{"id":2796,"date":"2024-12-16T16:21:34","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T16:21:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/?p=2796"},"modified":"2026-04-22T12:47:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T16:47:27","slug":"how-to-bid-on-government-contracts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/how-to-bid-on-government-contracts\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Bid on Government Contracts:<br> Reactive vs. Proactive Approaches"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\">If you&#8217;re like most <a href=\"\/\">federal contractors<\/a>, you&#8217;ve probably been taught to pursue <a href=\"http:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/sam-registration-win-government-contracts\/\">government contracts<\/a> in a specific way. It\u2019s the standard approach that has been repeated time and time again, but unfortunately, it often leads to frustration, low success rates, and, ultimately, businesses giving up on government contracting altogether.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em><strong>At the <a href=\"\/\">Federal Contracting Center<\/a>, we call this the Reactive Approach to <a href=\"\/\">federal contracting<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The good news? There\u2019s a better way. In this blog post, we\u2019ll break down the common pitfalls of the traditional method and introduce you to the Proactive Approach\u2014a strategy winning contractors use to secure millions in federal contracts without waiting for opportunities to come to them.<\/p>\n<h2>The Standard (Reactive) Approach to Federal Contracting<\/h2>\n<p>Most <a href=\"http:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/8a-business-development\/\">small business contractors<\/a> follow a familiar path when attempting to <a href=\"\/\">win government contracts<\/a>. The federal bidding process typically goes like this:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/sam-registration\/\">Register in SAM.gov<\/a> to get your CAGE Code:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/sam.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The System for Award Management (SAM.gov)<\/a> is where all federal contractors must register to do business with the government.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Research and select the right NAICS Codes:<\/strong> These codes define the industries in which your business operates.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pursue <a href=\"http:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/certifications-programs\/\">certifications for small businesses<\/a>:<\/strong> You sign up for programs like <a href=\"http:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/hubzone-certification\/\">HUBZone<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/8a-business-development\/\">8(a) certification<\/a>, or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/wosb-certification\/\">Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB)<\/a> if you qualify.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Search for contracts on SAM.gov:<\/strong> You scour the website for opportunities to bid on.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Explore a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/gsa-contract\/\">GSA Schedule Contract<\/a>:<\/strong> If bidding on SAM.gov doesn\u2019t work out, the next step for many small business contractors is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/gsa-schedules\/\">applying for a General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Does this process sound familiar? If so, you\u2019re not alone. This is the standard method taught to most small businesses. But here\u2019s the problem, this method requires you to wait for opportunities and then react to them. As a result, you face intense competition, low odds of winning, and mounting frustration. Let\u2019s break down why this happens.<\/p>\n<h3>Why the Reactive Approach Often Fails<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-2806\" src=\"http:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/waiting-bid-001-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Government contractor waiting on the sam.gov bidding process to get a federal contract. Learn how to win federal contracts faster with a proactive approach.\" width=\"450\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/waiting-bid-001-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/waiting-bid-001-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/waiting-bid-001-705x529.jpg 705w, https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/waiting-bid-001.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The reactive approach is, as the name suggests, a waiting game. You have to wait for:<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2714<\/strong> A government buyer to stumble across your SBA profile and reach out to you.<br \/>\n<strong>\u2714<\/strong> Contracts to be posted on SAM.gov, only to compete against numerous other bidders.<\/p>\n<h4>This method puts you at a disadvantage because:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>High competition:<\/strong> Everyone else is also waiting for the same opportunities, creating stiff competition.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Low odds of success:<\/strong> With so many bidders, the likelihood of standing out is slim.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Missed opportunities:<\/strong> Many lucrative contracts are awarded without ever being published or competed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The result? Many contractors experience frustration, a lack of results, and eventually give up on pursuing federal contracts altogether.<\/p>\n<h2>The Proactive Approach: How Winning Contractors Secure Federal Contracts<\/h2>\n<p>Successful contractors don\u2019t wait for opportunities\u2014they create them. With the Proactive Approach, you can put yourself in control of your federal contracting journey.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to completing your <a href=\"http:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/sam-registration\/\">SAM Registration<\/a>, getting NAICS Codes, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/certifications-programs\/\">applying for federal certifications<\/a>, the next steps are to:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Identify your ideal government customers:<\/strong> Research and target agencies or departments that are most likely to need your products or services.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Develop a strategic engagement plan:<\/strong> Create a roadmap for how you\u2019ll get in front of decision-makers in those agencies.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Proactively reach out to build relationships:<\/strong> Establish direct lines of communication with buyers and build trust over time.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Focus on non-competed opportunities:<\/strong> By building relationships, you position yourself for awards that aren\u2019t published or open to competition.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>This approach allows you to stand out from the crowd, secure contracts with less competition, and build long-term relationships with government buyers.<\/p>\n<h3>Why the Proactive Approach Works<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-2811\" src=\"http:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/handshake-bid-002-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Small business securing federal contract after learning how to bid on government contracts proactively with the Federal Contracting Center. Start winning your federal bids today.\" width=\"450\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/handshake-bid-002-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/handshake-bid-002-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/handshake-bid-002-705x529.jpg 705w, https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/handshake-bid-002.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/>The proactive approach works by shifting the focus from reacting to opportunities to creating opportunities. Need assistance creating a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/fns-strategy\/\">federal networking strategy<\/a> that fits your business? Our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/government-contracting-consulting\/\">U.S. government contracting consultants<\/a> can help. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/contact-us\/\">Reach out today to learn more<\/a>!<\/p>\n<h4>Here\u2019s why this method is so effective:<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Less competition:<\/strong> By building relationships with decision-makers, you\u2019re more likely to access non-competed contracts.