USFCR Blog

Understanding Federal Set-Asides: Guide for Small Businesses

Each year, the federal government aims to reserve approximately 23% of its contracting budget specifically for small businesses. These opportunities, known as federal set-asides, allow various types of small businesses to compete in the federal marketplace. But what exactly are set-asides, and how can your business qualify?

Federal set-asides refer to the percentage of federal spending reserved for small businesses, ensuring fair competition and participation. The federal government offers set-aside categories based on business types, allowing small businesses with diverse backgrounds and capabilities to qualify. Below, we’ll explain the key federal set-asides and the qualifications required.

Looking to win federal contracts? Understanding the Uniform Contract Format (UCF) is a critical step. Outlined in FAR 15.204-1, the UCF ensures federal solicitations follow a consistent structure, helping vendors quickly locate key information.

What is the Uniform Contract Format?

The UCF standardizes how federal solicitations are written, ensuring consistency across documents. This makes it easier for businesses to navigate the solicitation process and find relevant details for effective bid preparation. Although each solicitation might include different documents, the structure remains the same, streamlining the process.

When a company lacks past performance, its key personnel can be a valuable asset. Key personnel is the individuals who contribute to the scientific development or execution of a project in a substantial and measurable way.

Examples of key personnel include:

The technical proposal is considered the most creative section of a proposal. However, that doesn’t mean vendors should include irrelevant information in the offer.

The technical proposal is a narrative where vendors must prove that they understand the objectives of the potential contract to not only meet the expectations but exceed them. To prepare for writing the technical proposal, a vendor should read the SOW, PWS, or Scope of Work in the solicitation document.

This article was last updated on May 10th, 2023

Once a business locates a solicitation that aligns with its capabilities, the task of crafting a well-structured response in the form of a proposal begins. If you find starting your proposal challenging, you can connect with experts who can guide you.

This week's Bid Training will cover two other websites where government solicitations are posted: Unison and FedConnect. Learn more about these two platforms with this blog post. Bid Training is available to businesses enrolled in the USFCR Academy. 

Bid training is available for contractors enrolled in the USFCR Academy. This week we covered selling to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). 

On this week of USFCR Academy Live, we're covering FAR Part 52. This section includes the Buy American Act. You can sign up to attend on our webinar page and learn more about the Buy American Act in this blog post.