Guides
Long-form, plain-language guides on federal, state, and local government contracting for small businesses — searching, monitoring, certifications, set-asides, and the differences between every level of procurement. Start with the complete guide below or jump straight to the topic you need.
Start here — pillar guide
What SAM.gov is, how NAICS codes and set-aside certifications work, and why consistent monitoring across federal, state, and local sources is the key to winning government contracts. The pillar of our guide library.
Read the guide →Topic guides
Each guide goes deep on a single piece of government contracting. They’re designed to be read on their own or as a follow-on to the pillar guide above.
Where federal, state, and local contracts are posted, and how to search each one. Compare keyword search, NAICS lookup, and semantic search.
Read the guide →What replaced FedBizOpps, what SAM.gov contains, and how USAspending.gov, SBA SUBNet, and 50 state databases fit together.
Read the guide →Compare SAM.gov saved searches, state portal alerts, enterprise monitor tools, and consolidated daily alerts. Pick the right setup for your business.
Read the guide →A plain-language guide to the four major federal small business set-aside programs — eligibility, certification, and how to use a certification once you have one.
Read the guide →How state government procurement differs from federal: portals, certifications, contract sizes, response windows, and which level fits your business.
Read the guide →Step-by-step guide to bidding: solicitation types (RFP, RFQ, IFB, Sources Sought), reading a solicitation, bid/no-bid, writing a proposal, pricing, and submission.
Read the guide →Reference
Browse the 49 states ContractRadar monitors with links to each state's procurement portal and a dedicated guide.
Read the guide →Plain-language definitions of 50+ government contracting terms — NAICS codes, set-asides, SAM.gov, UEI, RFP, RFQ, past performance, and more.
Read the guide →Looking for shorter posts and product updates? Visit the blog.