The federal government is the world's largest single buyer of goods and services, and a fixed share of that buying is reserved by statute for small firms. The statutory floor is 23 percent: according to 15 U.S.C. 644(g)(1)(A)(i), the Governmentwide goal for participation by small business concerns must be established at not less than that share of the total value of all prime contract awards for each fiscal year (read 2026-09-06). State and local governments add their own programs on top of it. Yet most small businesses, including many that are perfectly positioned to serve government clients, never pursue a contract because the process seems opaque, the paperwork overwhelming, and the competition impossible to assess from the outside.
The reality is more accessible than it appears. The federal government is legally required to award a significant portion of its contracting dollars to small businesses. Set-aside programs for minority-owned, women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, and economically disadvantaged small businesses create dedicated contracting opportunities that exist specifically to give smaller firms a protected path to winning federal work. Georgia's state and local agencies have parallel programs.
This guide walks through the foundational steps every small business needs to take to become eligible for government contracts, the key certifications and programs that can provide competitive advantage, and practical strategies for winning your first contract.
Step 1: Get Your SAM.gov Registration Active
SAM.gov, the System for Award Management, is the federal government's primary contractor registration database. To receive a federal contract or subcontract above the micro-purchase threshold, your business must be registered and active in SAM.gov. According to FAR 2.101 as published on acquisition.gov, the micro-purchase threshold is $15,000, dropping to $2,000 for construction subject to the Wage Rate Requirements statute and $2,500 for services subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards, while the simplified acquisition threshold is $350,000 (read 2026-09-06). This is non-negotiable: no SAM registration, no federal contract.
Registration is free. Be aware of websites that charge fees to help you register: they are not official government sites, and many are scams or offer no value beyond what you can do yourself at sam.gov.
To register in SAM.gov you need:
- Your Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS
- Your Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), now assigned by SAM.gov itself when you initiate registration, replacing the old DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet
- Your business legal name and address exactly as they appear in IRS records
- Banking information for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), required for payment on federal contracts
- NAICS codes relevant to your business (more on these below)
Initial registration typically takes 7 to 10 business days to process and activate. Your registration must be renewed annually: if it lapses, you are ineligible for new awards until it's renewed. Many small businesses lose contracting opportunities due to a lapsed SAM registration, so set a calendar reminder well before your annual renewal date.
Step 2: Understand Your CAGE Code
The Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code is a five-character alphanumeric identifier assigned by the Defense Logistics Agency to entities that do business with the federal government. Your CAGE code is assigned automatically when your SAM.gov registration is processed: you don't need to apply for it separately.
Your CAGE code is used to identify your business in government procurement databases, including the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS), the DoD supplier databases, and contract award documents. It's a fixed identifier that stays with your business as long as you maintain active registration.
On proposals and bids, you'll typically provide both your UEI and your CAGE code. Keep both accessible: solicitations and registration forms ask for them regularly.
Step 3: Select the Right NAICS Codes
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) organizes all business activity into standardized industry codes. The federal government uses NAICS codes to classify contracts and to define the scope of small business size standards. Your SAM.gov registration includes the NAICS codes under which you will compete for contracts.
Selecting the right NAICS codes matters for two reasons. First, government solicitations specify a primary NAICS code, and that code determines which size standard applies: your revenue or employee count must fall below that size standard to bid as a small business. Second, your registered NAICS codes appear in databases that contracting officers use when seeking small business sources, so registering under relevant codes makes you findable.
Common NAICS codes relevant to construction, property services, and environmental work include:
- 238910: Site Preparation Contractors (excavation, grading, demolition)
- 238990: All Other Specialty Trade Contractors
- 561720: Janitorial Services
- 561730: Landscaping Services
- 561790: Other Services to Buildings and Dwellings (including pressure washing)
- 562910: Remediation Services
- 236220: Commercial and Institutional Building Construction
- 237310: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction
You can register under multiple NAICS codes. Review the size standards associated with each code: they vary, with some defined by average annual receipts and others by number of employees. The Small Business Administration publishes them as a table at 13 CFR 121.201, which sets the receipts-based standard at $9.0 million for NAICS 561790 Other Services to Buildings and Dwellings, $19.0 million for 238910 Site Preparation Contractors, $25.0 million for 562910 Remediation Services, and $45.0 million for both 236220 Commercial and Institutional Building Construction and 237310 Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (read 2026-09-06).
Step 4: SBA Set-Aside Programs, Your Competitive Advantage
The Small Business Act mandates that the federal government set aside a percentage of contracting dollars for small businesses. The overall goal is 23 percent of federal prime contract spending, with sub-goals for specific categories. In practice, the government consistently meets or exceeds these goals, meaning billions of dollars in contracts are competed exclusively among small businesses and set-aside program participants.
8(a) Business Development Program
The SBA's 8(a) program is one of the most powerful set-aside programs available. Designed for small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, it offers:
- Access to sole-source contracts below the competitive threshold. Under 13 CFR 124.506(a)(2)(ii), a procurement accepted into the 8(a) program must be competed among eligible Participants once the anticipated award price including options exceeds $7,000,000 for contracts assigned manufacturing NAICS codes and $4,500,000 for all other contracts, which is where sole-source award stops (read 2026-09-06)
- Set-aside competitions limited to 8(a) participants
- Mentor-protégé program matching with larger companies for teaming, capacity building, and joint ventures
- Nine-year program term (four years developmental, five years transitional)
- Business development assistance from SBA district offices
Eligibility requires that the business be at least 51 percent owned and controlled by a US citizen who is socially disadvantaged (members of certain racial/ethnic groups are presumed socially disadvantaged) and economically disadvantaged. Those two dollar tests are set by 13 CFR 124.104: net worth must be less than $850,000 excluding the ownership interest in the firm and the equity in the primary residence, and SBA presumes an individual is not economically disadvantaged if adjusted gross income averaged over the three preceding years exceeds $400,000 (read 2026-09-06). The application process is detailed and can take several months, but the access to sole-source contracting makes it one of the highest-value certifications available.
