Free Guides
Government Bids, In Plain English
Short guides written only from official public sources: the FAR, SBA.gov, and SAM.gov. Each one lists its sources and the date we checked them.
- Section L And Section M In Plain EnglishSection L tells you what to send and how to send it. Section M tells you how it will be scored. Read them together and write to the score.
- What The Five Ratings Mean (Outstanding To Unacceptable)Outstanding, Good, Acceptable, Marginal, and Unacceptable: where the five ratings come from, what each one means, and the words behind them.
- Low Bid Versus Best ValueSome bids are won on price alone, and some are won on value. How to tell which one you have, and what to do differently for each.
- How To Answer A Sources Sought NoticeA sources sought notice is the government asking who can do the work before it decides how to buy. Here is why answering can matter and how to answer well.
- How To Read A Compliance MatrixA compliance matrix is a checklist built from the solicitation, one row for each thing it tells you to do or send. Here is what each column means and how to use it.
- What A Set-Aside IsA set-aside is a contract only small businesses can compete for. When work gets set aside, the SBA program set-asides, and what you must do if you win one.
- How To Register In SAM.govYou must be registered in SAM.gov to bid on most federal contracts, and it is free. What to gather first, the steps, and how to keep it active.
- Getting Paid On Time (The Prompt Payment Act)When a federal payment is due, what makes an invoice proper, and the interest the government owes when it pays late.
Not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. The solicitation in front of you always controls.