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Subcontracting, found through the primes' own obligations.

samsearch surfaces federal subcontracting opportunities two ways. Direct requests posted by prime contractors, and inferred opportunities derived from prime awards that carry a mandatory small-business subcontracting plan under FAR 52.219-9. The second is the larger and less contested route, because it is built from an obligation the prime already has.

Nobody advertises a subcontracting plan. That is exactly why the field is thin.

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A subcontracting plan is an obligation, not a courtesy

Above the threshold, a prime does not get to decide whether to use small businesses. It agrees to numbers and reports against them.

The clause is the mechanism

FAR 52.219-9 requires a large prime holding a contract above the threshold, where subcontracting opportunities exist, to submit a plan with percentage goals per small-business category.

FAR 52.219-9

The goals are in the contract

Small business, small disadvantaged, women-owned, HUBZone and service-disabled veteran-owned. Negotiated in, reported against, and reviewed. Not left to anyone's discretion.

So the conversation is different

A prime behind on its SDVOSB goal has a problem a qualified SDVOSB solves. You are not asking for a favour, you are solving something it is obliged to solve.

And it is invisible from prime notices

None of this is advertised as a subcontracting opportunity. Watching prime solicitations alone will never show it to you.

Matched to your certifications and your scope

A certification gets the conversation. The work still has to fit.

Goal categories matched to your status

8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, EDWOSB, SDVOSB and small disadvantaged status matched against the goal categories on each plan, so you see where your status is specifically useful.

Scope matched too

Prime awards are matched against your capabilities and past performance, not just your set-aside. A goal you qualify for on work you cannot do is not an opportunity.

Timed to the award

The useful moment is shortly after award, while the prime is assembling its supply chain. Awards surface as they land, not when someone eventually publishes a sources sought.

Liaison contact on the record

Primes with plans designate a small-business liaison officer. Where that contact is available it is on the record, so the approach goes to whoever's job it is.

Both routes into the market

Direct requests

Teaming requests during a prime's own capture
Subcontract requests filling a gap on an award
Explicit intent, immediate timeline
Lower volume than the inferred route

Inferred from plans

Prime awards carrying FAR 52.219-9
The goal categories committed to
Contract, agency, value and period
Far higher volume, far less competition

On every record

Prime and its unique entity identifier
Awarding agency and contract number
Contract value and period of performance
Goal categories and percentages
Small business liaison, where published

Alerts on the awards that matter

Prime awards land continuously. The window in which a supply chain is still open does not stay open long.

Save your certifications and scope
Which categories you qualify under, what work you can perform, and where. That is what awards are matched against.
New prime awards are checked
Awards above the threshold are examined for a subcontracting plan and its goal categories as they are published.
AI qualifies before sending
Scope fit and certification match are both applied, so the digest is primes you could actually serve rather than every large award.
You approach while it is early
The alert carries the contract, the value, the goals and the liaison contact, so the first email can be specific rather than generic.

Ask the award anything

Sammy reads the prime award and the solicitation behind it, then answers with the source beside the answer.

SammyReading 5 attachmentsEvery answer cited

You

Do we meet the eligibility criteria, and what is the page limit on Volume I?

Sammy

Yes. This is a total small business set-aside under NAICS 561210 and your profile is registered small under that code. Volume I is capped at 30 pages, raised from 25 by Amendment 0002.

Section L p.41Attachment 1 p.12Amendment 0002 p.3

Amendment 0002, p.3

“Paragraph L.3.1 is revised to read: the Technical Volume shall not exceed thirty (30) pages, excluding…”

Questions worth asking first

What is actually in scope on this contract
Which goal categories are they behind on
What did the original solicitation require
Is this a single award or a vehicle
How long does the period of performance run

Answered against

The award record and its modifications
The original solicitation and attachments
The subcontracting plan where published
Prior awards held by the same prime

With the receipts

Document and page on every answer
The phrase it came from, highlighted
An honest 'not stated' when it is not stated

Why subcontracting is worth a small company's time

The barrier is lower

No prime proposal to write
No federal past performance required to start
Bonding and capacity sit with the prime
You compete against a handful of firms

It builds what you lack

Federal past performance on a real contract
A performance record through the prime
Relationships with programme offices
Evidence you can perform at scale

The programmes are large

Most big federal programmes are heavily subcontracted
Multi-year periods of performance
Recurring work rather than one-off awards
A route onto the recompete as a prime later

Frequently Asked Questions

What is FAR 52.219-9?

