Published by Bid Rigor
How we put these guides together
GovCon 101 is for business owners who know their work but are new to selling it to a government buyer. Each guide tackles a decision you might actually face: whether to bid, what to put in a response, or how much cash you need before the first payment.
Start with the source
We use official procurement rules and guidance from sources such as SAM.gov, GSA, SBA, Acquisition.gov, and the relevant state or local buyer. Links appear alongside the explanations and at the end of each guide so you can check the original wording.
Federal rules and state or local procedures can differ. A short guide cannot cover every exception, agency deviation, or contract term. Read the actual notice and its amendments before acting.
Explain the work in plain language
These guides were researched and drafted with AI assistance. AI also helped organize the lessons and develop examples. The cited sources and worked calculations were checked during preparation. AI can still miss an exception or misread a rule; the source documents remain the place to resolve a question about a requirement.
Bid Rigor publishes the content. An AI-assisted source check is not professional legal, accounting, or contract-specific advice.
Make the examples useful and honest
The companies, jobs, prices, and results in the worked examples are fictional. They show how to think through a decision. They are not customer case studies, current bid opportunities, market wage rates, or promised profits.
The downloadable templates are our own organizing aids. They are not government forms. Adapt them to the buyer’s instructions and check every statement before submitting a response.
Check the review date
Each guide shows when its content and sources were last checked. That date does not mean the rules will stay the same. We change review dates when we actually review the material, rather than automatically making an old page look new.
Tell us when something needs fixing
Email support@bidrigor.com with the guide link, the passage you are questioning, and an official source if you have one. Please leave out confidential bid information and personal records.