Command Track: Contracts, Money, Hiring and Planning · Module 1 of 4 · about 15 min
Winning the work: contracts
A lot of space and energy work is paid for by the government. To get a federal contract or grant in the U.S., a business registers in SAM.gov, which assigns a Unique Entity ID (UEI). Registration is free; be wary of anyone charging to do it for you.
Federal buying follows the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), with agency supplements on top. The FAR covers how agencies announce work, how bids are evaluated and what clauses go into a contract. You do not need to memorize it, but you need to read the clauses in anything you sign.
For small technical companies, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs at SBIR.gov are a common way in. Phase I funds a feasibility study, Phase II funds development, and Phase III is commercialization paid for by other money.
Reading a solicitation is a skill. Find the scope, the deliverables, the deadline, the evaluation criteria and the required format, and answer exactly what they ask. Proposals that ignore the format get thrown out unread.
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Module quiz
5 questions, 4 correct to pass. You'll see what you missed and why, and you can retake it.