Reporting on supplier diversity.

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. …

· Maya Okonkwo

How to get government contracts in catering and food service

The catering NAICS code caps you at $9M while food service contractors get $47M. Pick the wrong one and you lose bids …

· Maya Okonkwo

How to get government contracts in construction

The real path into federal construction work: which NAICS codes and size standards apply, the set-asides worth pursuing, and why most small …

· Will Moss

How to get government contracts in management consulting

Federal agencies bought roughly $4.3 billion under the main management consulting NAICS code last year. Here is the real path in: the …

· Maya Okonkwo

How to get government contracts in electrical contracting

Electrical work runs through almost every federal building, base, and depot. This guide covers the NAICS code and size standard that decide …

· Will Moss

How to get government contracts in engineering services

Engineering services sit under NAICS 541330 with a $25.5M small-business size standard. Here's how diverse firms register on SAM.gov, use set-asides, and …

· Will Moss

How to get government contracts in HVAC and mechanical

Federal agencies need HVAC and mechanical work on millions of square feet of buildings. Here's the NAICS code that classifies you, the …

· Will Moss

How to get government contracts in information technology (IT)

IT is one of the highest-volume categories in federal contracting, with NAICS 541519 alone moving billions in awards. Here's the real path: …

· Maya Okonkwo

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 …

· Maya Okonkwo

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

The DOT spends through 11 operating administrations like the FAA and FHWA. This guide covers SAM.gov registration, the set-asides DOT uses, where …

· Will Moss

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 …

· Will Moss

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 …

· Mario Bailey

MBE vs WBE vs DBE: The 2026 Difference (Who Issues, Cost, Where Each Wins)

MBE is for minority-owned firms (issued by NMSDC), WBE is for women-owned firms (issued by WBENC), and DBE is a federal transportation …

· Maya Okonkwo

How Much Does 8(a) Certification Cost in 2026? ($0 to the SBA, and the Real Bill)

The SBA charges nothing to apply for 8(a) certification. The honest cost is roughly 200 hours of your time, optional consultant fees …

· Maya Okonkwo

Is Supplier Diversity Worth It? The 2026 ROI Numbers, Honestly

Supplier diversity returns measurable money on both sides of the table: The Hackett Group documents 133% greater procurement ROI, the Billion Dollar …

· Maya Okonkwo

How to Find Government Contracts in 2026: 7 Steps + Where to Look

Start at SAM.gov, register your entity, filter to set-asides your business qualifies for, then mine SBA SubNet, agency forecasts, and APEX Accelerators …

· Maya Okonkwo

Guide · 12 min

How to Bid on a Government Contract: Your First Proposal Step by Step

Found an opportunity on SAM.gov and wondering what to do with it? Here is exactly what happens from solicitation to award — …

· Mario Bailey

How to Get Past Performance When You Have None: Breaking the Catch-22

Federal agencies want past performance before they hand you a contract, and you can't get past performance without a contract. Here are …

· Mario Bailey

SBA Small Business Size Standards: What They Are and Why They Matter

Size standards determine who legally qualifies as a small business for federal set-asides and contracts. They vary by NAICS code, measure either …

· Mario Bailey

SBIR and STTR Grants: The Federal R&D Path for Small Businesses

SBIR and STTR are federal grant programs that pay small businesses to do R&D on problems the government needs solved. They are …

· Mario Bailey

Sole-Source Government Contracts: What They Are and How to Get One

A sole-source contract is a federal award made directly to one vendor, skipping competition entirely. The four justifications in FAR Part 6.302, …

· Mario Bailey

How to become a CACI International diverse supplier

CACI International is a $7B+ DoD prime contractor with a Small Business Programs Office and active SUB-Net listings. Here is how certified …

· Mario Bailey

How to sell to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a diverse business

NIH obligated more than $6.4 billion in contracts in FY2023. The agency uses 8(a), WOSB, SDVOSB, and HUBZone set-asides across IT, research …

· Mario Bailey

How to write a federal contracting capability statement that gets read

A capability statement is a 1-2 page document that federal contracting officers and small business specialists use to evaluate vendors. Get the …

· Mario Bailey

How to write a federal contracting proposal: the basics every diverse business needs to know

