The federal market never closed to you. This is the step-by-step path in, from SAM.gov registration to your first contract. Start free, no card.
What You'll Accomplish
Government contracting is learnable. Thousands of small businesses do it every year — most of them started with less experience than you have right now.
SAM.gov active. NAICS codes locked in. All the foundation pieces in place so no contract slips through a technicality.
The one-page document that gets you in the room with agency buyers. Professional. Specific. Ready to send.
You'll know how to find opportunities before they close, track them, and decide which ones are worth your time to pursue.
How to read an RFP, build a compliance matrix, write a technical approach, and price your work without leaving money on the table.
Course Structure
Each phase builds directly on the last. By the end, you won't just understand how government contracting works — you'll have done the work.
Modules 0–5. Decide if govcon is right for you. Register your business properly. Get your SAM.gov active. Understand which certifications you qualify for. Most businesses skip steps here — that's why they lose.
Modules 6–11. State and local procurement portals. Capability statement. How to find bids before your competition does. Agency relationships. Reading an RFP. Writing a proposal that actually wins.
Modules 12–16. Pricing your work. Getting past the "no experience" problem. GSA Schedule. Contract administration. How to turn one win into a real govcon business. Phase 5 (Modules 17–23) covers the compliance foundations and audit-readiness that protect everything you build here.
Find Your Starting Point
Answer 5 quick questions and we'll send you directly to the right module. No need to sit through content you already know.
Answer honestly — there's no wrong answer. This just helps you skip what you've already done.
All 23 Modules
Is government contracting actually right for your business? Five honest questions before you invest a minute of your time.
Federal, state, local — three completely different markets. Learn who has the budget and how the money flows to contractors.
The five things every government-ready business needs: legal structure, EIN, bank account, business credit, and bonding.
The government's contractor database. Without an active registration here, no contract can ever be awarded to you.
The industry codes that make your business visible to buyers. Wrong codes = invisible. Right codes = found.
8(a), SDVOSB, WOSB, HUBZone — the programs that give you access to contracts set aside just for businesses like yours.
The home field advantage. Your state's certifications and vendor lists — registrations most contractors overlook — and how to use them.
Your government contracting business card. The one document every buyer asks for — and what makes it actually work.
SAM.gov, ESBD, Bonfire, USASpending — where bids live and how to build a daily research routine that never misses a match.
85% of contracts are influenced before the RFP drops. Learn to get in the room before your competition does.
How to read an RFP in under 2 hours. What Sections L, M, and C actually mean — and why reading order matters.
The document that wins or loses the contract. Win themes, technical volumes, and the review process that actually improves proposals.
How to price government work so you win AND make money. Indirect rates, loaded labor, and the DCAA compliance basics.
The government wants experience you don't have yet. Four documented, legal ways to get past this barrier — starting today.
Your medium-term goal. What a GSA Schedule is, when it actually makes sense for your business, and what ongoing maintenance requires.
Most training stops at the award. This is where most contractors get into trouble. How to get paid and build the record that wins you the next contract.
From one contract to a sustainable pipeline. IDIQ vehicles, revenue diversification, team scaling, and the debrief habit that separates winners from plateauers.
The rulebook behind every contract. 7 FAR parts every contractor must know, how to read a clause before you sign, and flow-down obligations that travel to your subs.
Know what you are signing before you price it. FFP, T&M, Cost-Plus, IDIQ, and BPA — who bears the risk on each type and what it means for how you bill.
The accounting system that determines whether you can keep the contract. The 18-point pre-award survey, what QuickBooks can and can't do, and when to invest in Deltek.
The False Claims Act risk hidden in your timesheets. The 6 mischarging schemes DCAA investigates and the 7-element timekeeping system that protects you.
What the DCAA looks for and how to be ready. The 5 audit types, the incurred cost submission deadline, the most common disallowances, and document retention rules.
Getting paid is not automatic. The 9 elements of a proper invoice, IPP vs. iRAPT, the COR acceptance bottleneck, and how every rejection resets your 30-day clock.
The rule that terminates contracts you have already won. The 3 OCI types, when you must disclose, and how to screen every new opportunity before you bid.
Every module comes with a starter prompt built for Claude AI. You fill in your business details, paste it in, and Alex walks you through exactly what your business needs to do next — no generic advice.
The first three modules are free — no credit card. The other twenty unlock with your 30-day trial.
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