First time· Government contracting for beginners

Your first government contract,
step by step

Any business meeting minimum eligibility can bid on a federal contract. The obstacle isn't legal — it's understanding the process. This guide walks you through it in order, from SAM.gov registration and your UEI to submitting a compliant technical and price proposal before the deadline.

SAM.gov & UEI · finding solicitations · Sections L & M · documentation · pricing · deadlines

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The 7 phases of bidding on a government contract

Any business can walk this path — even on the first try

Register on SAM.gov and get your UEI

Registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) is mandatory before you can be awarded a U.S. federal contract — and it's free. Registering issues your Unique Entity ID (UEI), the 12-character code that replaced the DUNS number in 2022, and you'll also want a CAGE code. Budget 10-15 business days, complete your Representations & Certifications during signup, and set a reminder to renew every 365 days or your registration lapses.

Find the right solicitation

Open opportunities are posted on SAM.gov's Contract Opportunities. Filter by your NAICS code (which also sets the small-business size standard) and by set-aside — Total Small Business, 8(a), WOSB, SDVOSB, or HUBZone. Buys above the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (currently $350,000) are fully competed; below it, agencies use lighter procedures. Save your searches and turn on alerts so new notices reach you automatically.

Read the solicitation — especially Sections L and M

A federal solicitation isn't one document. Read the SF-33 cover, the Statement of Work (SOW) or Performance Work Statement (PWS), and above all Section L (proposal instructions) and Section M (evaluation factors). Section M tells you exactly how you'll be scored — Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) or best-value tradeoff — and whether it's an RFP, RFQ, or IFB. Make the bid / no-bid call before you invest a single hour writing.

Assemble your documentation

Typical requirements: a Capability Statement, past performance references (agencies also pull your record from CPARS), key-personnel resumes, your active SAM.gov registration, Reps & Certs, a bid bond if required, and — for architect-engineer work — an SF-330. Missing or expired documents are one of the most common ways a capable bidder gets eliminated on a technicality.

Write the technical proposal (the volume that wins)

This is the decisive volume, and it must answer Section M point by point — evaluators score what's written, not what you meant. This is where Nomos comes in: from the solicitation PDF it maps the evaluation factors and drafts a technical proposal that addresses each one, grounded in your past performance and methodology. What used to take weeks resolves in hours.

Build the price (or cost) volume

Price realistically: figures that are unbalanced or far below cost can get your proposal deemed risky or your firm found non-responsible. Break out labor, materials, and any option periods exactly as Section L requires. On best-value procurements price is weighed against your technical score — the cheapest bid doesn't automatically win.

Submit before the deadline — to the minute

Federal deadlines are strict; a late proposal is almost always rejected, no exceptions. Submit through the method the solicitation specifies (SAM.gov or the agency's portal) and confirm receipt. Recommendation: upload at least 24 hours early to leave margin for portal glitches, file-size limits, or a last-minute question to the contracting officer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to bid on a government contract?

Bidding is free — SAM.gov registration costs nothing and you never pay to submit. The real costs are the time to write a compliant proposal, a bid or performance bond if the solicitation requires one (often a percentage of the contract value), and optionally tools like Nomos to speed up drafting. Beware third-party sites that charge to 'register' you on SAM.gov; the official site is free.

Can a sole proprietor or very small business bid?

Yes. Federal law deliberately reserves a share of contracting for small business, and many solicitations are set aside exclusively for small, women-owned (WOSB), service-disabled veteran-owned (SDVOSB), HUBZone, or 8(a) firms. Your NAICS code determines the size standard that defines 'small' for a given opportunity. Being small is often an advantage here, not a barrier.

What if I have no demonstrable past performance?

It's not necessarily disqualifying. Some solicitations set low past-performance thresholds or accept references from commercial work, and a bidder with no record is often rated 'neutral' rather than negative. You can also team up — bid as a joint venture or as a subcontractor to an experienced prime — to borrow the past performance you don't yet have. Once you win, your performance is recorded in CPARS and builds your future record.

How much time do I have from posting to the deadline?

It varies by procedure. For competitive procurements above the Simplified Acquisition Threshold, agencies typically allow 30-60 calendar days, though it can be shorter for simplified or urgent buys. The exact due date and time are in the solicitation and on the SAM.gov notice — always work to that, and mind the time zone.

What happens if I make a mistake in a document?

It depends on the mistake. A contracting officer can let you correct a minor informality — a missing signature or date, an obvious clerical error — usually within a short window. What you generally cannot change after the deadline is your technical approach or your price. That's why submitting early, with a checklist against Section L, matters so much.

Want real-world examples? Read the most common RFP mistakes that kill small business bids

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Your first government contract,step by step