Note: FedBizOpps is moving to beta.sam.gov. Learn more here about this transition.

FedBizOpps.gov (Federal Business Opportunities) is the primary source for federal government contract opportunities that are valued at over $25,000. Federal procurement regulations require that bids worth $25,000 or more be published through FedBizOpps. Exploring FedBizOpps is a great way to gain insight into the products and services that the federal government is interested in buying. However, since federal contracts worth less than $25,000 are not required to be published, not every government opportunity will be listed with this service. It’s also important to note that listings on FedBizOpps do not include state and local opportunities (state and local contracts can usually be found on your state or county procurement portal).

Fbo.gov

Registration is not required to perform basic searches on FBO.gov, however companies can register on the site for free and will benefit from several time-saving advantages by doing so. These include the ability to use “search agents” which serve as search criteria to find relevant opportunities on the website. A registered account also allows the user to add opportunities to a saved list, which companies can then use to keep track of or return to opportunities of interest at a later time. The ability to view bid documents is also provided with registration and having access to these documents may be necessary for your company to make an informed decision about whether or not to proceed with a particular bid.

Searching:

Searches on FedBizOpps can be conducted by keyword, product/service code, or by agency. When searching by keyword, try using a variety of words that describe your company’s line of work to do separate searches for all related words, as this will increase your chances of finding suitable opportunities for your business. It also helps to know all of the NAICS codes that apply to your business before doing a FedBizOpps product/service code search to ensure that you find all of the relevant opportunities that are available. Searching by agency name will focus your search on geographic regions of interest, ensuring that you see opportunities that are within your area of service.

Using Advanced Searches:

DBE Firms: Browse the FedBizOpps home page to find opportunities that have been set aside for small, women-owned, minority-owned and/or veteran-owned businesses. The Advanced Search link is the best way to find these special opportunities. If your company is a certified DBE, you are eligible to bid on these contract opportunities. Note that DBE Firms cannot register through the federal government portal; these firms must become certified in their home state.

Advanced Searching: By using the Advanced Search link on FedBizOpps, firms can use the “Sources Sought” parameter to find additional contract leads. Sources Sought does not list actual solicitations or bids - instead, it is a compilation of solicitations of interest.  Sources Sought is used by government agencies to determine the competencies and interests of businesses that are currently active in the marketplace. 

Subcontracting: Government agencies are required to publish the names and addresses of the awarded contractors for all contracts worth more than $25,000. You can search for this information using the Advanced Search link as well. For companies that are new to government contracting, subcontracting can be helpful in terms of acquiring new connections, building experience and establishing a reputation. However, keep in mind that some agencies may not allow subcontracting, so be sure to review the rules of the opportunities that interest you to make sure that subcontracting is allowed.

Is Federal or State & Local Your Forte?

After using FedBizOpps you may find that your service offer is a better fit for state and local bidding opportunities rather than federally-administered contracts. Below is a comparison of state & local and federal opportunities that should help you determine which area of contracting would be best for you.

To take advantage of opportunities published on FedBizOpps, you are required to have an active Sam.gov account as well as a Duns and Cage number. Click on the links below to register your business and find more information about acquiring these important credentials.

Federal Registration Links:

Sam.gov registration

Cage Number registration

Duns Number registration

The pursuit of State, local or federal contracts is something that many business owners consider to be crucial to the success and growth of their business. Providing a product or service to the government offers great business opportunities for firms across the country, and FedBizOpps is among the most helpful resources for businesses that are looking for any type of federal contract.