How do I bid on government contracts?
Bidding on a government contract usually involves four steps: register with the issuing agency, read the solicitation in full, prepare a responsive proposal that addresses every requirement, and submit before the deadline through the agency portal.
Once you have identified an opportunity that fits your business, bidding on it follows roughly the same four steps regardless of whether it is federal, state, or local.
First, register as a vendor on the issuing agency's procurement portal. Federal bids require a SAM.gov entity registration (with a Unique Entity Identifier). State and local agencies have their own equivalent registrations — Cal eProcure for California, Bonfire-based portals for many municipalities, etc. Registration is usually free.
Second, read the entire solicitation document before deciding to bid. Agencies routinely disqualify bids that fail to address mandatory requirements ("non-responsiveness"). Note the bid type (RFP, RFQ, IFB), the evaluation method (lowest price, best value, LPTA), and any set-aside designation that might limit who can bid.
Third, prepare a proposal that addresses every numbered requirement in the same order the agency wrote it. Include all attachments the solicitation specifies. For RFPs, include a technical approach, management plan, past performance examples, and pricing. For RFQs and IFBs, your price submission with attached commercial terms is often enough.
Fourth, submit through the channel the agency specifies — usually their procurement portal — before the stated deadline. Late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances, and many agencies will not respond to questions in the 48 hours before the deadline closes.