract vehicle deadlines like a fire alarm. The solicitation would open, the clock would start ticking, and companies would scramble to find old project documents, track down CPARS reports, confirm certification records, and upload everything before the door slammed shut. OASIS+ works differently. The General Services Administration currently lists […]
Many small businesses begin paying attention to a federal opportunity when the request for proposals appears on SAM.gov, which makes sense on the surface because that is when the government finally explains what it wants to buy, how proposals will be evaluated, and when everything is due. The trouble is that one of the most […]
SEWP is one of those government acronyms that sounds more like lunch than federal procurement, which is appropriate because the NASA contract vehicle has spent years serving agencies a very large menu of technology products and services. Now NASA is preparing to open the doors on SEWP VI, and small business contractors should be studying […]
Shopping for government contracting software can get confusing fast. One platform promises better data. Another promises better alerts. A third gives you a pipeline, but you still have to feed it information by hand. Before long, you have six browser tabs open, three salespeople calling, and absolutely no idea which tool will make your day […]
The federal government is not one customer, it is more like a shopping mall with thousands of doors, dozens of purchasing systems and at least a few hallways that lead to a procurement forecast nobody has updated lately. For a small-business contractor, the trick is not convincing the entire government to buy from you. It […]
Quick answer: If your SAM.gov entity registration renewal was submitted between March 24 and July 22, 2026, a system error may have caused one or more small business size standards to be calculated incorrectly in your representations and certifications. SAM.gov corrected the error and is sending instructions to potentially affected entities by email. Contractors should […]
Fixed-price contracts can look wonderfully simple from a distance. The government describes what it wants, you name a price, everyone signs, and the work begins. In real life, of course, it can feel more like agreeing to cater a wedding before anyone tells you the guest count, the menu, or whether the venue has a […]
Most small businesses entering the federal marketplace aren’t short on capability. They know their industry, serve their customers well, and have something valuable to offer government buyers. The harder question is whether the business is prepared for the way federal work is pursued, awarded, and performed. An active SAM.gov registration is important, but registration alone […]
When most business owners hear “government contracts,” they picture Washington, D.C., giant federal agencies, and proposals thick enough to stop a door. But some of the most accessible government opportunities may be much closer to home. Cities, counties, school districts, public utilities, libraries, parks departments, and other local entities purchase an enormous range of products […]