# Government contracting, explained clearly

Practical guides for finding public-sector work, qualifying the opportunity, and preparing a compliant bid.

[Build a matching profile](https://app.captivaq.com/login)

## Start where you are

Government contracting rewards preparation. These guides cover the parts of the process that help a small business decide what to pursue before proposal work starts.

## Start here

How public buying works, and the vocabulary the rest of the process uses.

- [### What is government contracting?

How public bodies buy, who is allowed to sell to them, and what a contract actually obliges you to do.](https://captivaq.com/guides/what-is-government-contracting)
- [### How public bidding works

Move from qualification to compliance review with a clear public bidding process.](https://captivaq.com/guides/how-bidding-works)
- [### Procurement glossary

Every acronym you will meet in a US or Canadian solicitation, defined in one sentence.](https://captivaq.com/guides/procurement-glossary)

## Find the work

Where opportunities are published, and how to narrow them to the ones worth your time.

- [### Find government contracts

Build a focused opportunity list from federal notices, early signals, and fit criteria.](https://captivaq.com/browse/us/contracts)
- [### Canadian government tenders

Find public-sector opportunities across Canada with a search built around your delivery capacity.](https://captivaq.com/browse/ca/tenders)
- [### Contracts by NAICS code

Use NAICS, PSCs, size standards, and award history to find more relevant work.](https://captivaq.com/browse/naics)
- [### Set-aside contracts

Find opportunities reserved for small business, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, and WOSB contractors.](https://captivaq.com/browse/set-asides)
- [### Government contract alerts

Set a watchlist that surfaces relevant opportunities instead of every new notice.](https://captivaq.com/government-contract-alerts)
- [### Best SAM.gov alternatives

Compare free and paid tools for matching, alerts, market intelligence, and broader coverage.](https://captivaq.com/compare/best-sam-gov-alternatives-2026)

## Systems, programs, and vehicles

The registrations, set-asides, and contract structures that decide what you can bid.

- [### SAM.gov guide

Register your entity, keep it active, and use the federal system effectively.](https://captivaq.com/guides/sam-gov)
- [### CanadaBuys guide

Supplier registration and tender search for Canadian federal procurement.](https://captivaq.com/guides/canadabuys)
- [### Set-aside programs explained

US small business, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB and WOSB set-asides alongside the Canadian PSIB.](https://captivaq.com/guides/set-aside-programs)
- [### Contract vehicles explained

IDIQ, BPA, GWAC, GSA Schedule, and Canadian standing offers, and when each is worth chasing.](https://captivaq.com/guides/contract-vehicles)
- [### FAR basics

How the Federal Acquisition Regulation is organised, and which clauses carry real obligations.](https://captivaq.com/guides/far-basics)

## Bid and win

Reading the solicitation properly, then writing the response that gets scored.

- [### What is an RFP?

What the document contains, how evaluators read it, and how to survive compliance review.](https://captivaq.com/guides/what-is-an-rfp)
- [### RFP vs RFQ vs RFI

Three documents, three different things being asked of you, and how to answer each.](https://captivaq.com/guides/rfp-vs-rfq-vs-rfi)
- [### Writing a winning bid

Answer the requirement rather than describe your company, and write for the person scoring.](https://captivaq.com/guides/writing-a-winning-bid)
- [### Past performance and CPARS

How your delivery record is evaluated, and how to build one from a standing start.](https://captivaq.com/guides/past-performance)
- [### Government subcontracting

No government record yet? Win work under a prime who hires subs, and build your own from there.](https://captivaq.com/government-subcontracting)

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