Open bids · Guide

Get registered before you need to be

Registration is free and it's mostly paperwork, but it can take weeks. Agencies that start after they find a great bid often miss the deadline. Do this once, now.

1. Federal: SAM.gov

• What: the System for Award Management. You need an active registration to be awarded and paid on federal contracts. It also gives you a Unique Entity ID (UEI).
• Cost: free. Registration on SAM.gov never costs anything; ignore companies that charge to "register" you.
• Have ready: legal business name and address exactly as the IRS has them, your EIN, bank details for payments, and your NAICS codes (see the capability statement guide).
• Time: often a few days to several weeks, depending on entity validation. Start well before a deadline.
• Renew: every year. An expired registration can block an award.

2. City, county and school district portals

• Most local buyers want you registered as a vendor in their system, separately from SAM.gov.
• Many use shared platforms (for example Bonfire/Euna, used by Dallas, Harris County, Chicago Transit Authority, Broward County and others). An account is free, but you usually register with each agency you want to bid with.
• Register for the categories that match your services, and you'll often get the agency's own notifications too.

3. Your state

• States run their own vendor registration and bid lists. Some are free; some charge a small annual fee. Search "[your state] vendor registration".

4. Certifications (optional, but they open set-asides)

• Federal (SBA): 8(a), HUBZone and women-owned (WOSB/EDWOSB) through certify.sba.gov; veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned through SBA's VetCert.
• Local: many cities, counties and states run their own minority-, women- or small-business programs (M/WBE, DBE, SBE) with goals on their contracts.
• Not certified? You can still team with a firm that is. Set-aside bids are a common way into subcontracting.

Free help

APEX Accelerators (formerly PTACs) are funded to help small businesses with exactly this: registrations, certifications, finding bids and reviewing proposals, at no cost. Enter your ZIP code to find your nearest center.

Next: write your capability statement, then browse open bids picked for small agencies.