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Work with a team and deliver · Guide 11 of 13

Get your first subcontract

Find relevant primes, offer a defined piece of work, and check the arrangement before saying yes.

About 4 minutesSubcontracting · Federal resourcesLook up a term

What you’ll leave with

A specific service offer and a shortlist of primes worth researching.

The essentials

The prime is your customer for this work.

A subcontractor performs under an agreement with a prime or another contractor. You need to understand that agreement: the scope, schedule, acceptance, payment, and applicable obligations passed down from the main contract.

An award is a clue, not a job opening.

Directories and award records help you identify relevant primes. They do not prove that a prime needs another subcontractor. Look for a current supplier notice, a posted subcontract request, or confirmation from the prime’s appropriate business contact.

Make it easy to place your company on a real task.

State what your crew does, where it works, what equipment or qualifications it has, and what similar jobs it has completed. A prime may need one dependable local service, not a new company offering to handle everything.

What to do next

  1. 1

    Choose the piece of work you want.

    For example: quarterly servicing of specified HVAC equipment within your normal coverage area. Be clear about what is included and what would need a separate discussion.

  2. 2

    Research five relevant primes.

    Use official subcontracting resources and prime websites. Record the work they perform, service locations, supplier process, and whether there is a current opening. Do not treat a directory entry as permission to send repeated messages.

  3. 3

    Send a short, useful introduction when appropriate.

    Use the prime’s designated supplier channel or contact. Explain the specific scope you can support and provide relevant project evidence. If quoting a posted request, follow that request’s instructions and deadline.

  4. 4

    Read the proposed subcontract before committing.

    Agree on scope, dates, acceptance, price, payment terms, insurance, and any required qualifications. Understand which clauses or duties flow down to your work. Resolve unfamiliar terms before promising a start date.

Worked example · Fictional business

The prime needs backup coverage, not another general brochure

Northline HVAC learns that a prime won facilities work covering several nearby buildings. It researches the prime’s supplier process and asks about a defined maintenance service.

Find out what is still needed.

The prime already has routine maintenance covered but needs backup support for one equipment type. Northline checks that this is equipment its technicians actually service.

Show the fit in a few sentences.

A useful introduction would explain the equipment, service area, and comparable maintenance work, then ask about the current supplier process. It would not claim guaranteed availability or an emergency response time the team cannot meet.

Check the business terms.

Before accepting the work, Northline reviews call-out rules, travel, parts approval, evidence of completion, and payment. Supplier registration by itself is not an order for work.

The practical move: The award helped find a possible customer. A verified need, credible evidence, and an agreed subcontract turn that research into a workable business relationship.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Assuming a prime’s subcontracting goal means it must hire your company.
  • Saying a teammate is committed before it has agreed to the scope.
  • Accepting a large scope just to get in the door when your team cannot cover it.
  • Starting on a vague promise and leaving payment or acceptance to a later conversation.

One useful next step

Write a three-sentence description of the specific work you can take on. Use it to evaluate five primes or posted subcontract requests.

Get the capability statement

Official sources & further help

Reviewed September 9, 2026. Practical examples and worksheets are Bid Rigor’s own. Check current requirements with the buyer; agency-specific rules or deviations may apply.