Guides for small federal contractors

Plain-English guides to finding and winning federal work — including the free tools you should set up before paying anyone (us included).

• How to find federal contracts as a small business: the 2026 starter guide
  A plain-English starter guide to federal contracting for small businesses, covering free SAM.gov registration, NAICS codes, set-asides, and finding work.
• SAM.gov saved-search alerts: setup guide, limits, and when you've outgrown them
  How to set up free SAM.gov saved-search email alerts step by step, what they can and can't do, and what a judgment layer adds on top of them.
• What is a Sources Sought notice (and why small contractors should answer them)
  What a Sources Sought notice is, how the Rule of Two can turn your response into a small business set-aside, and how to write a reply that counts.
• NAICS codes for government contractors: how to pick yours
  What NAICS codes are, why they decide which federal contracts you can find and bid, and how a small business should choose primary and additional codes.
• GovWin IQ alternatives for small contractors (2026)
  An honest comparison of GovWin IQ alternatives for small federal contractors, with real prices for GovTribe, HigherGov, SamSearch, and free SAM.gov alerts.