New-business government contract readiness checklist
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Practical planning aid for founders considering public work. Not legal advice,
not an award guarantee, and not a certification application.

Reviewed: September 18, 2026 (ET)
Companion guide: https://startbusinessbystate.com/can-a-new-business-win-government-contracts/

A. Decide the market you are actually entering
[ ] Federal prime (agency awards you directly)
[ ] Federal subcontract (you work under a prime)
[ ] State agency purchase
[ ] City / county / school district / special district
[ ] Confirmed: I am not treating USASpending or historical spending maps as open bids

B. Registration reality check (federal)
[ ] Login.gov / SAM.gov account path understood
[ ] Chose path: Unique Entity ID only OR full entity registration
[ ] Understand UEI alone is not enough to bid as a federal prime
[ ] If registering: Entity Registration Checklist downloaded from SAM.gov
[ ] Active registration status verified (renewal every 365 days when registered)
[ ] Remember: SAM registration is free; registration ≠ award

C. Identity and size (only if pursuing small-business set-asides)
[ ] Primary NAICS matched to the work you actually sell
[ ] Size standard checked for that NAICS (receipts or employees + affiliates)
[ ] Program certifications pursued only when eligible (not assumed)
[ ] Representations in SAM reviewed for accuracy

D. Realistic entry routes
[ ] Smaller local/state solicitations sized to current capacity
[ ] Subcontract conversations with primes that already hold work
[ ] Set-aside / preference programs only after eligibility is real
[ ] APEX Accelerator counseling scheduled (no-cost counseling — not a broker)

E. Experience and references (honest inventory)
[ ] Commercial or public-adjacent work you can document without inventing history
[ ] Named references who will confirm scope, quality, and dates
[ ] Gaps labeled (new entity, new geography, new service line)
[ ] No plan to fabricate past performance or borrow another firm's experience

F. Capacity before bidding
[ ] Cash / credit to cover startup labor, materials, and payment lag
[ ] Insurance limits and endorsements the solicitation is likely to require
[ ] Bonding path identified if the bid asks for bid/performance/payment bonds
[ ] Staffing plan for the performance window (including absences)
[ ] Equipment / vehicles / access credentials actually available on day one
[ ] Wage / labor rules flagged for review when the package cites Service Contract Act or prevailing wage (high-level: read the wage determination in the package)

G. Solicitation fit gate (pass/fail before writing a proposal)
[ ] Place of performance reachable
[ ] Mandatory site visit / conference can be attended
[ ] Submission method and deadline (with time zone) calendar'd
[ ] Evaluation factors readable (price is not always the only factor)
[ ] Exclusions and options understood
[ ] Decision: BID / NO-BID recorded with reason

H. Documents packet (assemble early)
[ ] Capability one-pager (services, geography, capacity — no invented awards)
[ ] Certificate of insurance draft / broker review request
[ ] W-9 / tax ID / banking for payment setup
[ ] Licenses required by the buyer or the work location
[ ] Safety / quality plan outline if the RFP asks for one

Sources to re-check (dated):
- SAM.gov entity registration: https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration
- SBA basic contracting requirements: https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/basic-requirements
- SBA federal contracting assistance / APEX: https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/federal-contracting-assistance
- APEX Accelerators directory: https://www.apexaccelerators.us/
- SBA SUBNet subcontracting listings: https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/prime-subcontracting/subcontracting-opportunities