Federal proposals follow a rigid structure defined by the solicitation itself. Miss a required section or exceed a page limit and your …

· Mario Bailey

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 …

· Will Moss

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 …

· Will Moss

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 …

· Maya Okonkwo

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 …

· Maya Okonkwo

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 …

· Maya Okonkwo

How to sell to Customs and Border Protection (CBP): registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

CBP buys through DHS, the largest federal agency to earn 15 straight A or A+ grades on SBA's small-business scorecard. Here is …

· Mario Bailey

HUBZone map: how to find qualifying locations and keep your certification

[HUBZone certification](/guides/hubzone/) requires your principal office to sit inside a designated zone and 35% of employees to live in one. The SBA …

· Mario Bailey

OSDBU and OSBP: the federal offices that help diverse businesses win contracts

Every major federal agency has a dedicated small business office—OSDBU or OSBP—whose job is to help businesses like yours get in front …

· Mario Bailey

SAM.gov registration for diverse businesses: step-by-step guide

SAM.gov registration is required before you can receive a federal contract or grant above $10,000. The process takes 7-10 business days and …

· Mario Bailey

SBA Mentor-Protege Program: how to find a mentor and what you actually get

The SBA All Small Mentor-Protege Program lets any size-standard-eligible small business form a joint venture with a large company to compete for …

· Mario Bailey

SBIR and STTR: federal R&D funding for innovative diverse businesses

The federal government awards over $4 billion annually through SBIR and STTR to small businesses doing innovation work. Women-owned and minority-owned firms …

· Mario Bailey

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, …

· Will Moss

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 …

· Maya Okonkwo

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 …

· Maya Okonkwo

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 …

· Maya Okonkwo

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, …

· Maya Okonkwo

How to sell to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

USACE buys through district offices, not one central office. This guide walks the SAM.gov registration, the set-asides it uses (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, …

· Will Moss

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. …

· Maya Okonkwo

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 …

· Maya Okonkwo

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 …

· Maya Okonkwo

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 …

· Maya Okonkwo

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 …

· Maya Okonkwo

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

Interior put 60% of its eligible prime contract dollars with small businesses in FY2023. Here is how registration, set-asides, and the agency …

· Maya Okonkwo

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

The EPA runs its own Acquisition Forecast Database and a vendor database that feeds its OSDBU and contracting officers. Here is how …

· Maya Okonkwo

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 …

· Maya Okonkwo

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 …

· Maya Okonkwo

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

The NIH buys research support, lab services, and roughly $21 billion in IT through NITAAC. Here's how a small or diverse business …

· Maya Okonkwo

How to sell to the Social Security Administration: registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

SSA buys through the Office of Acquisition and Grants and uses SAM.gov as its primary vendor database. Here's how its OSDBU works, …

· Will Moss

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

Treasury buys through bureaus like the IRS, the Mint, and the BEP, and routes small-business work through its OSDBU. Here's how to …

· Maya Okonkwo

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

The Air Force runs its small-business work through the Department of the Air Force Office of Small Business Programs. Here is how …

· Maya Okonkwo

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

The Army buys through SAM.gov and its Office of Small Business Programs, and it has historically routed more than 20% of contract …

· Will Moss

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

The Department of the Navy buys through a dozen separate commands, not one front door. This guide covers SAM.gov registration, which set-asides …

· Maya Okonkwo

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

USDA obligated more than $11 billion across 67,000 contract actions in FY2023 and aims to send 57.5% of contract dollars to small …

· Maya Okonkwo

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

USPS buys differently from every other federal agency. It is exempt from the FAR, runs its own rulebook, and registers suppliers through …

· Maya Okonkwo

How to sell to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): registration, set-asides, and the small-business path

The VA buys differently than most agencies. Its Veterans First Contracting Program puts certified veteran-owned firms ahead of every other set-aside. Here …

· Will Moss

APEX Accelerators (formerly PTACs): free government contracting help near you

APEX Accelerators are federally-funded, locally-delivered centers that provide free government contracting assistance to small businesses — including diverse-owned firms pursuing 8(a), WOSB, …

· Mario Bailey

How to sell to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a diverse business

DHS is one of the federal government's largest buyers, with over $15 billion in annual contract obligations and an active Mentor-Protege Program …

