Win and deliver your first public-sector contracts with a plan, not a guess
A complete starter kit for small businesses selling to government: get registered and certified, choose what to bid, price from your real costs, team safely, and get paid on time once you win.
- A 23-sheet Government Contracting Workbook: 0-4 readiness self-assessment, gap-to-action plan, registrations, opportunity tracker, bid/no-bid scorecard, past performance, teaming, compliance matrix, invoices, limits on subcontracting, evidence register, RACI, 90-day roadmap, crosswalk and a five-chart dashboard
- A 9-sheet Pricing and Business Case Calculator: indirect rates, loaded labour rates, a bid price check and a three-year business case with the low case first
- Five fillable forms and seven Word documents, including a capability statement and teaming pack, a compliance policy, a sign-off memo, 30 messages and 26 AI prompts
- A 90-day roadmap calendar, a 32-task board, a 45-minute team briefing and a 14-question LMS-ready knowledge check
The Government Contracting Starter Kit · Bodhih Pro Kits · 328 by Bodhih Training, trainers to 2,000+ companies since 2008.
How does a small business win government contracts?
Register on the official portal, check your codes, size and any certifications you qualify for, and choose a few target buyers from award data. Score every opportunity before bidding, team where you lack past performance, price from your own costs and deliver to the contract. Bodhih Training's Government Contracting Starter Kit gives you the files for each step.
Want the full free guide first? Read How to Win Government Contracts as a Small Business: A 90-Day Plan.
You already feel the problem. Here is what it is costing you.
The rules feel written for someone else
Registrations, codes, size standards, set-asides, clauses: the vocabulary alone stops many good firms. Most of it is learnable in a week if it comes in the right order.
You bid on everything and win little
Without a decision rule, bid budgets go on opportunities you were never likely to win. A scorecard applied before anyone writes makes no-bids quick and losses instructive.
Your prices are guesses
Commercial day rates are not built for public bids. Too high and you lose; too low and you deliver at a loss or fail a realism check.
Winning creates new risks
Out-of-scope requests, rejected invoices, subcontracting limits and cybersecurity clauses catch new contractors out in the first ninety days.
Picture the next few weeks with the kit open beside you.
Imagine the Monday you open the Government Contracting Workbook for the first time. You score fifteen practices with two colleagues who will tell you the truth, and the Top gaps sheet tells you where to start: perhaps the certification you never applied for, perhaps the bid decision you have never had a rule for.
As you fill the Registrations sheet and the Opportunities tracker over the next few weeks, notice how the noise of a portal full of notices becomes a short list of buyers who already purchase what you sell, each opportunity scored before anyone spends a day writing.
When you price your next bid, build it from your own fringe, overhead and G&A pools and check it against your own research. When the award arrives, open the kick-off checklist the same day and log the first invoice before it is due.
Whether you start with the Start-here map tonight or the readiness self-assessment with your team on Monday, the first step is small and the file for it is already open.
23 files that do the work for you
The e-book shows you how. The tools make it happen. Here is exactly what you download.
The Government Contracting Starter Kit (e-book, PDF)
The guide: methods, worked examples, scripts and exercises
Start here: the government contracting map
The whole job on one page, your first hour, your first week, the 90-day plan and the brand-it box.
Government Contracting Workbook
23-sheet master workbook: settings, readiness self-assessment (0-4), gap-to-action view, action plan, registrations, opportunity tracker, bid/no-bid scorecard, past performance, teaming partners, compliance matrix, contracts, invoices, limits on subcontracting, evidence register, decision log, RACI, 90-day roadmap, crosswalk, official sources, What changed, glossary and a dashboard with five charts and traffic lights.
Pricing and Business Case Calculator
Nine-sheet calculator: inputs, indirect rates from cost pools, loaded labour rates with a bid build-up, a price check against your market range, a bid cost log, set-up costs, a three-year business case (do nothing, low, mid, high) with a break-even win rate, and a dashboard with three charts.
Registration and certification readiness checklist
Three pages: what to gather before you register, the US registration and certification path (SAM.gov, UEI, codes, size, SBA programmes, SPRS) and the portals for the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Bid/no-bid and capture plan form
Score one opportunity on ten weighted factors, record deal-breakers and the decision, then plan the capture: customer, competitors, win themes, teaming, price strategy and the timeline to submission.
