8(a) Firms: How to Win Your First Government Contract in 90 Days

The 8(a) Advantage (And Why Most Firms Waste It)

Getting 8(a) certified is a significant milestone. The SBA's 8(a) Business Development program gives small disadvantaged businesses access to sole-source contracts up to $4.5M (or $7M for manufacturing).

But here's the reality: many 8(a) firms never win a single contract.

Not because the contracts aren't there. There are over 6,000 8(a) sole-source awards per year. The problem is most firms don't know how to position themselves and respond to opportunities.

This guide fixes that.

Week 1-2: Foundation

Get Your SAM.gov Profile Right

Your SAM.gov registration is your storefront. Contracting officers search SAM.gov to find 8(a) firms for sole-source awards.

Optimize for discoverability: - NAICS codes — List every code you can legitimately perform under. More codes = more visibility. - Capabilities narrative — Write this like a sales pitch, not a government form. Lead with outcomes. - Past performance — Include commercial work. You don't need government past performance to start. - Core competencies — Use keywords that contracting officers search for.

Build Your Capability Statement

A one-page capability statement is your resume for government buyers. Include: - Company overview (2-3 sentences) - Core competencies (3-5 bullet points) - Differentiators (what makes you different from the 30,000+ other 8(a) firms?) - Past performance (3-5 examples, even if commercial) - Certifications and clearances - Contact information

Keep it to one page. Contracting officers are busy.

Week 3-4: Identify Opportunities

Use SAM.gov Opportunity Search

Search SAM.gov for opportunities matching your NAICS codes. Filter by: - Set-aside: "8(a) Sole Source" and "8(a) Competitive" - Place of performance: your geographic area (for initial contracts) - NAICS codes: your primary codes

Target Agencies That Buy What You Sell

Not all agencies are created equal. Some agencies award significantly more 8(a) contracts: - Department of Defense (largest overall buyer) - Department of Veterans Affairs - Department of Homeland Security - GSA (for IT and professional services)

Research which agencies have historically purchased your type of service using USAspending.gov.

Find Sole-Source Opportunities

Sole-source is your fastest path to a first win. To get sole-source consideration:

1. Contact the agency's OSDBU (Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization)
2. Attend industry days and pre-proposal conferences
3. Meet with contracting officers — yes, you can call them
4. Register in agency-specific portals (e.g., Army's RFI system, NASA SEWP)
5. Ask your SBA Business Opportunity Specialist for introductions

Week 5-8: Build Relationships

The Coffee Meeting Strategy

Government contracting is a relationship business. Your goal is 2-3 meetings per week with: - Contracting officers at target agencies - OSDBU representatives - Program managers (the people who actually need the work done) - Other 8(a) firms (for teaming/subcontracting) - Prime contractors looking for 8(a) subs

PTAC is Your Free Consultant

Your local Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) provides free consulting: - Proposal review - SAM.gov registration help - Capability statement feedback - Introduction to contracting officers

Find your PTAC at aptac-us.org.

Week 9-12: Respond and Win

Choose Your First Bid Carefully

For your first proposal, target opportunities where: - Contract value is under $250K (less competition, faster decisions) - The work matches your commercial experience closely - You have some geographic advantage (local, same time zone) - The RFP is relatively simple (avoid 100+ page RFPs for your first bid)

Write a Winning Proposal

For 8(a) sole-source: the proposal is often a simplified technical/cost package. No 200-page volumes needed.

For competitive 8(a): follow the RFP instructions exactly. The #1 reason proposals are eliminated is non-compliance — missing a requirement, exceeding page limits, or not following formatting instructions.

Key proposal tips: 1. Build a compliance matrix first — map every requirement to your response 2. Lead with understanding — show you understand the agency's problem before pitching your solution 3. Quantify everything — "reduced processing time by 40%" beats "improved efficiency" 4. Address every evaluation factor — if Section M lists 4 factors, your proposal needs 4 clear sections 5. Get a review — have someone who hasn't worked on the proposal read it for clarity

Tools That Help

ProposalMode helps 8(a) firms compete without spending thousands on proposal consultants:

• Free contractor lookup — Research competitors and potential teaming partners
• Free RFP snapshot — Upload any RFP, get compliance analysis in 30 seconds
• Pro tier ($99/mo) — Full compliance matrices, AI proposal drafting, competitive intelligence

Start with a free RFP snapshot →