Federal Government Contracts
Find and win federal contracts — SAM.gov opportunities, USAspending award data, set-asides, NAICS codes, and competitive intelligence in one platform.
The federal government spends over $700 billion per year on contracts — the largest buyer in the world. But finding the right opportunities among SAM.gov listings, understanding who already holds the work, and meeting deadlines takes more than bookmarking a portal.
TL;DR: Register in SAM.gov, search federal opportunities and awards in plain English, target set-asides you qualify for, and use vendor intelligence to research incumbents before you bid.
Federal contract sources
| Source | What it covers | CivicContracts |
|---|---|---|
| SAM.gov | Active solicitations, entity registration | Indexed for search + alerts |
| USAspending.gov | Historical award and obligation data | Full NL search + analytics |
| FPDS | Transaction-level contract data | Aggregated into vendor/agency views |
You don't need to learn each system's query syntax. Ask questions like "Open cybersecurity solicitations from DoD due this month" and get filtered results.
Set-asides and small business programs
Roughly 23% of federal prime contract dollars go to small businesses, with additional goals for disadvantaged, veteran-owned, and women-owned firms. Set-aside contracts limit competition to qualifying businesses — often the fastest path to a first award.
Learn more on our small business contracts page or read the federal set-asides guide.
NAICS and PSC codes
Agencies classify purchases with NAICS (industry) and PSC (product/service) codes. Getting yours right drives search results and SAM.gov notifications. See our NAICS and PSC guide for how to choose.
Agency intelligence
Not all agencies buy equally. Some dominate IT spend; others focus on construction, professional services, or research. Browse the agency directory to see:
- Top vendors by agency and category
- Year-over-year spending trends
- Which NAICS codes each agency buys most
State and local — don't stop at federal
Many contractors start federal and expand to state and local work. CivicContracts covers both — so you can grow your pipeline across all levels of government from one platform.
Next steps
- Search federal contracts on CivicContracts
- Register in SAM.gov if you haven't already
- Set up contract alerts so new matches come to you
Frequently asked questions
- Where are federal contracts posted?
- Active federal solicitations are posted on SAM.gov (System for Award Management). Contract award data is published on USAspending.gov. CivicContracts indexes both for searchable, plain-English access.
- Do I need SAM.gov registration to bid on federal contracts?
- Yes. An active SAM.gov registration with a valid Unique Entity ID (UEI) is required for most federal contracts. Registration is free. See our SAM.gov registration guide on the blog.
- What are federal set-asides?
- Set-asides reserve certain contracts for small businesses or specific categories like 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, and WOSB. They reduce competition and are a common path for new federal contractors.
- How is CivicContracts different from SAM.gov?
- SAM.gov is the official source for federal solicitations. CivicContracts adds natural-language search, award analytics, vendor intelligence, alerts, pipeline tracking, and state/local coverage — so you spend less time searching and more time bidding.
Explore federal contract data
Search USAspending awards and SAM.gov solicitations with natural language — deadlines, set-asides, and agency context included.
Search federal contracts