The Journal

Reporting on supplier diversity.

Working coverage of certifications, corporate procurement, federal contracting, financing, and the operators making each work for diverse-owned businesses. Every piece checked against primary sources.

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Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to sell to the GSA: registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

The GSA buys through SAM.gov, the Multiple Award Schedule, and socioeconomic set-asides. Here is the registration sequence, the goals that work in …

Jun 11, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to sell to the FAA: registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

The FAA buys under its own Acquisition Management System, not the standard FAR, which changes how set-asides and registration work. Here is …

Jun 11, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to sell to the Department of Justice: registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

The DOJ ran about $3.1 billion through small-business contracts in FY2024. Here is how its OSDBU works, which set-asides it uses, and …

Jun 11, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to sell to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA): registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

DLA buys the fuel, food, parts, and medical supplies that keep the military running, and it does most of it through one …

Jun 11, 2026 · Will Moss

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to sell to the U.S. Department of State: registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

State spends on construction, embassy security, IT, and language services worldwide. Here is how a small or diverse business registers, finds the …

Jun 11, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to sell to the Department of Labor: registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

DOL spends roughly $2.2 billion a year buying goods and services, and it routes a large share to small and diverse firms. …

Jun 11, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to sell to the Department of Energy: registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

DOE runs roughly 80% of its procurement budget through Management & Operating contractors at the national labs and cleanup sites, which means …

Jun 11, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to sell to the Department of Education: registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

The Department of Education buys against roughly $2.5 billion in estimated annual obligations, and its OSDBU exists to route small businesses into …

Jun 11, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to sell to the U.S. Department of Defense: registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

DoD bought $183 billion from small businesses in FY2024, 28.78% of eligible spend. Here is the actual path: SAM.gov registration, the set-asides …

Jun 11, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to sell to the Department of Commerce: registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

The Department of Commerce runs most of its contracting through bureaus like NOAA, Census, and USPTO, and NOAA alone puts more than …

Jun 11, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to sell to the U.S. Coast Guard: registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

The Coast Guard is a DHS buying component, not a Defense agency, and that changes where you look and who you call. …

Jun 11, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to sell to NASA: registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

NASA runs its small-business work through the Office of Small Business Programs and posts opportunities on SAM.gov. Here is how to register, …

Jun 11, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to sell to HUD: registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

HUD buys through SAM.gov and runs the standard federal set-asides. This guide covers registration, which socioeconomic certification to chase, where HUD posts …

Jun 11, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to sell to Health and Human Services (HHS): registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

HHS buys across NIH, CDC, FDA, and CMS, and runs a Small Business Customer Experience office for vendors. Here is how to …

Jun 11, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to sell to FEMA: registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

FEMA buys through SAM.gov and Unison Marketplace, runs a Small Business Program under the DHS OSDBU, and asks vendors to file an …

Jun 11, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to sell to the Department of Homeland Security: registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

DHS obligated $9.9 billion to small businesses in FY2023 (38.21% of eligible dollars), the most in its history. Here is how registration, …

Jun 11, 2026 · Will Moss

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to get government contracts in waste management

Federal agencies like the Bureau of Reclamation and HHS post solid-waste hauling and recycling work as total small business set-asides. Here are …

Jun 11, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to get government contracts in trucking and transportation

Federal agencies move freight, relocate household goods, and haul materials through small-business carriers every day. Here is the real path: the NAICS …

Jun 11, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to get government contracts in training services

The Office of Personnel Management alone spends over $1.1 billion a year on professional and management training. Here is the real path …

Jun 11, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to get government contracts in staffing and temporary services

Federal agencies buy temporary, clerical, technical, and healthcare staffing every year. This guide covers the NAICS code and size standard that decide …

Jun 11, 2026 · Will Moss

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to get government contracts in security guard services

Security guard work is one of the most reliable on-ramps to federal contracting for small and diverse firms. The agencies buy it …

Jun 11, 2026 · Will Moss

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to get government contracts in plumbing

Government buyers spend steadily on plumbing repair, fixture replacement, and water-line work, and most of it runs through one NAICS code. Here …

Jun 11, 2026 · Will Moss

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to get government contracts in painting

Painting falls under NAICS 238320 with a $19 million SBA size standard, so almost every painting contractor qualifies as a small business. …

Jun 11, 2026 · Will Moss

Guide

Guide · 8 min

How to get government contracts in office supplies

Office supplies is a high-volume, repeat-buy federal category where small and diverse firms compete well. Here is how the NAICS codes, GSA …

Jun 11, 2026 · Will Moss

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