· Mario Bailey

How to sell to the Intelligence Community (IC) Contractors as a diverse business

The Intelligence Community does not post most of its contracts publicly. Subcontracting through cleared primes like Booz Allen, Leidos, and SAIC is …

· Mario Bailey

GeBIZ: how to register and win Singapore government contracts

GeBIZ is Singapore's central procurement portal handling $20B+ in annual government spending. Every supplier — local or foreign — must register before …

· Mario Bailey

How to find federal contracting opportunities on SAM.gov

SAM.gov Opportunities is the mandatory posting site for federal solicitations above $25,000. Knowing how to filter by set-aside type and NAICS code …

· Mario Bailey

Supplier diversity in New York City: certifications, programs, and how to get contracts

New York City runs the most active municipal M/WBE program in the country, with over $25 billion awarded to diverse suppliers since …

· Mario Bailey

How to get government contracts in janitorial and cleaning services

Janitorial work is one of the most accessible federal markets for a small or diverse firm. The size standard is generous, demand …

· Will Moss

How to get government contracts in landscaping and grounds maintenance

Federal agencies buy landscaping and grounds maintenance under one NAICS code with a $10 million size standard. Here's how a small or …

· Will Moss

How to get government contracts in marketing and advertising

Federal and state agencies buy outreach, recruitment, and digital campaigns every year. Here are the NAICS codes that classify the work, the …

· Maya Okonkwo

How to get government contracts in medical supplies and equipment

The VA runs its own medical supply schedule, separate from GSA, and gives verified veteran-owned firms first priority. Here's how the NAICS …

· Maya Okonkwo

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 …

· Will Moss

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. …

· Will Moss

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 …

· Will Moss

Guide · 14 min

SBA 8(a) Certification: The Complete 2026 Guide

The SBA 8(a) Business Development Program gives disadvantaged-owned small businesses nine years of access to sole-source federal contracts up to $5.5 million. …

· Mario Bailey

Diversity Certification Comparison 2026: Costs, Timelines, and Requirements Side by Side

Every major diversity certification in one place: federal and corporate, with current fees, processing timelines, ownership requirements, and the markets each one …

· Mario Bailey

How to start a minority-owned business in 2026

A founder's walkthrough of starting a minority-owned business in 2026: forming the entity, the certifications that actually open contract doors, what each …

· Maya Okonkwo

How to start a veteran-owned business in 2026

A founder's walkthrough for veterans: form the entity, get SBA VetCert (it's free and now averages 12 days), and use the federal …

· Will Moss

Native American-owned business certification and contracts

A founder's guide to certifying a Native American-owned business: SBA 8(a) eligibility, NMSDC's tribal-enrollment documentation, the costs and timelines, and the financing …

· Mario Bailey

How to get government contracts in architecture and design

Architecture and engineering work gets bought differently than almost everything else the government procures. You compete on qualifications first, price second, and …

· Will Moss

HUBZone certification: requirements, cost, timeline, and what it really takes

HUBZone gives you a 10% price preference and sole-source access up to $4.5M on federal contracts, but the address and employee rules …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

DBE certification in Illinois: Requirements, Process, and Benefits

Illinois DBE certification is administered by the Illinois Unified Certification Program (IL UCP), a five-agency consortium led by IDOT. One application gets …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

HUBZone Certification: Requirements, Map, and How to Apply in 2026

HUBZone certification gives qualifying small businesses access to set-aside contracts, sole-source awards up to $5.5 million, and a 10% price evaluation preference …

Jul 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to do business with the Wyoming government

Wyoming has no state minority or women-owned set-aside. Its main edge is a 5% resident preference. Here's how to register, where to …

May 29, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to do business with the Wisconsin government

Two free moves get a diverse business into the running for Wisconsin state contracts: register as a vendor, then get certified for …

May 26, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to do business with the Vermont government

Vermont runs procurement through one office and one eProcurement system. Here's how to register as a vendor, where the bids live, and …

May 14, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to do business with the Utah government

Utah keeps procurement centralized and the vendor side free. There's no state MBE/[WBE certification](/guides/wbe/), but there is a resident preference and a …

May 11, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to do business with the Texas government

Selling to Texas starts with two free-to-cheap steps: the CMBL vendor list and the ESBD bid portal. The state's diverse-business certification changed …