<br \/>\n<strong>Higher win rates:<\/strong> Contracts awarded based on relationships and trust have far higher success rates than those won through competitive bidding.<br \/>\n<strong>Sustainable growth:<\/strong> By targeting the right customers and maintaining strong connections, you can secure a steady stream of government work.<\/p>\n<h2>Ready to Win Federal Contracts?<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re tired of waiting for opportunities to come to you and want to take control of your <a href=\"http:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/fns-strategy\/\">federal contracting strategy<\/a>, it\u2019s time to make the switch to the proactive approach. At the Federal Contracting Center, we help small businesses like yours target the right customers, build meaningful relationships, and <a href=\"\/\">win federal contracts<\/a> that aren\u2019t even announced to the public.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t settle for frustration and low odds. Let our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/government-contracting-consulting\/\">government contracts consultants<\/a> help you leverage the same strategies winning contractors use to secure millions in government contracts. Ready to get started? <a href=\"tel:(855)\u00a0700-5143\">Give our experts at the Federal Contracting Center a call today<\/a>!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>By moving away from the outdated reactive model and embracing a proactive strategy, you can position your business for long-term success in the world of federal contracting.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aWjG4Oiw6wM?si=vJ4aPIFnfDe7nLex\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you&#8217;re like most federal contractors, you&#8217;ve probably been taught to pursue government contracts in a specific way. It\u2019s the standard approach that has been repeated time and time again, but unfortunately, it often leads to frustration, low success rates, and, ultimately, businesses giving up on government contracting altogether. At the Federal Contracting Center, we [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2813,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[21,57,55,58],"class_list":["post-2796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-federal-contracting","tag-how-to-bid-on-contracts","tag-small-business-government-contracting","tag-win-government-contracts"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Bid on Government Contracts | Reactive Vs. Proactive Approaches - Federal Contracting Center<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Tired of waiting for federal buyers to reach out to you? Discover how to bid on government contracts with our proactive bidding approach.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/how-to-bid-on-government-contracts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Bid on Government Contracts | Reactive Vs. Proactive Approaches - Federal Contracting Center\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Tired of waiting for federal buyers to reach out to you? Discover how to bid on government contracts with our proactive bidding approach.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/how-to-bid-on-government-contracts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Federal Contracting Center\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/federalcontractingcenter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-12-16T16:21:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-22T16:47:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/contract-003-feature.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@fedcontracntr\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@fedcontracntr\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Bid on Government Contracts | Reactive Vs. Proactive Approaches - Federal Contracting Center","description":"Tired of waiting for federal buyers to reach out to you? Discover how to bid on government contracts with our proactive bidding approach.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/how-to-bid-on-government-contracts\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Bid on Government Contracts | Reactive Vs. Proactive Approaches - Federal Contracting Center","og_description":"Tired of waiting for federal buyers to reach out to you? Discover how to bid on government contracts with our proactive bidding approach.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/how-to-bid-on-government-contracts\/","og_site_name":"Federal Contracting Center","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/federalcontractingcenter\/","article_published_time":"2024-12-16T16:21:34+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-22T16:47:27+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":768,"url":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/contract-003-feature.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@fedcontracntr","twitter_site":"@fedcontracntr","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/how-to-bid-on-government-contracts\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/how-to-bid-on-government-contracts\/"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f414b2676054eaacc6172d8b21dc43ce"},"headline":"How to Bid on Government Contracts: Reactive vs. Proactive Approaches","datePublished":"2024-12-16T16:21:34+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-22T16:47:27+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/how-to-bid-on-government-contracts\/"},"wordCount":849,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/how-to-bid-on-government-contracts\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/contract-003-feature.jpg","keywords":["federal contracting","how to bid on contracts","small business government contracting","win government contracts"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/how-to-bid-on-government-contracts\/","url":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/how-to-bid-on-government-contracts\/","name":"How to Bid on Government Contracts | Reactive Vs. Proactive Approaches - Federal Contracting Center","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/how-to-bid-on-government-contracts\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/how-to-bid-on-government-contracts\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/contract-003-feature.jpg","datePublished":"2024-12-16T16:21:34+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-22T16:47:27+00:00","description":"Tired of waiting for federal buyers to reach out to you? Discover how to bid on government contracts with our proactive bidding approach.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/how-to-bid-on-government-contracts\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/how-to-bid-on-government-contracts\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/how-to-bid-on-government-contracts\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/contract-003-feature.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/contract-003-feature.jpg","width":1024,"height":768,"caption":"How bidding on government contracts works. The difference between a reactive and proactive approach to winning contracts."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/how-to-bid-on-government-contracts\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Bid on Government Contracts: Reactive vs. Proactive Approaches"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/","name":"Federal Contracting Center","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/#organization","name":"Federal Contracting Center","url":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/FCC-Logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/FCC-Logo.png","width":207,"height":91,"caption":"Federal Contracting Center"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/federalcontractingcenter\/","https:\/\/x.com\/fedcontracntr","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/federal-contracting-center","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/federalcontractingctr\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f414b2676054eaacc6172d8b21dc43ce","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9022f90494e48e1b133feac4ede16d4d84b5e7ca18e10cc79446fd36b6c4f97b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9022f90494e48e1b133feac4ede16d4d84b5e7ca18e10cc79446fd36b6c4f97b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9022f90494e48e1b133feac4ede16d4d84b5e7ca18e10cc79446fd36b6c4f97b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.federalcontractingcenter.com\/"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2796","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2796"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2796\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecommerceseo.us\/fcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}