GovLens

GovLens Blog

Tips, guides, and insights for small businesses navigating government contracting.

April 8, 2026

How to Price a Government Contract Proposal: A Small Business Guide (2026)

Step-by-step guide to pricing your government contract proposal. Learn cost estimating, indirect rates, overhead, and avoid common pricing mistakes that lose contracts.

April 8, 2026

How to Respond to a Government RFP: Step-by-Step Guide for Small Businesses (2026)

A complete walkthrough of responding to government RFPs — from reading the solicitation to submitting your proposal. Written for small businesses new to federal contracting.

April 7, 2026

Government Contracting for Beginners: Your Complete 2026 Starter Guide

Complete beginner's guide to government contracting — from SAM.gov registration to winning your first federal contract. Everything a small business owner needs to know before their first bid.

April 6, 2026

Past Performance in Government Contracting: How to Build It from Zero

Past performance is the #1 requirement for winning government contracts — but what do you do when you don't have any? This step-by-step guide shows small businesses how to build past performance from scratch and win their first federal contract.

April 4, 2026

NAICS Code Lookup for Government Contracting: The Complete 2026 Guide

Everything you need to know about NAICS codes for government contracting — how to choose the right codes, size standards, and find the best opportunities for your business.

April 2, 2026

How to Bid on Government Contracts: A Step-by-Step Guide for Small Businesses

Learn how to bid on government contracts step by step — from finding opportunities and reading solicitations to writing proposals and submitting bids as a small business.

April 2, 2026

SBA Size Standards Explained: Does Your Business Qualify as 'Small' for Government Contracts?

Understand SBA size standards for government contracting. Learn how the Small Business Administration defines 'small business' by NAICS code, revenue, and employee count.

April 1, 2026

How to Set Up Contract Alerts So You Never Miss a Government RFP

Learn how to set up government contract alerts that actually work. Compare SAM.gov notifications vs. AI-powered alerts and stop missing relevant RFPs and solicitations.

April 1, 2026

How to Find Government Contracts: A Small Business Guide

Learn where to find federal, state, and local government contracts, how to register on SAM.gov, and the tools that make contract discovery faster for small businesses.

April 1, 2026

NAICS Code Guide for Government Contractors: Find Your Code & Win More Bids

A practical guide to NAICS codes for government contractors. Learn how to find the right codes, understand size standards, and use NAICS filtering to discover contract opportunities.

April 1, 2026

SAM.gov Is Broken: 5 Reasons Small Contractors Are Switching to AI-Powered Search

SAM.gov's search is slow, cluttered, and unreliable. Here are five specific problems with SAM.gov contract search and how AI-powered alternatives like GovLens solve them.

April 1, 2026

Set-Aside Contracts Explained: 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB, and More

A complete guide to federal set-aside contracts. Learn how 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, and WOSB programs work, who qualifies, and how to find set-aside opportunities.