Most contractors are taught to watch SAM.gov, scan bid boards, set up alerts, and respond when something looks like a fit. That is not wrong. It is also not enough. By the time an opportunity shows up publicly, a lot has already happened. The requirement has been shaped. The acquisition strategy has been discussed. Market […]
For years, small business contractors have heard some version of the same advice: register in SAM.gov, build a capability statement, find opportunities, submit proposals, and wait. That advice is not wrong. It is just incomplete. The Department of Defense is continuing to push acquisition reform in a direction that favors speed, commercial capability, flexible buying […]
Small business contractors just got a very important piece of good news. On May 21, 2026, the House Committee on Small Business announced that it had reported nine bills favorably to the full House. One of those bills, H.R. 2804, the “Protecting Small Business Competitions Act of 2025,” would amend the Small Business Act to […]
If you are asking, “What is the best market research platform for government contracting?”, the honest answer is: it depends on your business, your budget, your experience level, and how much support you need beyond simply finding bid opportunities. Some platforms are built for large federal contractors with dedicated capture teams. Others are better suited […]
Federal contracting is having a “read the fine print twice” moment. On April 30, 2026, the White House issued Executive Order 14402, “Promoting Efficiency, Accountability, and Performance in Federal Contracting.” The core message is straightforward: federal agencies are being directed to use fixed-price contracts, or contracts tied to performance-based incentives, as the default procurement approach […]
If you’ve spent any time researching government contracting, you’ve probably heard the same certifications come up repeatedly: And if you’re like most small business owners, you’ve probably wondered: “Which certification actually matters most right now?”“Do I even qualify?”“Is certification really worth the effort in 2026?” Those are important questions because the certification landscape has changed […]
Small business owners are wired to be independent. That is part of what makes them dangerous in the best possible way. They build, sell, fix, install, manage, repair, transport, protect, clean, code, consult, and deliver. They figure things out. They make payroll. They solve problems without needing a committee to tell them where the fire […]
Federal contracting has always had a tension built into it. On one side, agencies need flexibility. Not every requirement is clean, simple, or easy to price. Some projects evolve. Some involve uncertainty. Some require technical discovery before anyone can confidently define the final outcome. On the other side, the government wants predictability. It wants to […]
One of the biggest questions small businesses ask when pursuing government contracts is surprisingly simple: “What should we charge?” Price too high, and you may lose the opportunity immediately.Price too low, and you risk hurting your margins, creating performance issues, or making your company look inexperienced. For many contractors, pricing feels like guesswork. And honestly, […]
If you’ve spent any time pursuing government contracts, you’ve probably asked yourself some version of this question: “Why aren’t we winning?” Most people assume the answer comes down to pricing, proposal quality, or competition. And while those factors matter, they’re usually not the real issue. In most cases, contractors lose the opportunity long before they […]