Government contracts represent a massive opportunity for small businesses. The federal government alone awards over $700 billion in contracts annually, with a mandate to direct at least 23% to small businesses. But finding the right opportunities can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Where to Find Government Contracts
The primary sources for federal government contracts are:
- SAM.gov - The official U.S. government system for contract opportunities. All federal contracts over $25,000 must be posted here.
- Grants.gov - For grant opportunities from federal agencies.
- State procurement portals - Each state has its own system. California uses Cal eProcure, Texas uses ESBD, and so on.
- Agency-specific portals - Some agencies like NASA and DOD have their own procurement systems.
Understanding NAICS Codes
NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) codes are how the government categorizes businesses and contracts. Every contract is tagged with a NAICS code, and your business should be registered under the codes that match your services.
For example:
- 541512 - Computer Systems Design Services
- 236220 - Commercial and Institutional Building Construction
- 561720 - Janitorial Services
Getting your NAICS codes right is crucial - it determines which contracts you're eligible for and which alerts you'll receive.
The Challenge: Information Overload
SAM.gov alone posts thousands of new opportunities daily. Manually checking multiple portals, filtering by your industry, location, and contract size is a full-time job. Most small businesses either:
- Miss opportunities because they can't check every portal every day
- Waste hours scrolling through irrelevant listings
- Give up entirely and miss out on government revenue
A Better Approach: Automated Alerts
This is exactly why we built ProcurePing. Instead of manually searching, you set your criteria once - your NAICS codes, keywords, and target states - and we deliver matching opportunities directly to your inbox.
Our system scans SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and state portals multiple times daily, scores each opportunity for relevance, and sends you only the contracts worth your attention.
Start your free alert feed and stop missing opportunities.
Key Takeaways
- Register your business on SAM.gov - it's required for federal contracts
- Know your NAICS codes and keep them updated
- Don't rely on manual searching - automate your opportunity discovery
- Start small with state and local contracts to build past performance
Stop Missing Government Contracts
Get automated alerts for opportunities matching your NAICS codes and keywords.
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