How to Find the Right Government Contract Opportunities

Breaking into government contracting starts with one essential step; knowing where to find the right opportunities. With $759 billion awarded in FY 2023 and $774 billion in total procurement for 2024 (according to govspend.com), the federal government is the single largest customer in the world. Contracts are available for almost every kind of business, from construction and IT services to healthcare and research.

Federal opportunities are scattered across multiple portals, each with its own structure, requirements, and timelines. That’s why understanding where to look and how to navigate these platforms can give you a powerful head start. In this guide, we’ll walk through the main sources of government contracts, from SAM.gov to subcontracting options, agency forecasts, and modern tools like OppyHound that make the search faster and smarter.

SAM.gov – navigating the main federal portal

SAM.gov serves as the authoritative source for federal contracting opportunities, consolidating what were previously separate systems into a single platform. Mastering SAM.gov navigation is essential for identifying and pursuing federal contracts effectively.

Key SAM.gov Sections:

Contract Opportunities: This section lists active solicitations from all federal agencies. You can search by:

• Keywords related to your products or services
• NAICS codes
• Agency
• Place of performance
• Set-aside type
• Contract value range

Advanced Search Strategies:

• Set up saved searches with email alerts for new opportunities matching your criteria
• Use Boolean search operators (AND, OR, NOT) to refine results
• Search by Contract Opportunities (current) and Contract Awards (historical) to understand market patterns
• Filter by solicitation type (RFQ, RFP, IFB) to focus on opportunities matching your response capabilities

Understanding Opportunity Listings: Each opportunity includes critical information:

• Synopsis: Brief description of requirements
• Solicitation Number: Unique identifier for tracking
• Response Deadline: Proposal due date and time (usually Eastern Time)
• Procurement Type: Competitive or sole source
• Set-Aside Information: If restricted to certain small business categories
• Point of Contact: Government official managing the procurement
• Solicitation Documents: Draft (RFP, RFI, Draft PWS, RFP) depending on the type of SAM.gov notification

Opportunity Lifecycle Tracking:

• Sources Sought/RFI: Early market research, good for relationship building
• Draft RFP: Preview of requirements, opportunity to ask questions
• Final RFP: Official solicitation requiring formal response
• Amendment: Changes to original solicitation
• Award Notice: Announcement of contract winner

Obtaining a DUNS Number, CAGE Code, and UEI

While the UEI has replaced the DUNS number as the primary federal identifier, understanding all identification systems remains important for small business government contracting.

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):

• Automatically assigned during SAM.gov registration
• 12-character alphanumeric identifier
• Required for all federal transactions
• Links to your complete SAM registration data

Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code:

• 5-character identifier assigned by the Defense Logistics Agency
• Automatically created during SAM registration for domestic entities
• Required for defense contracts and many other government bids
• International businesses receive NCAGE codes through NATO

Legacy DUNS Numbers:

• Still referenced in some older contract documents
• Dun & Bradstreet maintains these for historical tracking
• Not required for new federal registrations as of April 2022

Subcontracting and teaming opportunities

Many startups find their entry point into government contracting through government subcontracting relationships with established prime contractors. This approach offers several advantages while building the experience and relationships necessary for eventual prime contracting.

Benefits of Subcontracting:

• Lower barriers to entry with reduced administrative burden
• Learning opportunity to understand government requirements
• Relationship building with prime contractors and government customers
• Revenue generation while building past performance experience (which you will need as a prime contractor bidding on a solicitation)
• Access to larger government contract opportunities beyond your company’s current capacity

How to find Subcontracting Opportunities:

• Prime Contractor Outreach: Research companies that regularly win contracts in your market space:
  • Review SAM.gov award data, FPDS data (Federal Procurement Data System – Next Generation); and USA Spending data (Government Spending Open Data | USAspending) to identify frequent winners and contract values (Pleas note, we define these sites in more detail below)
  • Attend industry events and vendor networking sessions
  • Join professional associations where prime contractors participate
  • Leverage LinkedIn and other professional networks
    
• Subcontracting Plans: Large contracts require prime contractors to develop small business subcontracting plans:
  • Request these plans from prime contractors
  • Identify specific subcategories where your business fits
  • Propose specific value-added services that complement the prime’s offering

Teaming Agreements: Formal partnerships between businesses to pursue specific opportunities:

• Combine complementary capabilities
• Meet small business size requirements while accessing larger opportunities
• Share risk and resources across team members
• Actively participate in proposal development to show your worth and earn your work share
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and revenue sharing

Useful Government portals other than SAM.gov

Government agencies publish acquisition data that provide early visibility into contracting opportunities. These portals enable strategic planning and relationship building before formal solicitations are released.