Teaming partner due diligence form
Check a prospective prime, subcontractor or joint venture partner before you share information or sign: eligibility, capability, finances, compliance, references and the terms you need.
Contract kick-off and compliance checklist
Three pages for the first 30 days after an award: the contract file and clauses, the kick-off meeting, and invoicing, reporting and subcontract flow-downs.
Debrief and lessons learned form
Request a debrief or read an assessment summary, record what the buyer said, compare it with your own view and turn it into three changes for the next bid.
Capability statement and teaming pack
A two-page capability statement template with a worked example, a teaming agreement discussion sheet for your lawyer and a subcontract flow-down checklist.
Government contracting compliance policy and procedures
A policy and procedure starter: gifts and contact with officials, conflicts of interest, accurate representations, timekeeping and records, invoicing, limits on subcontracting, cybersecurity basics, raising concerns, training and an acknowledgement table.
Bid decision and sign-off memo
A two-page decision memo for bids above your spend limit, teaming agreements and the 90-day review: the numbers with their sources, why, conditions, risks and a sign-off table.
Government contracting message library
30 emails and chat messages: buyers and small business offices, primes and teaming partners, during a bid, after the result, contract delivery and getting paid.
Worked example pack: Ridgeline Systems Group
The kit's main files completed for one fictional composite case (Marcus, a 14-person veteran-owned IT services firm in Virginia): self-assessment, registrations, twelve bid scores, indirect rates and a bid price, the business case, the first award and invoices, a compliance matrix and signed decisions.
AI prompt pack for government contracting
26 tool-agnostic prompts across eight stages of the job, each with what to paste in and what to check, plus five human-review rules.
Team briefing session plan and answer key
A 45-minute session plan with timings, facilitator notes, an out-of-scope practice and the printable answer key for the 14-question knowledge check.
Numbers that matter: the government contracting KPI card
Fourteen numbers the job runs on: plain meaning, formula, where each lives in the workbooks and what to do if it moves, plus the sample values.
Bid/no-bid and set-aside decision card
If-this-then-consider table, US set-asides at a glance, five questions for any solicitation and pointers for other markets.
Government contracting mistakes to avoid
Twelve common mistakes with what to do instead, a pre-submission check and five teaming red flags.
Government contracting rules by country (November 2026)
Dated sheet: US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, EU, India and the Gulf. Correct at November 2026; check the official source and your adviser.
90-day government contracting roadmap calendar
35 calendar events from the plan start: roadmap milestones, 13 weekly pipeline reviews, the baseline and day-90 reviews, the team briefing, rules checks and a registration renewal reminder. Import into Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar.
Government contracting task board (CSV import)
32 tasks across the four phases of the 90-day plan with owner role, due week, status and labels, ready to import into Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner, Monday or Jira.
Knowledge check (LMS-ready CSV)
14 scenario questions for the team briefing, in a seven-column CSV that imports into Bodhih LMS or any LMS (question, four options, correct letter, explanation).
Chapter by chapter
Each chapter opens with a real situation, gives you a method and ends with something to do today, using the tools in your kit.
- Format
- PDF e-book + XLSX + fillable PDF + DOCX + PDF cheat sheets + ICS + CSV
- Files
- 23 files plus a one-click ZIP
- E-book
- 69 pages
- Works with
- Excel, Google Sheets, Apple Numbers, LibreOffice, Word, Google Docs, Acrobat Reader, Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar, Trello, Asana, Notion, any LMS that imports CSV
- Best for
- Small businesses starting to bid for federal, state, provincial or local government work
How Government Buys, and Whether It Should Buy From You
The buyer's process, where you can influence it, value bands, a readiness score and a three-year business case with a low case shown first.
Getting Registered: IDs, Codes and Size
SAM.gov, UEI and CAGE, codes and size, and the free portals in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with every renewal tracked.
Set-Asides, Certifications and Preferences
8(a), WOSB, HUBZone and SDVOSB after the 2025-2026 changes, the rule of two, and the UK, Canadian, Australian and NZ levers, with a Bristol case.
Finding and Tracking Opportunities
Target buyers from award data, forecasts, sources sought notices, contract vehicles and a tracker that drives decisions.
Bid or No-Bid: Score Before You Write
Deal-breakers, ten weighted factors, three bands and a signed decision, applied to twelve opportunities.
