Field notes on winning federal work.

SAM.gov is the free official database for federal contract opportunities. Here is how to search it, where else to look, and how to tell which ones fit.

A federal contract is the government buying a good or service for its own use. Here is what that means, real examples, and whether you need an LLC to win one.

The federal budget runs on a multi-year cycle, PPBE. It tells you when money shows up and when to position, months before an RFP is posted.

Some agencies award SBIR as grants, others as contracts, and it changes the rules. Here is the difference and what SBIR funding really covers.

Grants and contracts are scored differently and expect different things. Here is how the evaluation, deliverables, and relationship differ.

SBIR and STTR differ on partnering and PI rules. Here is which fits your company, the one real difference, and how Phase I, II, and III work.

Most small firms bid on instinct. Here is a three-question framework, can we win it, should we want it, can we deliver it, for a call you can defend.