May 8, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to become a subcontractor on a government contract

Subcontracting is the door into federal work that doesn't require past performance you don't have yet. Large primes are required to use …

May 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to do business with the South Dakota government

South Dakota runs a lean, low-friction procurement system, and registering as a vendor is free. The catch most owners miss: the state …

May 4, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to become a Northrop Grumman diverse supplier

Northrop Grumman spends more than $2 billion annually with small and diverse businesses. This guide covers registration, certifications, sourcing categories, and what …

Apr 22, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to do business with the North Dakota government

North Dakota runs its buying through one portal, NDBuys, and getting on the bidders list is free. The state has no minority …

Apr 13, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Veteran-owned business certification: SDVOSB, VOSB, and VBE explained

There are two separate worlds of veteran certification, and they don't transfer. SBA VetCert gets you federal set-asides for free. NaVOBA's VBE …

Apr 10, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Teaming agreement vs joint venture: how small firms partner to win federal work

Both let a small firm bid work it couldn't win alone, but they carry different liability, control, and SBA size consequences. Here's …

Apr 3, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to do business with the New Jersey government

New Jersey runs a single eProcurement portal, NJSTART, and reserves 25% of state spending for small businesses. Here's the order to register, …

Apr 1, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Supplier diversity for waste, recycling, and environmental services companies: how diverse-owned haulers win work

Trash, recycling, and environmental services are some of the steadiest diverse-supplier categories there are. The work is recurring and the buyers are …

Apr 1, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to do business with the New Hampshire government

New Hampshire runs a low-bid, lean procurement system with one state-recognized diversity certification (DBE) and a resident-bidder tiebreaker. Here's how to register, …

Mar 30, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Supplier diversity for translation and interpretation companies: how to win corporate, hospital, and government work

A diverse-owned language services company has a real edge in supplier diversity programs, but only if you get certified for the right …

Mar 30, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Supplier diversity for security guard companies: how diverse-owned firms win contracts

Contract security runs on labor, low margins, and trust. Diverse certification opens doors at corporations and agencies, but only if you know …

Mar 26, 2026 · Maya Okonkwo

How to do business with the Montana government

Montana doesn't give a bid preference for being minority-, women-, or veteran-owned. Here's what actually moves you toward a state contract: free …

Mar 20, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Supplier diversity for management and IT consulting firms: how to win the work

Consulting is a relationship sale, and supplier diversity gives a diverse-owned firm a reason to be in the room. Here's which certifications …

Mar 13, 2026 · Will Moss

How to do business with the Michigan government

Selling to the State of Michigan starts with a free SIGMA VSS account, not a certification. Here's how registration, the SDVOB preference, …

Mar 9, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to do business with the Maine government

Maine runs its vendor registration and bids through one free system, Vendor Self-Service. Here's how to get registered, where the opportunities are, …

Mar 2, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to do business with the Louisiana government

Selling to Louisiana comes down to three moves: register your business in LaGov, get certified by LED for the Hudson or Veteran …

Feb 25, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Supplier diversity for construction contractors: how diverse-owned GCs and subs win work

Construction runs on two different diversity systems: government DBE work tied to DOT-funded projects, and corporate MBE/WBE spend flowing through primes like …

Feb 25, 2026 · Maya Okonkwo

Supplier diversity for accounting firms: how a diverse-owned CPA practice wins corporate and government work

Accounting is one of the easiest professional services to buy from a diverse-owned firm, and one of the hardest to break into …

Feb 20, 2026 · Maya Okonkwo

Small business loans for minority- and women-owned businesses (2026)

There's no special low-rate loan reserved for diverse business owners. But there are programs built to reach you, and contract awards can …

Feb 19, 2026 · Will Moss

The SBA Mentor-Protégé Program and joint ventures in 2026: how small firms win bigger work

A small firm can team with a larger mentor and bid as a small business on work it could never win alone. …

Feb 18, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to do business with the Idaho government

Idaho runs its procurement through one free portal called IPRO, and it has no statewide minority or women-owned set-aside program. Here's what …

Feb 9, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Picking NAICS codes for federal contracts (and why size standard matters)

