Skip to content
Sign in

Share this page

Facebook (opens in a new tab) X (opens in a new tab) LinkedIn (opens in a new tab) Email Text message

For consultants that have never won a government contract

Can a consultant win a government contract?

Yes, the government buys what you do. There are 65 open federal bids for consultants right now.

12 of them are reserved for small businesses, so a large company cannot take them.

That is a live count from the government's own listings, not an estimate. Winning one is another matter: the government decides, and nobody can promise it.

Show me the bids Create a free account

Can my business actually do this?

What the government buys from consultants

  • Management and business advice
  • Help running a program or an office
  • Studies, reviews and written reports

Good to know. A one-person firm can bid. What matters is showing you have done this kind of work before, for any client.

What do I need before I can bid?

Less than you may think, but it has to be in place first

  • An active SAM.gov registration. It is free, it is the government's own list of who it can pay, and it has to be renewed every year. Allow a few weeks.
  • A one-page capability statement. It tells a buyer what you do, where, and who you have done it for.
  • Proof you have done this work. Many bids ask about past jobs. Work for private customers usually counts.
  • A certification, for some bids only. Some bids are reserved for woman-owned, veteran-owned, HUBZone or 8(a) businesses. Most are not.
Am I ready? Free 2-minute check Start with the free first lesson Get help with SAM.gov Do I qualify for a certification?

Which contracts should I pursue?

Open bids for consultants

The ones kindest to a first-time bidder come first. Start close to home, start small, and check the deadline before you read anything else.

65 open bids

Army Continuing Medical Education (CME) Reaccreditation

Due in 4 days Oct 12, 2026

Department of Defense · JBSA Ft Sam Houston, TX

In plain English: Provide consulting on military medical education accreditation requirements.

Who can bid: Open to any business or nonprofit registered to work with the federal government.

Professional services Open to all Sources Sought NAICS 541611
Details

H346--Legionella Water Testing

Due in 5 days Oct 13, 2026

Department of Veterans Affairs

In plain English: Test water for Legionella bacteria at a Veterans Affairs facility.

Who can bid: Reserved for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.

Professional services Veteran-owned Combined Synopsis/Solicitation NAICS 541620
Details

Free account needed

See all 65 of these bids

You are seeing the first 3. The rest, and every bid in full, are one free account away.

A free account gives you:

  • Read every bid and grant in full, with the official notice
  • See how each bid compares with your business
  • New bids that fit your work, by email once a week
  • A first look at a bid from our AI assistant, one bid a day
  • The readiness check, the certification checks and your results saved
Create a free account I already have one. Sign in

It takes about a minute. No card is asked for, and we never sell your email address.

Do not come back and check. Let the bids come to you.

Create a free account, tell us what you do, and we email you new bids that fit once a week. Members get them every day.

Create a free account

It takes about a minute. No card is asked for.

How do I respond to a 60-page solicitation?

Not alone, and not at midnight

A bid is written for contracting officers, not for a business owner. Sabrina, our AI assistant, reads the notice and its documents with you and tells you in plain English what it is asking for, what you have to send in, and where you stand.

  • Work a bid from start to finish with Sabrina, our AI assistant
  • She reads the bid's documents, and the files and screenshots you add
  • Estimates built from your own numbers, compared with what the government has paid before
  • The documents you send in, written for you to download and edit
Join for $29 a month See everything and what it costs

You can cancel at any time. Cancelling takes effect at the end of the billing period you have paid for.

OpenBid cannot guarantee results. The government decides who wins a bid, and nobody can promise that one will.

Do something else?

Cleaning Landscaping Construction Security IT and software Trucking Training Professional services Nonprofits Manufacturing