By Vlad Nadymov Updated 3 min read
The US federal government buys through one registration system and one rulebook. Every company that wants a federal contract registers on SAM.gov, and most federal purchases follow the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and agency supplements such as the DFARS. Both are changing: the FAR thresholds rose in October 2025, and the FAR is under a full rewrite. This guide explains the steps, the thresholds and the 2026 changes.
Register on SAM.gov
- Choose the NAICS codes of your products and services.
- Register the entity on SAM.gov. Registration is free and gives you a Unique Entity ID (UEI).
- Complete the representations and certifications, including your size status for each NAICS code.
- Renew the registration every year.
Third parties sometimes charge for SAM.gov registration. You do not need them; the government does not charge.
Requirements for government contractors in United States (2026)
What a company needs to register, bid and sign a public contract in United States. Checked on against the sources at the end of this section.
| Procurement law | Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), under revision by the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (Executive Order 14275 of April 2025); agency supplements such as the DFARS; Small Business Act; Buy American Act and Trade Agreements Act. States and cities have their own procurement codes. |
|---|---|
| Regulator | FAR Council (GSA, DoD and NASA), with the Small Business Administration for small business programmes |
| E-procurement portal | SAM.gov (registration and federal contract opportunities) (sam.gov) |
| Supplier registration | Register the entity on SAM.gov to get a Unique Entity ID (UEI) and be eligible for federal contracts. Registration is free and must be renewed every year. |
| Foreign companies | Foreign companies can register on SAM.gov and bid. Buy American rules limit foreign end products in many supply contracts; the Trade Agreements Act opens covered contracts to suppliers from trade-agreement countries. |
| Performance security | Construction contracts above the Miller Act threshold need performance and payment bonds; most supply and service contracts need no bond. |
| Domestic preference | Set-asides for small businesses and socio-economic programmes, and Buy American price preferences. The domestic content test for manufactured products is 65% from 2024 to 2028 and 75% from 2029. |
| Language | English |
| Digital signature | Proposals go through SAM.gov or the agency’s system named in the solicitation. |
| Thresholds | Since 1 October 2025, the micro-purchase threshold is USD 15,000 and the simplified acquisition threshold is USD 350,000. Contracts above USD 25,000 are as a rule announced on SAM.gov. |
| Complaints | Bid protests go to the contracting agency, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) or the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. |
Documents to prepare before you bid in United States
- Active SAM.gov registration with a UEI and the representations and certifications
- NAICS codes and, for small businesses, the size status or SBA certifications (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, VetCert)
- The proposal or quote in the format of the solicitation
- Past performance information, when the solicitation asks for it
- For defence contracts with controlled unclassified information, a current CMMC status in SPRS
What changed in 2025 and 2026
The FAR Council began formal rulemaking for the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul on 23 June 2026. In July 2026 the Department of Defense suspended Phase 2 of CMMC; Phase 1 and the DFARS cybersecurity clauses stay in force.
Sources: SAM.gov; Acquisition.gov: Revolutionary FAR Overhaul; FAR 2.101 definitions (micro-purchase and simplified acquisition thresholds); DoD CIO: Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification; SBA: contracting assistance programs.
Where federal opportunities are published
Proposed contract actions above USD 25,000 are as a rule announced on SAM.gov Contract Opportunities. You can search by NAICS code, agency, place of performance and set-aside type, and save searches for alerts. Many agencies also buy through GSA Multiple Award Schedules and other contract vehicles, which need their own award first.
State and local governments are separate. Each state, county and city runs its own portal and vendor registration.
FAR thresholds since 1 October 2025
| Threshold | Amount |
|---|---|
| Micro-purchase threshold | USD 15,000 (was USD 10,000) |
| Simplified acquisition threshold | USD 350,000 (was USD 250,000) |
| Announcement on SAM.gov | Above USD 25,000, as a rule |
Purchases below the simplified acquisition threshold use simpler procedures and are often reserved for small businesses.
Small business programmes
- Set-asides: contracts reserved for small businesses when the agency expects two or more offers.
- 8(a) Business Development, for socially and economically disadvantaged owners.
- HUBZone, for businesses in historically underutilised business zones.
- WOSB and EDWOSB, for women-owned small businesses.
- VetCert, for veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.
The Small Business Administration certifies these programmes and sets the size standards by NAICS code.
Buy American and foreign suppliers
Foreign companies can register and bid. Buy American rules give a price preference to domestic end products in many supply contracts; the domestic content test for manufactured products is 65% from 2024 to 2028 and 75% from 2029. The Trade Agreements Act opens covered contracts to products from countries with a trade agreement with the United States.
What changed in 2025 and 2026
- April 2025: Executive Order 14275 ordered the FAR Overhaul, a rewrite of the FAR. Agencies applied model deviation texts first.
- 1 October 2025: the micro-purchase and simplified acquisition thresholds rose to USD 15,000 and USD 350,000.
- 10 November 2025: CMMC Phase 1 started in defence contracts.
- 23 June 2026: the FAR Council published the first proposed rules of the FAR Overhaul for public comment.
- July 2026: the Department of Defense suspended CMMC Phase 2. Phase 1 and the DFARS cybersecurity clauses still apply.
Bid protests
You can protest a solicitation or an award to the contracting agency, to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) or to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The deadlines are short and differ by forum.
Track US contracts with Sell to State
Sell to State indexes US federal award data from USAspending.gov with the agency, the winner and the value, next to the government tenders of other countries. Search United States contracts, or read the guides for Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