HUBZone Program
The Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program provides contracting preferences to small businesses in designated low-income, rural, or economically distressed areas. Eligibility is set by 13 CFR 126.200, which requires the principal office to be located in a HUBZone at paragraph (c) and requires at least 35 percent of a concern's employees to qualify as HUBZone resident employees at paragraph (d)(1), rounded to the nearest whole employee (read 2026-09-06).
Stone Mountain, Georgia, in DeKalb County, includes HUBZone-designated census tracts. Businesses located in these areas and meeting employment requirements can certify as HUBZone small businesses and access set-aside contracts that are competed exclusively among HUBZone firms, as well as price evaluation preferences in open competitions.
The SBA's HUBZone mapping tool (available at sba.gov) shows current HUBZone boundaries. Note that boundaries are updated periodically based on census data, so verify current status for your location.
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)
Small businesses at least 51 percent owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans can certify as SDVOSBs and compete for set-aside contracts across all federal agencies. The VA has the most active SDVOSB program (called VOSB, Veteran-Owned Small Business, for the VA's internal programs), but SDVOSB set-asides are available government-wide.
Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program
The WOSB program sets aside contracts in industries where women-owned businesses are underrepresented. Small businesses at least 51 percent owned and controlled by women can certify and compete for WOSB set-asides. The list of eligible NAICS codes is extensive and includes many construction and services categories.
Step 5: State and Local Certifications, MBE, DBE, SBE
Parallel to federal programs, state and local agencies run their own certification programs with contracting preferences and participation goals. In Georgia, the most important are:
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE): The federal DBE program, administered by GDOT, MARTA, and other recipients of federal transportation funding, requires prime contractors to make good-faith efforts to include DBE subcontractors and meet DBE participation goals. DBE certification is administered in Georgia through GDOT's Office of External Civil Rights. Certified DBEs are listed in a database that prime contractors consult when building their DBE participation plans.
Minority Business Enterprise (MBE): The State of Georgia's MBE certification is administered by the Department of Administrative Services (DOAS). It certifies businesses that are at least 51 percent owned and controlled by minorities (as defined by state law) and meet size standards. MBE certification is required or preferred by many state agencies, the City of Atlanta, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and large institutional buyers including universities, hospitals, and corporate headquarters with supplier diversity programs.
Small Business Enterprise (SBE): Some agencies, including the Atlanta Airport and MARTA, have SBE programs that set aside or provide preference for small businesses meeting local size thresholds, independent of minority ownership status.
Pursuing multiple certifications maximizes the opportunities you can access. A minority-owned business in Georgia might hold federal 8(a) certification, SBA small business registration, Georgia DOAS MBE certification, GDOT DBE certification, and City of Atlanta MBE/SBE certification, each unlocking different contracting opportunities with different agencies.
Rare Earth Ltd does not hold 8(a) status, HUBZone status or a SOC 2 attestation, and does not represent any of the three as pending. Held and independently verifiable: DBE, ACDBE, MBE, SDB, SAM registration, CAGE 9JAV8, UEI Z4WKS4UE8NJ6 and E-Verify.
Finding Opportunities: Where to Look
SAM.gov contract opportunities: All federal contract opportunities above the simplified acquisition threshold, now $350,000 for most agencies under FAR 2.101, are posted at sam.gov/content/opportunities. You can set up searches by NAICS code, agency, place of performance, and set-aside type, and receive email notifications when new opportunities are posted.
Georgia's state procurement portal: The Georgia Procurement Registry (GPR) lists state agency solicitations. Access at doas.georgia.gov.
MARTA procurement: MARTA maintains its own procurement portal and publishes DBE/SBE contracting opportunities for capital projects, maintenance, and professional services.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport: The airport's Department of Procurement manages a large volume of contracting activity and publishes opportunities on its website, with specific DBE/MBE participation requirements for most larger contracts.
FPDS-NG (Federal Procurement Data System): At usaspending.gov, you can research what an agency has bought in the past, from whom, at what price, and under what NAICS code. This competitive intelligence helps you understand the market before bidding.
Building Your First Win: Practical Strategy
First-time government contractors often make the mistake of targeting the largest contracts first. A better strategy for building a track record:
- Start with micro-purchases and simplified acquisitions. Agencies can buy up to the $15,000 micro-purchase threshold without competition and up to the $350,000 simplified acquisition threshold through simplified acquisition procedures. These smaller contracts are faster, require less paperwork, and can establish past performance references you'll need for larger contracts.
- Pursue subcontracting first. Many large prime contractors actively seek certified small business subcontractors to meet their SB participation plans. Reach out to prime contractors who have won relevant contracts in your area. Past performance as a sub can be cited in prime bids.
- Attend industry days and pre-solicitation conferences. Agencies frequently hold these events before issuing solicitations. They're opportunities to meet contracting officers, learn about upcoming requirements, and position your firm before the competition begins.
- Use the SBA's PTAC network. Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) offer free one-on-one counseling for small businesses pursuing government contracts. In Georgia, the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) serves metro Atlanta and is an excellent resource for bid review, capability statement development, and certification guidance.
At Thrare Contracting, we're an active participant in Georgia's government contracting ecosystem: registered in SAM.gov, pursuing certifications, and building a track record in property services, recycled materials, and site work for public and private clients. If you have questions about the process or want to discuss teaming opportunities, contact us.