Agency Forecast Portals: Most major agencies maintain forecast portals including:

• GSA Forecast of Contracting Opportunities: eBuy and other GSA platforms
• Acquisition Gateway: Provides a nationwide dashboard of upcoming federal contracting opportunities
• DHS Acquisition Planning Forecast: Department of Homeland Security opportunities
• DOD Forecast of Contracting Opportunities: Defense Department planning information
• NASA Acquisition Forecast: Space and technology opportunities

USAspending.gov: This transparency portal provides comprehensive federal spending data:

• Historical contract awards by agency, contractor, and category
• Trending analysis to identify growing market segments
• Competitive landscape analysis to understand market players
• Geographic spending patterns to identify regional opportunities

Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS): Detailed transactional data on federal contracts:

• Contract modifications and change orders
• Performance metrics and delivery information
• Small business utilization statistics
• Market research data for competitive intelligence

Role of APEX Accelerators and OSDBUs

The government provides extensive support infrastructure to help small businesses succeed in federal contracting. Leveraging these free resources can significantly accelerate your learning curve and increase your success probability.

APEX Accelerators (formerly PTACs): These organizations provide free counseling and training:

• Services Offered: Bid matching, proposal review, capability statement development, registration assistance
• Local Presence: Offices nationwide with counselors familiar with regional opportunities
• Specialized Programs: Industry-specific training and certification preparation
• Networking Events: Regular events connecting small businesses with government buyers

Find your local APEX Accelerator at APEX Accelerators website.

Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU): Every major federal agency has an OSDBU office:

• Advocacy: Represent small business interests within agencies
• Outreach: Host vendor meetings and industry days
• Compliance: Monitor agency small business goal achievement
• Resources: Provide agency-specific contracting guidance

Additional Support Resources:

• SBA District Offices: Local SBA offices provide counseling and program information
• SCORE Mentors: Experienced business professionals offering free mentoring
• Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs): Comprehensive business development assistance. Find your local SBDC at SBA’s SBDC locator.
• Women’s Business Centers (WBCs): Specialized support for women entrepreneurs

How to use OppyHound to discover contracts tailored to startups

OppyHound represents a new generation of AI-powered tools designed to help small businesses navigate the complex federal contracting landscape more effectively than traditional search methods.

Note: The OppyHound interface is continuously evolving. The screenshots included in this blog may not reflect the most recent updates.

Key Features:

• Document-Level Keyword Search
  Search directly within solicitation documents to find relevant key words, bidding requirements, deadlines, and terms without scrolling through hundreds of pages.
• AI-Powered Solicitation Chat and Extraction
  Ask built-in assistant questions like “What are the submission deadlines?” or “Is this a small business set-aside?” and get instant, reliable answers in a PDF report. Extract eligibility, past performance requirements, and submission instructions in seconds.
• Instant Insight Reports
  Quickly evaluate whether an opportunity is worth your time. OppyHound summarizes the key requirements and highlights areas you need to pay attention to.
• Real-Time Updates and Watchlists
  Track opportunities, get notified when there are changes, and never miss an amendment or clarification again.
• SAM.gov Integration for Smart Research
  OppyHound connects directly with SAM.gov updated several time a day, bringing the latest opportunities into one clean interface where you can sort, filter, and prioritize effectively.

Instead of spending hours lost in complex portals and scattered data, OppyHound puts everything in one place. Don’t let the complexity slow you down.  Sign up for free (no credit card required) and see how OppyHound can simplify your path to government contracts.

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Conclusion

Winning government contracts starts with knowing where to look and acting fast when the right opportunity appears. By staying proactive, leveraging the right tools and insights, and focusing on compliance from the start, you can increase your chances of winning contracts that fuel sustainable growth. If you’re a small business aiming for set-aside opportunities or an established company pursuing large-scale government projects, preparation and visibility are the keys to success.

Are you ready to discover contracting opportunities for your business? Sign up for free today on Oppyhound to search and analyze the right contracts.

If you’re ready for the next stage, dive into our full resource: Government Contracting for Startups: A Step-by-Step Guide.