U.S. Customs and Border Protection is one of the largest buyers inside the Department of Homeland Security, and DHS spends like an agency that takes small business seriously. In FY24, DHS awarded 38.21% of its eligible contracting dollars to small businesses, far above the 23% government-wide goal, and earned an A+ on SBA's small-business procurement scorecard. It was the largest federal agency to hit all ten of its prime and subcontracting goals, and it has earned an A or A+ for 15 years running. For a diverse or small business, that is a buyer worth understanding in detail.
This guide walks the actual path: register, read the forecast, target the right set-aside, and get in front of CBP's small-business office before a solicitation hits the street.
Where CBP fits in the federal spendCBP procurement runs through DHS acquisition channels and DHS's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU). DHS obligated $9.9 billion to small businesses in FY23, the highest amount in the department's history, with more than $4.7 billion going to small disadvantaged businesses. CBP buys a wide range of work: technology and software, professional and technical services, construction and facilities, equipment, logistics, and mission support around the border and ports of entry.
If you want to size the broader federal opportunity before you commit, our federal spending database breaks down award activity by set-aside type and agency so you can see where dollars actually land.
Step 1: Get registered and identifiableBefore CBP can pay you, the government has to recognize you as a vendor.
- Get a Unique Entity ID (UEI) and register in SAM.gov. This is the system of record for federal vendors. Registration is free and is the prerequisite for any award.
- Know your NAICS codes and size standard. Your NAICS codes tell CBP what you do and whether you qualify as small for a given procurement.
- Confirm your socioeconomic certifications. CBP and DHS actively buy through small-business, 8(a), HUBZone, small disadvantaged, women-owned (WOSB/EDWOSB), and service-disabled veteran-owned (SDVOSB) channels. The certification is what makes you eligible for a set-aside, not just a label.
If you are not certified yet, that is the gate that decides which set-asides you can compete in. We built CertifyAll to handle the federal certification paperwork so you are eligible before the bids you want show up, and our certification guides explain what each program requires.
Step 2: Read the forecast before solicitations postThe single highest-leverage move with CBP is reading the forecast early. CBP publishes projected contract opportunities through the Acquisition Planning Forecast System (APFS), which feeds the DHS Forecast of Contract Opportunities. The forecast shows work CBP expects to compete, often months before a solicitation appears.
Why this matters: by the time a solicitation posts on SAM.gov (the government point of entry for opportunities over $25,000), the requirement is largely set. The shaping happens earlier, during market research, when CBP is deciding whether to set the work aside for small business at all. Reading the forecast lets you raise your hand while that decision is still open.
Use the forecast to filter by NAICS code and set-aside designation, then build a short list of the line items that match what you do.
Step 3: Target the right set-asideCBP and DHS award through the standard federal set-aside categories. Match yourself honestly to one:
8(a) Business Development
WOSB and EDWOSB
SDVOSB
HUBZone
If you are unsure which category fits or whether your firm is contract-ready, our government readiness tool walks through registration, certification, and past-performance gaps in a few minutes.
Step 4: Reach CBP's small-business officeCBP runs a Small Business Program and meets regularly with vendors. The team also takes part in DHS's monthly Small Business Vendor Outreach Sessions, where firms get short one-on-one meetings to present a capability statement and talk through upcoming work.
You can request a meeting by emailing smallbusinessoffice@cbp.dhs.gov with an overview of your firm and a brief capability statement. Keep that statement to one page: core competencies, NAICS codes, certifications, UEI, past performance, and differentiators. A tight capability statement is what gets you remembered after the meeting ends.
These conversations are not a formality. CBP's small-business specialists influence whether a requirement gets set aside and which firms get named in market research. Showing up prepared puts you in that conversation.
Step 5: Decide between prime and subcontractThere are two real ways onto CBP work, and most diverse firms start with the second.
Prime. You bid and hold the contract directly. This is the goal, but it usually requires relevant past performance and the capacity to deliver on your own. Start with smaller set-aside awards or task orders to build a CBP track record.
Subcontract. You team with a prime already holding a CBP or DHS contract. DHS exceeded all of its subcontracting goals in FY24, which means primes have real incentive to bring qualified small and diverse subs onto their teams. Subcontracting gets you CBP past performance and relationships without needing to win a full contract on day one.
A practical sequence: subcontract to build past performance, use that record to win small prime set-asides, then scale into larger competitions.
A realistic timelineFederal sales cycles are long. From first SAM.gov registration to a first award often runs 12 to 24 months, sometimes longer. The firms that win treat the forecast and the small-business office as a year-round routine, not a scramble when a solicitation drops.
Next stepStart by confirming you are actually contract-ready. Run our government readiness tool to see where your registration, certifications, and past performance stand against what CBP buyers expect, then use that gap list to plan your next 90 days.
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Sources: How to Do Business with CBP, CBP Small Business Program, CBP Acquisition Planning Forecast System (APFS), DHS: largest agency with 15 consecutive A grades, DHS Small Business Goals and Achievements, SBA Small Business Procurement Scorecard.
