Where federal opportunities are posted
Every federal contract opportunity over $25,000 must be publicized on SAM.gov Contract Opportunities, the government-wide point of entry. Agencies generally publish a notice at least 15 days before issuing a solicitation, and for contracts above the simplified acquisition threshold, they must give you at least 30 days to respond.
State and local governments are separate — they post on their own portals, and SAM.gov registration doesn’t cover them.
What each notice type means
Not every SAM.gov notice is a chance to bid. Here is what’s open right now, by type:
Open notices by type
13,970 open in United States today| Notice | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Sources sought | Market research. The agency is gauging who can do the work. Respond — it shapes whether the contract is set aside for small business. |
| Presolicitation | A solicitation is coming. Start preparing and watch for the full notice. |
| Solicitation | The formal request for bids or proposals. This is the one you respond to. |
| Combined synopsis/solicitation | Notice and solicitation in one, common for commercial products and services. Bid directly. |
| Special notice | Industry days, draft requests for proposals, requests for information and other announcements. |
| Award notice | Who won and for how much — useful for pricing and finding teaming partners. |
Federal opportunities move quickly: half of the open notices on SAM.gov close within 29 days of being posted.
The thresholds that shape every purchase
Two thresholds, both raised on 1 October 2025, decide how an agency buys:
| Threshold | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Micro-purchase threshold | $15,000 | Below it, an agency can buy without competition, often by government purchase card. |
| Simplified acquisition threshold | $350,000 | Up to it, agencies can use simpler, faster procedures. Above it, full competition rules apply. |
Small-business set-asides
Federal buyers aim to award 23% of contract dollars to small businesses each year, and they use set-asides to do it. Under the rule of two, if a contracting officer reasonably expects offers from at least two responsible small businesses at fair market prices, the contract is set aside for small business.
Beyond general small-business set-asides, there are four programs:
| Program | Who qualifies |
|---|---|
| 8(a) Business Development | Small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals — the program allows sole-source awards up to set limits. Its rules have been changing in 2026, so check current SBA guidance. |
| HUBZone | Small businesses with their principal office in a HUBZone, at least 35% of employees living in one, and 51% ownership by US citizens. They also get a 10% price evaluation preference. |
| WOSB / EDWOSB | Small businesses at least 51% owned and controlled by women who are US citizens. |
| SDVOSB / VOSB | Small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans or veterans. Since 22 December 2024 they must be certified through SBA’s VetCert — self-certification is over. |
Your size status depends on the NAICS code of each contract, so register every code you might bid under.
How bids are evaluated
The solicitation tells you which method applies:
- Lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA): every offer that meets the minimum technical requirements is equal, and the lowest price wins. Civilian agencies must meet strict conditions to use it, and should avoid it for services such as IT and cybersecurity.
- Best-value tradeoff: the agency weighs technical quality, past performance and price, and can pay more for a better proposal. Your written proposal matters as much as your price.
- Sealed bidding: a formal, price-based process with public bid opening, used when requirements are clear-cut.
Getting onto a GSA Schedule
Many agencies buy through the GSA Multiple Award Schedule — a long-term, government-wide contract with pre-agreed terms and prices. Getting on a Schedule takes from several weeks to several months, and GSA asks new offerors to complete its training and readiness assessment before submitting. Once you’re on, agencies can order from you without running a full competition each time.
What foreign companies need to know
Foreign companies can and do win federal contracts, but four rules shape what’s realistic:
- Register with an NCAGE code. See how to register in SAM.gov.
- No small-business set-asides unless you have a place of business in the US. The 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB and veteran programs also require US-citizen owners.
- Trade agreements decide whose products qualify. From 1 January 2026, purchases of supplies and services at or above $174,000, and construction at or above $6,683,000, are covered by trade agreements. Agencies generally buy only US-made or designated-country end products for those contracts. India is not a designated country.
- Buy American applies below that. A US-made product must currently contain 65% domestic content (75% from 2029), and foreign products face a price evaluation penalty.
After you win
- Bonds for construction. Contracts for construction over $150,000 require performance and payment bonds.
- Getting paid. Under the Prompt Payment Act, agencies must pay within 30 days of a proper invoice, or pay interest. Defense contractors invoice through WAWF in PIEE; most civilian agencies use Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform.
- If you lose. Ask for a debriefing — it’s the best source of feedback you’ll get. Bid protests can go to the agency, the Government Accountability Office or the Court of Federal Claims, with short deadlines set out in FAR Part 33.
A note on the rules: the Federal Acquisition Regulation is in the middle of a rewrite (the “Revolutionary FAR Overhaul”). Most agencies already apply the overhaul’s interim text, and some section numbers are changing. The clauses in the solicitation you’re bidding on always control.
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See every open notice in United States
Questions
Can a foreign company win US federal contracts?
Yes, but with limits. You need a SAM registration with an NCAGE code; you can’t compete for small-business set-asides unless you have a place of business in the US; and trade rules restrict where products can come from. For purchases covered by trade agreements — $174,000 and above for supplies and services — agencies generally buy only US-made or designated-country products.
Is India a designated country under the Trade Agreements Act?
No. India isn’t a party to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement or a US free trade agreement, and isn’t on the least-developed or Caribbean Basin lists. So products made in India generally can’t be offered in trade-agreement-covered purchases, and below that threshold they face a price evaluation penalty under the Buy American rules. Services can be treated differently — read the solicitation’s clauses.
What are the micro-purchase and simplified acquisition thresholds?
Since 1 October 2025, the micro-purchase threshold is $15,000 and the simplified acquisition threshold is $350,000. Below $15,000 an agency can buy without competition; up to $350,000 it can use simpler, faster procedures.
What is a sources sought notice?
Market research. The agency hasn’t decided how — or whether — to buy, and wants to hear from capable companies. Responding is free and is often how an agency learns enough small businesses exist to set a contract aside for them.
How quickly does the government pay?
Under the Prompt Payment Act, agencies must pay within 30 days of receiving a proper invoice, or pay interest. Defense contractors invoice through WAWF in the PIEE system; most civilian agencies use Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform or their own systems.
Sources
- Contract Opportunities — SAM.gov
- FAR Part 5, Publicizing Contract Actions — acquisition.gov
- FAR 2.101, Definitions (micro-purchase and simplified acquisition thresholds) — acquisition.gov
- FAR Part 19, Small Business Programs — acquisition.gov
- Revolutionary FAR Overhaul — acquisition.gov
- FAR 15.101, Best value continuum — acquisition.gov
- FAR 25.003, Definitions (designated countries) — acquisition.gov
- FAR 25.101, Buy American — general — acquisition.gov
- Trade agreements thresholds from 1 January 2026, Federal Register (13 March 2026)
- FAR 28.102-2, Performance and payment bonds for construction — acquisition.gov
- Become a Multiple Award Schedule holder — GSA
- Prompt Payment — Bureau of the Fiscal Service
- Size standards and the definition of a US small business, 13 CFR 121.105
This guide explains the rules in plain English; it isn’t legal advice. Procurement rules change, and each tender document sets its own conditions — it always prevails.