Capability Statement and Past Performance
A one-minute capability statement and past performance that is relevant, recent and permitted.
Teaming and Subcontracting
Vetting partners, teaming agreement terms, limits on subcontracting and the ostensible subcontractor rule.
Compliance Matrix, Pricing and Submission
The compliance matrix, indirect rates and wrap rates, a bid price checked against the market, the GSA schedule question and submission.
After the Award: Contract Management, Invoicing and Getting Paid
Kick-off, scope, invoicing, prompt payment and subcontract terms, the subcontracting share and performance ratings.
Staying Compliant: Records, Cybersecurity and Audits
Ethics, evidence, records, cybersecurity after the 2026 CMMC changes, and an annual team briefing.
Not just reading. Tools you will actually open again.
Start here
- 00-Start-Here-Government-Contracting-Map.pdf: the whole job in ten steps with the file for each, your first hour, your first week, the 90-day plan and the 'Brand it in five minutes' box
Workbooks
- Government-Contracting-Workbook.xlsx: 23 sheets including Settings, readiness Self-assessment (0-4), Top gaps, Action plan, Registrations, Opportunities, Bid scores, Past performance, Teaming partners, Compliance matrix, Contracts, Invoices, Subcontracting limits, Evidence register, Decision log, RACI, Roadmap, Crosswalk, Official sources, What changed, Glossary and a dashboard with five charts and traffic lights
- Pricing-and-Business-Case-Calculator.xlsx: 9 sheets with inputs, indirect rates, loaded labour rates and a bid build-up, a price check, a bid cost log, set-up costs, a three-year business case (do nothing, low, mid, high) and a dashboard
Fillable forms
- Registration-and-Certification-Readiness-Checklist.pdf
- Bid-No-Bid-and-Capture-Plan-Form.pdf
- Teaming-Partner-Due-Diligence-Form.pdf
- Contract-Kickoff-and-Compliance-Checklist.pdf
- Debrief-and-Lessons-Learned-Form.pdf
Word templates
- Capability-Statement-and-Teaming-Pack.docx
- Government-Contracting-Compliance-Policy-and-Procedures.docx
- Bid-Decision-and-Sign-Off-Memo.docx
- Government-Contracting-Message-Library.docx (30 messages)
- Worked-Example-Pack-Ridgeline-Systems-Group.docx
- AI-Prompt-Pack-for-Government-Contracting.docx (26 prompts with human-review rules)
- Team-Briefing-Session-Plan-and-Answer-Key.docx
Cheat sheets
- Numbers-That-Matter-Government-Contracting-KPI-Card.pdf
- Bid-No-Bid-and-Set-Aside-Decision-Card.pdf
- Government-Contracting-Mistakes-to-Avoid.pdf
- Government-Contracting-Rules-by-Country-November-2026.pdf (dated sheet)
Calendar and import
- 90-Day-Government-Contracting-Roadmap.ics (35 events)
- Government-Contracting-Task-Board.csv (32 tasks)
- Government-Contracting-Knowledge-Check.csv (14 questions, LMS-ready)
E-book
- The Government Contracting Starter Kit e-book: ten chapters, 24 figures and one worked case followed from the first email to week 13
When you have worked through it, you will be able to…
Every outcome is practised with a worked example and a tool, not just described.
- Score your readiness on fifteen practices and turn the gaps into a dated action plan
- Register, check codes and size, and apply for the certifications you genuinely qualify for
- Choose target buyers from award data and keep a pipeline that drives decisions
- Score every opportunity on ten weighted factors and record a signed bid decision
- Write a one-minute capability statement and keep references relevant and permitted
- Vet teaming partners, agree terms in writing and track the limits on subcontracting
- Build indirect rates and loaded labour rates and check a bid price against your research
- Kick off a contract, invoice correctly, chase late payment and keep an evidence file an auditor can follow
Know your starting point. Prove your progress.
People who measure before and after improve faster and can show it. AssessAll, our sister assessment platform, has AI-graded assessments that pair with this kit. Take one now, work through the kit, then re-take it.