The contracting officer, not you, sets the NAICS code on each solicitation, and that code decides whether you count as small. Here's …

Feb 6, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to do business with the Hawaii government

Hawaii runs its bids through HIePRO and posts every notice on HANDS. Registration is free, but one compliance step gates every award …

Feb 4, 2026 · Mario Bailey

The 50% rule, explained: limitations on subcontracting for small business

On a set-aside, you can't just win the work and hand most of it to a big prime. FAR 52.219-14 caps what …

Feb 3, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Is a GSA Schedule worth it? How to get on the Multiple Award Schedule

A GSA Schedule is a contract that lets agencies buy from you faster. It's worth real money for some businesses and a …

Feb 3, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How a diverse-owned cleaning company wins commercial and government contracts

Cleaning is one of the few categories where a diverse certification actually moves a buyer's hand. Here's which certifications matter, who buys, …

Jan 29, 2026 · Maya Okonkwo

How to register on SAM.gov: the step-by-step a small business actually needs

Registering on SAM.gov is free and not that hard, but one validation step trips up most first-timers. Here's the order to do …

Jan 27, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Federal set-asides explained: 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB, and sole-source

Set-asides are how the government reserves contracts for small and diverse businesses. Here's how the small business and socioeconomic set-asides work, and …

Jan 26, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Jan 22, 2026 · SupplierDiversity.com Editorial Team

DBE certification: how to get certified as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise

DBE certification opens federally-funded highway, transit, and airport work, and it's free to apply. Here's who qualifies under the new 2025 rules, …

Jan 22, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Guide · 12 min

Federal Government Contracting for Diverse Businesses: Your 2025 Roadmap to $183 Billion

Federal small-business contracting hit $183B in FY2024. The four major set-aside programs (8(a), WOSB, SDVOSB, HUBZone), what each spent, who's certified, and …

The federal capability statement that wins contracts (with a template)

A contracting officer asks for a capability statement before almost anything else. Here's what goes in the six sections, how to write …

Jan 21, 2026 · Maya Okonkwo

How to find federal contract opportunities (without wasting months)

Registered on SAM.gov and staring at a wall of solicitations? Here's where opportunities live, how to read the buy before it's a …

Jan 19, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Your DSBS profile: the free SBA listing buyers actually search (now Small Business Search)

Contracting officers search the SBA's small business database during market research. As of July 2025 it's called Small Business Search, it's built …

Jan 19, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to do business with the Arkansas government

Selling to Arkansas runs through two free vendor systems and the new ARBuy portal. Here's how to register, where to find bids, …

Jan 15, 2026 · Mario Bailey

CPARS and past performance: how to build a record from your first federal contract

Your first federal contract creates a CPARS record that contracting officers read before they pick you again. Here's how to earn a …

Jan 14, 2026 · Maya Okonkwo

How to do business with the Arizona government

Selling to the State of Arizona starts in one place: the Arizona Procurement Portal. Here's how to register, where small-business set-asides actually …

Jan 12, 2026 · Mario Bailey

How to do business with the Alaska government

Alaska does not run a state MBE or WBE program. What it does run: a free vendor portal, a DBE certification for …

Jan 9, 2026 · Mario Bailey

Jan 6, 2026 · SupplierDiversity.com Editorial Team

APEX Accelerators: Free Government Contracting Help in All 50 States

There's a federally-funded office in your state whose only job is to help you win government contracts. They don't charge a dime. …

How to vet and onboard a small or diverse supplier

Vetting a small supplier isn't about lowering the bar. It's about checking the right things in the right order so a first …

Dec 31, 2025 · Mario Bailey

How to verify a supplier's small business and socioeconomic status

A supplier's word that they're an SDVOSB no longer counts toward your goals. Here's how to confirm SB and socioeconomic status against …

Dec 30, 2025 · Mario Bailey

Using SBA SUBNet to post and find subcontracting opportunities

SUBNet is the SBA's posting board for subcontracting opportunities, and it still helps you document outreach for a FAR 52.219-9 plan. But …

Dec 29, 2025 · Mario Bailey

Tier 1 vs Tier 2 diverse spend: what counts and how to report it

Tier 1 is the spend you pay diverse and small suppliers directly. Tier 2 is what flows through your suppliers. Here's what …

