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Win Government Contracts Before the RFP Drops

Find government contracts early: sources sought and presolicitation notices, open bids, top contractors and agency spending, free for small businesses. Built from public USAspending.gov and SAM.gov records.

Free government contract search

Live signals: upcoming government contracts

See all 240 early signals

Sources sought, presolicitation and special notices: federal contracts that are coming, before the RFP.

Federal government contract spending at a glance

Federal agencies obligated $2.3T on government contracts from FY2024 to FY2026. AwardFind turns that public government contract data into free pages for 440 top government contractors, 67 federal agencies, every state and hundreds of industries, plus open government bids from SAM.gov updated daily.

The federal agencies that spent the most on contracts over the same period:

  1. Department of Defense contracts: $1.3T (59%)
  2. Department of Veterans Affairs contracts: $229B (10%)
  3. Department of Energy contracts: $150B (7%)
  4. Department of Homeland Security contracts: $125B (5%)
  5. General Services Administration contracts: $79B (3%)

Latest open government contracts

See all open bids
  • 17--ROLLER AND HOUSING

    Dept of Defense · Combined Synopsis/Solicitation · NAICS 332312 · SBA Certified Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program Set-Aside (FAR 19.15)

    Posted Nov 1, 2026 · Responses due Nov 12, 2026

  • 66--METER,SPECIAL SCALE

    Dept of Defense · Combined Synopsis/Solicitation · NAICS 334515 · Small Business Set Aside - Total

    Posted Nov 1, 2026 · Responses due Nov 16, 2026

  • 41--COOLER UNIT,AIR

    Dept of Defense · Combined Synopsis/Solicitation · NAICS 333415

    Posted Nov 1, 2026 · Responses due Nov 12, 2026

  • 53--BOLT,MACHINEClosing soon

    Dept of Defense · Combined Synopsis/Solicitation · NAICS 332722 · Small Business Set Aside - Total

    Posted Nov 1, 2026 · Responses due Nov 9, 2026

  • 58--INSERT KIT,SILO,AIR

    Dept of Defense · Combined Synopsis/Solicitation · NAICS 334511

    Posted Nov 1, 2026 · Responses due Nov 12, 2026

What are government contracts?

A government contract is an agreement in which a government agency buys goods or services from a business. The US federal government is the largest single buyer in the world, and it buys almost everything: janitorial and cleaning services, construction and repairs, IT and software, engineering, consulting, medical supplies, trucking, food and much more.

Government contracting follows set rules. Federal agencies post most opportunities publicly on SAM.gov, compete them among qualified businesses and publish every award on USAspending.gov. That is why anyone can see who wins gov contracts, for how much and from which agency, and why a small business can use the same data to find its own government contract opportunities.

Government contracts for small businesses

The federal government aims to award at least 23% of its prime contract dollars to small businesses each year, and many contracts are set aside so that only small businesses can bid. Certification programs reserve further contracts for specific groups:

You can filter open government bids by set-aside to see only the contracts your business qualifies for.

How to get government contracts in 4 steps

  1. Register for free. Businesses register at SAM.gov, which costs nothing and assigns a Unique Entity ID (UEI). Never pay a third party to register for you.
  2. Find your codes and opportunities. Look up your industry in the NAICS code lookup, then search open government contracts by industry, state and set-aside.
  3. Research the market. See which federal agencies buy what you sell and which government contractors already win that work.
  4. Bid or subcontract. Respond to solicitations directly, or team with a prime contractor as a subcontractor to build past performance.

Government contracts by industry

Government contracts by state

Top government contractors

See the full government contractors list

The largest federal contractors by contract dollars, FY2024 to FY2026.

  1. 1Optum Public Sector Solutions, Inc.$65.1B
  2. 2Lockheed Martin Corporation$63.8B
  3. 3Electric Boat Corporation$42.9B
  4. 4Triwest Healthcare Alliance Corp$38.4B
  5. 5McKesson Corporation$34.4B
  6. 6Lockheed Martin Corporation$34.2B
  7. 7Raytheon Company$30B
  8. 8The Boeing Company$21.3B

Government contracting guides for beginners

All guides

Where this government contract data comes from

Contract spending comes from USAspending.gov, the public record of federal spending, and covers contracts (not grants or loans) for the last three completed fiscal years. It is refreshed weekly. Open bids come from SAM.gov Contract Opportunities and are refreshed daily. Every data page links to its source; the methodology explains how each figure is calculated.

Registering in SAM.gov is always free. Read how to spot paid registration scams.

Government contracting terms explained

SAM.gov
The System for Award Management: the free government website where businesses register to work with the federal government and where agencies post contract opportunities.
UEI (Unique Entity ID)
A free 12-character ID that SAM.gov assigns to every registered business. It replaced the DUNS number in April 2022.
NAICS code
A 6-digit code that classifies a business by industry. Every federal contract carries one, and small business size standards are set per NAICS code.
Set-aside
A contract reserved for small businesses, or for a group such as 8(a), HUBZone, women-owned or service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.
Prime contractor
A business that holds a contract directly with a government agency.
Subcontractor
A business hired by a prime contractor to do part of the work on a government contract. Subcontracting is a common first step into government work.
Solicitation
A notice asking businesses to submit bids, quotes or proposals for a contract.
Obligation
Money the government has legally committed to pay on a contract. Contract spending figures on this site are obligations reported on USAspending.gov.

Frequently asked questions

What are government contracts?
Government contracts are agreements in which a government agency pays a business for goods or services, from cleaning and construction to IT and consulting. US federal agencies post contract opportunities on SAM.gov, and every award is published on USAspending.gov.
How much does the federal government spend on contracts?
Federal agencies obligated $2.3T on contracts from FY2024 to FY2026, according to USAspending.gov. The Department of Defense accounted for 59% of it.
How do small businesses get government contracts?
Register for free at SAM.gov, pick the NAICS codes for what you sell, and search open bids, especially contracts set aside for small businesses. Many firms also start as subcontractors to larger prime contractors.
Do I need to register to get a government contract?
Yes. To win a federal prime contract your business needs an active SAM.gov registration, which is free and gives you a Unique Entity ID (UEI). The registration must be renewed every year.
Can an LLC or a sole proprietor get government contracts?
Yes. Any legally formed business, including an LLC, a corporation or a sole proprietorship, can register in SAM.gov and bid on government contracts.
What is the difference between federal and state government contracts?
Federal contracts come from US government agencies and are posted on SAM.gov. State and local government contracts come from state agencies, counties and cities, which each run their own bid portals and rules. This site covers federal contracts.
Is AwardFind free?
Yes. AwardFind is free to use and supported by advertising. It is an independent website, not a government agency, and it never charges for SAM.gov registration, which is also free.