Bid and Proposal Quality Assessment for Sales, Consulting and Grant Teams
Take the assessment →AssessAll assessmentSmall Business Operating Decision Assessment for Shop, Service and Studio Owners
Take the assessment →AssessAll assessmentNegotiation & Value Creation
Take the assessment →JobularyIf-then plans that make habits stick (Jobulary)
Make it a growth plan →A taste of Chapter 8
Grace's FY2026 pools gave a fringe rate of 32%, overhead of 14% and G&A of 20%. With an 8% fee the wrap rate was 1.95: a help desk technician paid $27.50 an hour is priced at $53.63. For O01's year 1 (two full-time help desk technicians, half a desktop support specialist, part of a systems administrator's time and 188 project manager hours) the labour price plus $6,500 of other direct costs came to $305,680. Marcus's research on similar awards gave a range of $270,000 to $300,000, so the Price check sheet showed "ABOVE RANGE" by $5,680. Marcus did not cut the fee first. He asked whether 188 project manager hours were right for a help desk of this size, and whether the desktop support specialist could start at a lower grade. That is the right order: fix the build-up, then the fee, and never price below what you can deliver and pay people properly. Whatever he submits, the buyer judges price reasonableness and realism under the solicitation's rules.
The honest comparison
| Free templates and typical advice | This kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Bid decisions | Gut feel, or a free checklist | Ten weighted factors, deal-breakers, three bands and a signed memo, with a worked set of twelve decisions |
| Pricing | Commercial day rates | Indirect rates from your own cost pools, loaded labour rates and a price check against your research |
| Business case | Not covered, or a best case only | Do nothing, low, mid and high over three years, with the break-even win rate and the low case shown first |
| Countries | One country, undated | US first, with a crosswalk for the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the EU, official sources and a dated sheet |
| After the award | Stops at submission | Kick-off checklist, invoice tracker, subcontracting limits, evidence register, compliance policy and a team briefing |
| Versus hiring a government contracting consultant | Tailored advice and hands-on help, at a professional fee | The method and working files to run the job yourself and use advisers efficiently; it does not replace legal or accounting advice |
Made for you if…
- Owners of small businesses (roughly 2 to 100 people) starting to sell to federal, state, provincial or local government
- Small firms already working as subcontractors who want to bid as prime
- Veteran-owned, women-owned, HUBZone and other firms considering SBA certification
- UK SMEs and voluntary organisations bidding under the Procurement Act 2023
- Canadian, Australian and New Zealand suppliers new to CanadaBuys, AusTender or GETS
- Operations, finance and business development leads asked to set up a government sales function
Probably not for you if…
- Anyone looking for legal or accounting advice: the kit prepares you to work with your contracts adviser, lawyer and accountant; it does not replace them
- Anyone wanting a promise of contracts, meetings or revenue: the kit teaches a method and gives you working files, and no kit can promise an award
- Proposal writing in depth: that is covered by Bodhih's Proposal and Tender Response Kit
- Large primes with cost accounting standards, a full compliance department and classified programmes
Built by trainers, tested in real rooms.
Bodhih Training has designed and delivered corporate programmes since 2008. Bodhih Pro Kits package what works in those workshops into a guide plus the exact tools we use, so you can apply it the same day without a facilitator in the room.
From here to using it in three steps
- STEP 1
Tap Get the kit
Name, email and country. UPI, card or netbanking in India; international cards everywhere else. No account to create.
- STEP 2
Download instantly
Your download page opens at once, with every file and a one-click ZIP. A permanent link lands in your inbox too.
- STEP 3
Open the first tool
Start with the quick-start chapter, then the main spreadsheet or planner. Most buyers use something from the kit the same day.
Score your readiness before you score your first bid
Open the Start-here map tonight and give yourself one hour with the workbook. Whether you begin with the self-assessment or the registrations list, you will finish the hour knowing your top three gaps and your first decision.
Personal licence for the buyer's own use, including use within your own business with your employees. Please don't share or resell the files. Team, adviser and company licences: solutions@bodhih.com.
What buyers say
No ratings yet. Only people who have bought this kit can rate it - every buyer gets a one-click rating link a couple of days after their purchase.
The Bodhih family, when you are ready for more
The Fractional Executive Launch Kit
Launch and run a fractional executive practice.
The Online Seller Sales Tax and VAT Kit
Understand and manage indirect tax obligations when selling online across borders.
The Pricing Strategy and Price Increase Kit
Set and raise prices with evidence in a small or mid-size B2B or B2C business.
AssessAll
250+ AI-graded assessments to measure skills and earn verified credentials.
