GovCon resources & guides
Practical, no-hype guidance on finding and winning federal opportunities - NAICS codes, set-asides, bid/no-bid decisions, and more.
Jun 24, 2026 · 5 min read
Find Federal Contracts You Can Win: 2026 Guide
A practical 2026 playbook for small federal contractors: where to find opportunities, how to filter to a realistic shortlist, and why win-ability matters more than volume.
Read the guide →Jun 22, 2026 · 5 min read
NAICS Codes for Government Contracting Explained
A practitioner's guide to how NAICS codes drive federal solicitations, size standards, and set-aside eligibility — and how to pick yours.
Read the guide →Jun 20, 2026 · 5 min read
Federal Set-Aside Contracts Explained for Small Business
A practitioner's guide to the main federal small-business set-aside programs, how they show up on solicitations, and why eligibility must always be verified, not assumed.
Read the guide →Jun 18, 2026 · 5 min read
A Bid/No-Bid Framework for Small Contractors
A scoring-based bid/no-bid framework that helps small federal contractors chase fewer, better-fit opportunities and say no with discipline.
Read the guide →Jun 24, 2026 · 7 min read
How to Register on SAM.gov: A Step-by-Step Guide for 2026
A step-by-step walkthrough of registering your small business on SAM.gov in 2026, from getting a Unique Entity ID to keeping your registration active, plus a warning about paid services that charge for what is free.
Read the guide →Jun 24, 2026 · 7 min read
Sections L and M Explained: How to Read a Federal Solicitation
A practical guide to Sections L and M of a federal solicitation: what each section controls, how they shape a compliant proposal, and how to turn them into a compliance matrix that keeps your bid in the running.
Read the guide →Jun 24, 2026 · 7 min read
Past Performance With No Federal Experience: A 2026 Guide
A practical 2026 guide for firms with no federal awards: how to assemble relevant past performance from commercial, state, and local work, subcontracting, teaming, and key personnel, and how to present relevance honestly.
Read the guide →Jun 24, 2026 · 7 min read
Sources Sought and RFIs: How to Shape a Federal Requirement
Sources sought notices and RFIs let you influence a federal requirement before the solicitation drops. Here is how to respond well and fit it into your capture pipeline.
Read the guide →Jun 25, 2026 · 7 min read
How to Write a Federal Capability Statement (2026)
What a federal capability statement is, the standard one-page sections agencies and primes expect, how to tailor it per agency, and the mistakes that get it ignored.
Read the guide →Jun 25, 2026 · 7 min read
GSA Schedule (MAS) Explained for Small Business
A practical guide to the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) for small federal contractors: what the vehicle is, how it works, whether it is worth pursuing, the rough process to get on, and how it fits alongside open-market and set-aside work.
Read the guide →Jun 25, 2026 · 7 min read
Teaming Agreements and Subcontracting in Federal Contracting: A 2026 Guide
When a pursuit needs capabilities or past performance you do not have alone, teaming is how you close the gap. A practical 2026 look at primes, subs, teaming agreements, joint ventures, and the terms to get right.
Read the guide →Jun 25, 2026 · 7 min read
How to Price a Federal Proposal: Basics for Small Contractors
A plain-language 2026 guide to pricing a federal proposal: cost versus price, common contract types, building up labor and indirect rates plus fee, and what price evaluators actually look for.
Read the guide →Jun 25, 2026 · 6 min read
How to Read a Fit Score: Turning 0-100 Into a Go/No-Go
An explainable fit score turns a wall of solicitations into a ranked shortlist. Here is what the number measures, what it leaves out, and how to act on it.
Read the guide →Jun 25, 2026 · 7 min read
What Goes in a Compliance Matrix (and How to Build One)
A compliance matrix is the single highest-leverage proposal artifact for a small contractor. Here is what goes in it and how to build one from Sections L and M.
Read the guide →Jun 25, 2026 · 6 min read
What a Pursuit Brief Should Contain (and Why It Saves Hours)
A good pursuit brief turns scattered research into a decision your principal can make in five minutes. Here is the anatomy of one that actually saves time.
Read the guide →Jun 25, 2026 · 6 min read
SAM.gov Saved Searches Aren't Enough - Here's What to Add
SAM.gov saved searches tell you what is new, not what is worth your time. Here is where keyword alerts fall short and what to add to find win-able work.
Read the guide →Jun 25, 2026 · 7 min read
Which Set-Aside Is Your Edge? 8(a), SDVOSB, WOSB & HUBZone Compared
A plain-English comparison of the main small-business set-aside programs so you can figure out which certification actually turns into pipeline for your firm, not just which one you technically qualify for.
Read the guide →Jun 25, 2026 · 7 min read
Capture Management Without a Capture Team
A practical capture process for small federal contractors with no dedicated capture team: a weekly rhythm, qualify-before-you-pursue, lightweight pursuit briefs, early customer shaping, and where tooling replaces headcount.
Read the guide →Jun 25, 2026 · 7 min read
From SAM.gov Noise to a Morning Shortlist of 5
A realistic daily and weekly routine to turn the SAM.gov firehose into a short, ranked list of winnable work: cast wide on structured fields, rank by fit, read the rationale on the top few, verify at source, and decide fast.
Read the guide →Jun 25, 2026 · 7 min read
The Small Contractor's GovCon Glossary: NAICS, PSC, Set-Asides, Sections L & M
A plain-English glossary of the GovCon terms a new-ish small federal contractor keeps hitting — NAICS, PSC, set-asides, UEI/CAGE/SAM, Sections L & M, past performance, IDIQ, and fit scoring — organized by group so you can find what you need fast.
Read the guide →