How to find government contract opportunities

Know where demand is posted

Federal agencies post most contract opportunities above the micro-purchase threshold on SAM.gov, the official U.S. government system for contract notices. State, county and city buyers use their own portals, and some purchases run through cooperative contracts or existing contract vehicles that aren't posted publicly.

Start with the source where your buyers actually publish. For most federal work, that's SAM.gov.

Register before you need to

To receive a federal award you generally need an active SAM.gov registration, which gives you a Unique Entity ID (UEI) and, for many buyers, a CAGE code. Registration can take weeks, so start early.

Understand the notice types

Sources sought and requests for information (RFIs) are market research — the buyer is learning who can supply a need. Responding can shape the requirement and put you on the buyer's radar.

Pre-solicitation notices announce that a solicitation is coming. Solicitations (RFQs, RFPs, IFBs) are the actual requests for bids. Award notices tell you who won and often at what price — useful for future pricing and recompetes.

Search by what you sell, not just codes

NAICS and PSC codes help, but buyers don't always pick the code you expect. Combine codes with product names, brands and plain-language keywords, and review a sample of results to refine your search.

Make it repeatable

Check new notices on a schedule, save the ones worth a closer look, and note why you passed on others. Patterns in what you pursue and pass will sharpen your search over time.

GovDemand automates much of this: it ingests SAM.gov notices, labels their stage, and compares each one with your Supplier Passport so you see explained matches instead of raw keyword hits.