Jobulary
Individual development plans that start from evidence and stay yours.
Bodhih Training
Run this topic as a live workshop for your team, in person or online.
Pewple
Book a vetted coach for career, leadership or communication. Pay per session.
Bodhih.org pathways
Certification pathways in Applied AI, Workplace English and management.
The Government Contracting Starter Kit: FAQs
Read the free guideAlready bought? Resend my linkHow do I get my first government contract as a small business?
Most first contracts come from preparation rather than luck: an accurate registration, the right codes, any certification you qualify for, a few target buyers chosen from award data, and bids you have scored before writing. Subcontracting to a prime and small simplified buys are common first steps. The kit's 90-day plan follows that order.
Is SAM.gov registration free?
Yes. GSA says registration, renewal and fixes on SAM.gov are always free, and registration must be renewed every 365 days. Treat any email asking you to pay as a likely scam and check on the official site. The UK, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand portals are free to join too.
Which SBA certification should I apply for: 8(a), WOSB, HUBZone or SDVOSB?
Only those whose tests you genuinely meet. Each has ownership, control and other tests, and several changed in 2025 and 2026, including the 8(a) eligibility test for new applicants. The decision card and dated sheet summarise the programmes; the SBA's own pages are the authority.
Do I need a GSA schedule to sell to the federal government?
No, but many agencies order through schedules and other vehicles, so without one you may not see some opportunities. GSA requires training and a readiness assessment before an offer. The kit helps you decide when it is worth it; the sample firm deferred it to month 9.
How do I decide whether to bid on a government contract?
Check deal-breakers first, then score the opportunity on weighted factors such as customer knowledge, fit, past performance, competition and price. The kit's scorecard gives a score out of 100 and a bid, review or no-bid band; the owner decides and records it.
How do I price a government services contract?
Build prices from your own costs: direct labour plus fringe, overhead and G&A pools, then a fee, which gives a wrap rate and loaded hourly rates. Check the result against your own research on similar awards. Ask your accountant to confirm your pools.
Can I bid on UK public sector contracts as a small business?
Yes. Under the Procurement Act 2023, suppliers register free on Find a Tender, and central government bodies and English councils can reserve some below-threshold contracts by location, and for SMEs and voluntary organisations with a location reservation. The crosswalk and dated sheet cover the details.
Does it work in my country?
The method works anywhere. The workbook's crosswalk and the dated sheet cover the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the EU, with notes for India and the Gulf. Rules change and differ by state, province and agency, so check the official source and your adviser.
Can I use this with my staff?
Yes, within your own business under the personal licence, including the team briefing and knowledge check with your employees. Company, multi-site and adviser licences are available from solutions@bodhih.com.
Is this legal or accounting advice?
No. The kit is educational. Templates are plain-words starting points for your contracts adviser, lawyer or accountant to formalise, and nothing in it promises an award, a meeting or revenue.
How can I measure my team's bid quality before we start?
AssessAll's Bid and Proposal Quality Assessment, its Small Business Operating Decision Assessment and Negotiation & Value Creation at assessall.com give a starting point you can compare with after the first 90 days.
How do I keep the weekly pipeline review going when the business gets busy?
Tie it to a fixed cue with an if-then plan: if it is Monday at 8:30, then we open the Opportunities sheet. Jobulary explains how implementation intentions make work habits stick in its guide to if-then plans.
How much does The Government Contracting Starter Kit cost?
₹1,999 including 18% GST for buyers in India, or $49 for buyers outside India. One-time payment, no subscription, with an automatic invoice.
How do I get the files after paying?
Instantly. Your download page opens the moment payment succeeds, and a permanent download link is emailed to you. Download each file separately or everything in one ZIP.
What software do I need?
Any of the usual tools: Excel or Google Sheets for spreadsheets, Word or Google Docs for templates, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Preview, Xodo or GoodNotes for the fillable PDFs, and Google, Outlook or Apple Calendar for the calendar plan.
Can I get a refund?
Because it is a digital download, kits are not refundable once downloaded. We always refund a duplicate charge or a failed delivery, and if a file is corrupted and we cannot fix it within 3 working days. Full terms: bodhih.org/refunds.
Can my company buy this for a team?
Yes. Team and company licences, and workshops on this topic run by Bodhih Training, are available. Write to solutions@bodhih.com or call +91 99000 11601.
