U.S. government contracting hub
Federal, state, and local procurement is fragmented across hundreds of portals, contract vehicles, and certifications. This hub maps the landscape and links to step-by-step guides for every U.S. state.
Federal portals & databases
Major contract vehicles
Top federal buying agencies
State, local, and cooperative
All 50 state procurement guides
FAQ
What's the first step to selling to the U.S. federal government?+
Get a Unique Entity ID and active SAM.gov registration. Then identify the NAICS codes that match your offerings and the set-aside categories you qualify for (small business, 8(a), SDVOSB, WOSB, HUBZone).
Do I need a GSA Schedule to sell to the federal government?+
No — but a GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract makes you discoverable to thousands of federal buyers and lets agencies buy from you without a full open competition. Many vendors start with open-market contracts and pursue a Schedule once they have past performance.
How are state procurement portals different from federal?+
Each state operates its own portal, registration, vendor list, and bid thresholds. Local agencies often use independent SaaS portals (PlanetBids, OpenGov, Bonfire). Cooperative contracts (Sourcewell, NASPO) let you sell across many states with a single award.
What's the typical micro-purchase threshold?+
Federal micro-purchase threshold is generally $10,000; the simplified acquisition threshold is $250,000. State thresholds vary widely — see each state page for specifics.
How does Bid Responder help with government contracting?+
We surface opportunities from federal and state portals, tag them by NAICS and set-aside, generate compliant draft responses grounded in your past performance, and run a compliance check against Section L/M and FAR/DFARS clauses.