Resources
Government contracting is full of jargon, acronyms, and outdated information. We write plainly for small business owners who need straight answers, not legal disclaimers.
14 articles — Researched by the BidStride Research Team
Government contracting profit margins average 10–15% for services and 5–10% for products. Here is what the numbers actually look like for small businesses.
SAM.gov registration officially takes 7–10 business days after submission, but common delays can push it to 3–4 weeks. Here is what to expect and how to avoid the most common holdups.
A CAGE code is a 5-character identifier assigned to every business that contracts with the Department of Defense. Here is what it is, how it differs from your UEI, and how to get one.
The federal government retired DUNS numbers in April 2022 and replaced them with the SAM.gov-assigned Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Here is what changed, what stayed the same, and what it means for contractors today.
Not all government contracts are equally competitive. Micro-purchases, simplified acquisitions, and set-aside contracts are where new small businesses win their first awards. Here is where to focus.
Construction contracts over $150,000 require bid bonds and performance bonds by law. Service contracts generally do not. Here is the full breakdown of when government contractors need bonding.
You do not need an LLC to get government contracts — sole proprietors can register in SAM.gov and win awards. But the right business structure matters for taxes, liability, and certifications. Here is the practical breakdown.
The federal government awarded over $700 billion in contracts in FY2025. Here is what small businesses actually capture by agency, contract type, and set-aside program — based on USASpending.gov data.
Veterans have access to two distinct set-aside programs — SDVOSB and VOSB — plus priority treatment at VA. Here is how to get certified, where the money is, and what actually gives veterans an edge.
Your NAICS code determines which contracts you are eligible to bid and how your size is measured. Here is how to find the right codes — and the mistakes that cost new contractors real opportunities.
CMMC Level 2 certification runs $75,000 to $300,000 for a small defense contractor, with most small firms landing near $138,000 all-in. The third-party assessment fee alone is $30,000–$118,000. Here is where the money actually goes, and how a small SDVOSB shop budgets for it before the November 10, 2026 deadline.
On November 10, 2026, CMMC Phase 2 begins: DoD contracts that handle Controlled Unclassified Information start requiring a full C3PAO Level 2 assessment, not a self-attestation. As of early 2026, only about 1,042 of the roughly 76,600 organizations that need certification had one. If you are not already moving, you are behind — most firms need 6 to 18 months to get ready.
The line is the data. If you only handle Federal Contract Information, CMMC Level 1 is a self-assessment. If you handle Controlled Unclassified Information, you are at Level 2 — and the program office decides whether you can self-assess or need a C3PAO. Most CUI contracts require the third-party C3PAO assessment. Here is the decision tree.
Across more than 100 defense-contractor assessments, two NIST SP 800-171 controls fail more than any other 108 combined: FIPS-validated cryptography (3.13.11) and multi-factor authentication (3.5.3). Here are the 7 controls small contractors miss most, why each one trips up firms without a dedicated IT team, and how to fix them before your CMMC assessment.
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