How to Get Government Contracts With No Experience
TL;DR: You don't need past performance to start. Micro-purchases under $15,000 require no formal bids. The simplified acquisition threshold is now $350,000, and many contracts below it are set aside for small businesses. Register on SAM.gov, target the right entry points, and you can win your first contract within 6-12 months.
Every new government contractor faces the same catch-22: agencies want past performance, but you can't get past performance without contracts. This is real, but it's not the dead end it appears to be.
The federal government spends over $700 billion annually on contracts. Congress has built specific entry points for new businesses — micro-purchases, simplified acquisitions, set-asides, and research grants. These programs exist because the government needs fresh suppliers, not just the same prime contractors recycling the same subcontractors.
Here's the honest path from zero experience to your first government contract.
Start here: micro-purchases (under $15,000)
As of October 2025, the micro-purchase threshold (MPT) is $15,000 — up from $10,000 after the latest FAR inflation adjustment. Purchases below this amount don't require competitive bids. A contracting officer can buy directly from you using a Government Purchase Card (GPC).
The government makes millions of micro-purchases every year — office supplies, minor repairs, small IT equipment, consulting hours, training sessions. These purchases rarely appear on SAM.gov because they don't require formal solicitations.
How to get found for micro-purchases:
- Register on SAM.gov — contracting officers search the SAM.gov database when making purchases
- List your business on SBA's Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) — this is the directory COs use to find new small businesses
- Create a capability statement — a one-page PDF that explains what you do, your NAICS codes, and your contact info
- Visit local federal offices and introduce yourself to the small business liaison officer
Micro-purchases won't make you rich, but they build documented past performance with zero bidding overhead.
Find contracts sized for new businesses
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Browse ContractsSimplified acquisitions: your next step ($15,000-$350,000)
The simplified acquisition threshold (SAT) rose to $350,000 in October 2025. Contracts between the MPT and SAT use streamlined bidding procedures — shorter timelines, simpler proposals, and less paperwork than full-and-open competition.
Many simplified acquisitions are set aside for small businesses. The federal government has a statutory goal of awarding at least 23% of all contract dollars to small businesses, and simplified acquisitions are where agencies often meet that target.
At this level, you'll submit short proposals — often just a quote, a capability statement, and pricing. The evaluation criteria are simpler than large contracts. Past performance still matters, but commercial experience counts. If you've done similar work for private-sector clients, that's relevant experience.
Search for simplified acquisitions on SAM.gov by filtering for solicitations with an estimated value under $350,000. Or sign up for GovBid alerts and get matched contracts delivered to your inbox daily.
5 contract types that don't require past performance
| Contract Type | Value Range | What It Is | Why It Works for Beginners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Micro-purchases | Under $15,000 | Direct purchases via GPC | No competitive bidding required |
| Simplified acquisitions | $15,000-$350,000 | Streamlined bidding | Commercial experience accepted |
| SBIR/STTR Phase I | $175,000-$314,000 | Research grants for innovation | Evaluated on technical merit, not past contracts |
| Subcontracting | Any | Work under a prime contractor | The prime's past performance covers you |
| GSA Schedule task orders | Any | Orders against your GSA Schedule | Schedule approval is the hard part; orders flow from there |
SBIR/STTR deserves special attention. The Small Business Innovation Research program awards Phase I grants of up to $314,363 (agency-dependent) to small businesses with fewer than 500 employees. These are evaluated on your technical approach and innovation — not your contracting history. The program was reauthorized through September 2031, so it's a stable funding source.
How to build past performance from scratch
Past performance is the #1 barrier for new contractors, and there are four proven ways to build it.
1. Start as a subcontractor. Find a prime contractor who needs your capabilities and offer to subcontract. The prime's past performance satisfies the agency, and you build your own track record on the project. Large primes are often required to subcontract to small businesses — use the SBA's SubNet database to find subcontracting opportunities.
2. Win micro-purchases and document outcomes. Every micro-purchase is a past performance reference. Deliver well, ask for a written evaluation, and keep records of what you delivered, on time, at cost.
3. Use commercial project experience. FAR 15.305 allows agencies to consider "relevant experience" — not just government experience. If you've done similar work for private-sector clients, document those projects with client references, scope descriptions, and outcomes.
4. Join the SBA Mentor-Protege Program. This program pairs small businesses with experienced government contractors. You can form joint ventures that bid on contracts using your mentor's past performance while you build your own. Agreements last up to 6 years, and a protege can have up to 2 mentors at a time for different NAICS codes.
Set-aside programs: your competitive advantage
The federal government reserves contracts for specific categories of small businesses. If you qualify, you're competing against a smaller pool — sometimes just a handful of firms instead of hundreds.
| Program | Who Qualifies | Federal Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Small Business | Under SBA size standards | 23% of all contract dollars |
| Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) | Socially/economically disadvantaged owners | 5% |
| Women-Owned (WOSB) | 51%+ owned by women | 5% |
| Service-Disabled Veteran (SDVOSB) | 51%+ owned by service-disabled veterans | 3% |
| HUBZone | Located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones | 3% |
Certification is free through the SBA. The 8(a) Business Development program also provides mentoring, training, and sole-source contract opportunities for qualifying businesses.
In March 2026, the SBA moved to terminate over 620 firms from the 8(a) program for failing to provide required financial data. This means less competition for compliant businesses still in the program.
The 6-month action plan for complete beginners
| Month | Action | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | Register on SAM.gov, get NAICS codes, create capability statement | Be findable in federal databases |
| Month 2 | Register on state procurement portals (Cal eProcure, eVA, etc.) | Access state-level opportunities |
| Month 3 | Sign up for GovBid alerts, start reviewing matched contracts daily | Build market awareness |
| Month 4 | Submit first bid on a micro-purchase or simplified acquisition | Get your name in the system |
| Month 5 | If unsuccessful, request a debrief from the contracting officer | Learn exactly why and adjust |
| Month 6 | Refine your approach, target 2-3 opportunities per month | Build pipeline and momentum |
The debrief in Month 5 is critical. Federal contracting officers are required to provide debriefs to unsuccessful bidders on contracts over $250,000, and many will debrief on smaller contracts if you ask. This is free consulting on exactly what your proposal lacked.
Common mistakes that kill new contractors
Bidding on contracts too large for your company. If the contract value is more than 3x your annual revenue, you'll struggle to deliver and finance the work. Start with contracts sized for your current capacity.
Not reading the full solicitation. Government solicitations are long and dense. Every requirement matters. Missing a single compliance item — a required certification, a specific format, a signature block — can disqualify your entire proposal. Read our proposal writing guide for a breakdown of what evaluators look for.
Pricing too low to actually deliver. Underbidding to win your first contract is tempting. Don't. If you can't deliver at your quoted price, you'll damage your past performance record — the opposite of what you're trying to build.
Giving up after one rejection. Most experienced contractors win fewer than 1 in 5 bids. Your first rejection is expected. Request the debrief, adjust, and bid again.
The bottom line
You don't need connections, past performance, or a lobbyist to start winning government contracts. You need a SAM.gov registration, a clear capability statement, and the patience to start small. The micro-purchase and simplified acquisition thresholds were raised in October 2025 specifically to make federal buying easier — take advantage of it.
Further reading
- SAM.gov Registration Guide — Complete registration walkthrough
- Understanding NAICS Codes — Find the right codes for your business
- How to Write a Winning Proposal — What evaluators actually look for
- Government Set-Aside Contracts — Programs that reduce competition for small businesses
- The FAR Overhaul 2026 — New thresholds and simplified procedures that help beginners