Dec 26, 2025 · Mario Bailey

Supplier diversity metrics and KPIs that actually matter

Most supplier diversity dashboards measure the wrong things. Here's the short list of metrics tied to compliance and economic impact, the vanity …

Dec 24, 2025 · Mario Bailey

Supplier diversity after the DEI rollback: what to keep and what to rename

The 2025 rollback hit voluntary corporate programs, not the statutory federal set-aside and subcontracting machinery. Here's what's durable, what to reframe, and …

Dec 23, 2025 · Mario Bailey

Where to find certified MBE, WBE, and diverse suppliers

If you have a subcontracting plan to meet or a Tier-2 number to report, the supplier has to be certified by the …

Dec 22, 2025 · Mario Bailey

The Small Business Liaison Officer (SBLO): role, responsibilities, and how to staff it

If your company holds a contract with a subcontracting plan, you are required by FAR 52.219-9 to designate a Small Business Liaison …

Dec 19, 2025 · Mario Bailey

How to run a Tier 2 supplier diversity reporting program

Tier 2 reporting fails on data quality, not good intentions. Here's which primes to enroll, what to collect, how direct and indirect …

Dec 18, 2025 · Mario Bailey

How to meet your small business subcontracting plan goals

If you carry a subcontracting plan under FAR 52.219-9, the goals are contractual, not aspirational. Here is where the dollars leak, how …

Dec 17, 2025 · Mario Bailey

How to measure the economic impact of your supplier program

Spend totals don't tell the story your CFO or your contracting officer wants. Here's how to turn supplier program spend into jobs, …

Dec 16, 2025 · Mario Bailey

Limitations on subcontracting: what buyers need to know

If you hold a set-aside prime, the limitations on subcontracting rule caps how much work you can push to firms that aren't …

Dec 16, 2025 · Mario Bailey

Documenting good faith efforts on a subcontracting plan

Missing a subcontracting goal is not automatically a problem. Failing to document a good faith effort is. Here's the record a contracting …

Dec 15, 2025 · Mario Bailey

How to find WOSB and EDWOSB subcontractors

Your subcontracting plan commits you to a 5% women-owned spend goal, and eSRS counts only certified firms. Here's how to source WOSBs …

Dec 12, 2025 · Mario Bailey

How to find SDVOSB subcontractors for a federal contract

Self-certification for SDVOSBs is gone. Here's where to source Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned subcontractors that actually count toward your subcontracting goals, and how to …

Dec 11, 2025 · Mario Bailey

How to find HUBZone subcontractors (and hit the 3% goal)

HUBZone is the smallest pool and the most volatile certification in your subcontracting plan, which is why the 3% goal trips up …

Dec 10, 2025 · Mario Bailey

How to find 8(a) and small disadvantaged business subcontractors

8(a) and SDB credit hinges on sourcing the right firms and proving status. Here's where to find them, what the certification changes …

Dec 9, 2025 · Mario Bailey

How to file the Summary Subcontracting Report (SSR) in eSRS

The SSR is the annual roll-up of your subcontracting plan performance, and the SBA scorecard runs on it. Here's who files, when, …

Dec 8, 2025 · Mario Bailey

How to file the Individual Subcontracting Report (ISR) in eSRS

The ISR is where your subcontracting plan goals meet your actuals, and where contracting officers decide whether you get acknowledged or sent …

Dec 5, 2025 · Mario Bailey

FAR 52.219-9 explained: the subcontracting plan clause for primes

If your contract crosses the threshold, you owe the government a subcontracting plan with goals you have to report against. Here's what …

Dec 4, 2025 · Mario Bailey

Writing diverse and small supplier requirements into your RFPs

Building small and diverse supplier expectations into a solicitation is a sourcing and compliance problem, not a slogan. Here's how to write …

Dec 3, 2025 · Mario Bailey

Commercial vs individual subcontracting plans: which to use

If you sell commercial products or services across many federal contracts, a commercial subcontracting plan can replace a stack of individual plans …

Dec 2, 2025 · Mario Bailey

How to build a supplier inclusion program in 2026

The 2025 DEI rollback hit voluntary corporate programs, not your federal subcontracting obligations. Here's how to build a program around compliance and …

Dec 1, 2025 · Mario Bailey