The Contrax Pathway
Contrax doesn't just show you government contracts. It shows you how to get into the business of winning them.
Five connected steps: know your market, get your plan, find the bids that fit, team with the primes that already hold the work, and get on the co-op contracts agencies buy from without a bid.
$125.2B
federal spending in the trades Contrax covers (FY2025)
40,823
federal contracts ending in the next 12 months
4,294
prime contractors with subcontracting plans
- 1
Know your market
Where is the work in my trade, and who already has it?
The Gap Map shows, state by state, what federal agencies spend in your trade and how much is set aside for small businesses. See who buys it, and how many companies hold the work today.
- Federal spending and the small-business share
- Top buying agencies
- Openings: big spending, few companies holding the work
- 2
Get your plan
What should I do first, and what am I missing?
Your Roadmap is built from your business profile. It shows where you stand, the certifications to check, and the agencies and primes to target. Then it gives you your next 3 actions and a 90-day plan to check off.
- Readiness: SAM.gov, NAICS, capability statement, past performance
- Certifications to check, if you qualify
- A 90-day plan saved to your account
Get my Roadmap →Free with an account
- 3
Find the bids that fit
Which of today's bids are worth my time?
Search every open federal, state and local bid in Radar. With a paid plan, Auto-Pilot reads each morning's new bids against your profile. It tells you to pursue, partner or pass, with the reason and what you may need.
- Radar: open bids by trade and state
- Auto-Pilot: fit, eligibility by set-aside, pursue, partner or pass
- Your strongest fits lead your 6 AM email
Search open bids →Search free; Auto-Pilot with any paid plan
- 4
Team with the primes
Who already holds the contracts, and how do I get on their team?
Prime Finder identifies federal contractors in your trade and state, highlighting those required to subcontract to small businesses. See when their contracts expire and send an intro email auto-drafted from your profile.
- Primes with SBA or GSA subcontracting plans
- When to reach out: 3 to 12 months before a contract ends
- An intro email you send yourself
Find primes →First 3 free; unlimited with Professional
- 5
Get on a co-op contract
How do agencies buy from me without a bid?
Purchasing co-ops like Sourcewell, BuyBoard and TIPS run one bid for thousands of member agencies. Win your category, and members can buy from you with a purchase order. See which categories are open for your trade now.
- Open co-op solicitations for your trade, updated daily
- Which co-ops serve your area, and how each one awards vendors
- What to prepare before your category opens
Why this order
Most small businesses start by chasing individual bids. The ones that win first learn where their trade's money is, get registered and ready, bid on the jobs that fit, and get on the teams of the primes that already hold the big contracts, many of which must subcontract to small businesses. Each step feeds the next: your market sets your plan, your plan shapes Auto-Pilot's picks, and the primes in your market become your first teammates.
Figures from USAspending.gov and the SBA and GSA directories of prime contractors with subcontracting plans, synced by Contrax.