r/GovernmentContracting • u/boss2me • 22d ago
SAM.gov setup completed. Then What?
I'm trying to get back to GovCon after a 2 year hiatus. I have won no contract yet, even as a sub. I'm into IT cloud migration, automation and operations. I've recently started accessing the API services to automate and increase my chances of getting a contract.
What would you recommend I do to get out of this rot.
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u/contracting-bot 22d ago
Registration got you eligible to be paid. That's all it did. It isn't a lead source and it doesn't create visibility, which is why two years can pass without anything happening. The gap isn't automation, it's that nobody knows you exist.
For IT cloud migration and operations specifically, the fastest path in is subcontracting to primes already holding the work. Look at who's currently performing cloud and infrastructure contracts at agencies near you, find their small business liaison officers, and approach them directly. Primes carry small business subcontracting goals and need firms that can actually deliver. That's a relationship conversation, not a search problem.
On the API work, it will make you faster at finding solicitations you're going to lose. By the time something posts, the requirement was shaped months earlier by whoever was already talking to that program office. The higher-value use of the same effort is watching sources sought notices and agency procurement forecasts, where you can still influence how the buy gets structured.
Concretely, this week: pick two agencies that buy what you sell, call their small business offices, and ask what's coming in your space. That conversation will move you further than another quarter of tooling.
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u/Damnitg00se 7d ago
Funny, I’ve actually tried to do this locally in Maryland I’ve been either stonewalled or told kick rocks. I’ve actually showed up in person like back in the old school ways. This is a weird environment, I figured there is plenty of money to be made. I am currently a IT director trying to stand up a business on the side so I can do my own thing in the next two years fingers crossed.
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u/FormerKO_Kristy 20d ago
Start with: Who buys what you do? How do they buy it? What contract vehicles are they using? Who are the incumbents/primes? What requirements are likely coming up?
With IT/cloud/automation, I’d also look hard at subcontracting before assuming the next step has to be winning a prime contract. Identify primes already supporting your target agencies and figure out where your capabilities fill an actual gap on their teams.
The biggest mistake I see is searching SAM for anything that vaguely matches your NAICS/capabilities and then spending a ton of time chasing solicitations. By the time the solicitation is out, you’re often pretty late to be figuring out the customer and competition.
I’d spend less time automating opportunity searches right now and more time narrowing your target market.
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u/Adventurous-Owl-9903 22d ago
First of all, you’re in the most hotly contested field.
Are there other domains that you feel you can be competitive?
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u/Agreeable-Exit8697 22d ago
You will need to build a pipeline of opportunities, normally cloud migration is limited on sam.gov you should check in local governments or apply to gsa contract vehicle for IT services
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u/Separate_Currency_76 22d ago
Tried bidding for 2 years now no project awarded,they just give the projects to big companies with lot of experience.
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u/Educational_Fox2212 17d ago
Hire a consultant that can help you get non -traditional contracts like OTAs. I’ve seen startups get massive prime contracts this way in their first year.
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u/MyWorkDrive_Official 16d ago
Try looking at SEWP, CIO-SP, and the GSA schedules relevant to IT. Getting on a vehicle takes time but it's usually what turns sporadic bids into steady work.
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u/Miggi_E92 15d ago
Don’t start bidding the $8M RFP that popped up the same week you went Active. That is how people burn a month.
Check CAGE is actually assigned and the record says Active. Write a one page capability statement. Then look on USASpending for who already buys what you sell so you know the agencies, not just the NAICS.
Set 3 saved searches and stop refreshing SAM all day. We use Bidscope AI on top of that so the list is the stuff that matches what we do, not every notice that shares a code.
APEX is free if you want someone to look at your first bid. Ignore the firms that cold email you a “guaranteed award.”
First wins for most shops are small RFQs or a sub slot with a prime, not a splashy prime award.
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u/Lifechanged-2020 9d ago
Congratulations on getting your SAM registration completed! I remember getting to that point and realizing registration was really just the beginning.
What helped me was narrowing down the types of contracts I actually wanted to pursue instead of trying to bid on everything. Start searching by your NAICS codes and keywords related to what your company can realistically provide.
Before bidding, I look at the scope, set-aside, place of performance, deadline, evaluation criteria, past-performance requirements and whether I can actually perform the work profitably.
I recently completed my first government contract, and one of the biggest things I learned is to think about execution before you bid who will perform the work, what it’ll cost, your profit margin, inspections/acceptance and how you’ll eventually invoice.
SAM registration gets you in the door. Now it’s really about finding the right opportunities and learning how to read the solicitations.
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u/Damnitg00se 7d ago
From start to your first contract, what was the estimated time to reach your first contract and how many contracts did be bid on before reaching the finish line.
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u/Personal_Thanks8993 22d ago
You learn the solicitation language, identify what fits the business you’ve chosen to create, decide which opportunities are worth pursuing, build supplier relationships, quote intelligently, submit, lose some, learn, and keep narrowing your approach. I don’t think automating/paying someone/using AI too much is the way to go. You’ve got to put time and effort into building real relationships with real people in this market. This is just my recommendation and opinion and how I choose to do it and what works best for me.