FAR 52.219-9 is the Small Business Subcontracting Plan clause. It applies to a large prime holding a contract above the applicable threshold, where subcontracting opportunities exist. That prime must submit a plan with percentage goals. The categories are small business, small disadvantaged, women-owned, HUBZone and service-disabled veteran-owned. The goals are negotiated into the contract and performance against them is reported.

How do I find federal subcontracting opportunities?

Two ways. Primes sometimes post teaming or subcontract requests directly, which is explicit but low volume. The larger route is inferred: identify prime awards that carry a mandatory subcontracting plan, match the goal categories against your own certifications, and approach the prime's small-business liaison. samsearch does both, and the second is where most of the volume is because none of it is advertised.

Why would a prime contractor want to talk to me?

Because it has committed to numbers. A prime with a subcontracting plan has agreed percentage goals per category, and reports against them. Falling short is a real problem at award review, and on the next competition. If you hold a certification in a category where it is behind and you can do the work, you solve something it is obliged to solve.

What is a small business liaison officer?

Primes with subcontracting plans designate someone responsible for small-business subcontracting: outreach, tracking participation against goals and reporting. It is the correct entry point for a subcontracting approach, and considerably more productive than a capture manager who has no obligation in this area. Where the contact is available, samsearch puts it on the record.

Which certifications matter for subcontracting?

The categories named in the plan: small business generally, small disadvantaged business including 8(a), women-owned and economically disadvantaged women-owned small business, HUBZone, and service-disabled veteran-owned small business. samsearch matches your certifications against the goal categories on each plan so you see the awards where your status is specifically useful rather than merely acceptable.

When is the best time to approach a prime?

Shortly after award, while the supply chain is still being assembled, and well before the prime is reporting against goals it has missed. Approaching during the prime's own capture phase can be better still, if you can strengthen its bid. That requires knowing about the pursuit before award. Forecast and recompete tracking is what gives you that.

Will I be alerted when a relevant prime award lands?

Yes. Save your certifications, your scope and your geography, and be notified when a prime award above the threshold matches. Alerts are qualified for scope fit and certification match before they are sent, so the digest is primes you could actually serve rather than every large award. Each item carries the contract, the value, the goals and the liaison contact.

Can I ask questions about a prime award?

Yes. Sammy reads the award record, its modifications and the original solicitation. It answers questions about scope and period of performance. Whether it is a single award or a vehicle. What the requirement originally asked for. Each answer links to the source document and page.

Do I need past performance to subcontract?

Much less than to prime. The bonding, capacity and past performance requirements sit with the prime, which is precisely why subcontracting is a common first step into federal work. You still need to demonstrate you can do the work, but the evidence bar is set by a commercial partner rather than by a source selection board.

Does subcontracting past performance count later?

Yes, and it is one of the main reasons to do it. Work performed as a subcontractor can be cited as past performance on future proposals. The relationship with the programme office and the prime frequently carries into the recompete. A number of companies win their first prime contract on the recompete of a programme they subcontracted on.

How large is the federal subcontracting market?

A substantial share of federal contract dollars flows through subcontracts, because most large programmes are awarded to a prime and performed by a supply chain. Reported subaward data understates it, since reporting thresholds and lags mean not everything appears. The practical point is that the subcontracted portion of a large programme is often larger than most companies' entire addressable prime market.

Can I track subcontracting alongside prime opportunities?

Yes. Subcontracting is one source among federal, SLED, education, DIBBS, GSA eBuy, grants, SBIR and STTR, forecasts and recompetes. Search it with the rest or on its own. Anything you pursue moves onto the same pipeline with its contacts, tasks and documents.

See which primes have a goal you can fill.

A demo matches live prime awards and their subcontracting plans against your certifications and capabilities.

Book a Demo

Subcontracting, found through the primes' own obligations.

Nobody advertises a subcontracting plan. That is exactly why the field is thin.

Book a Demo

A subcontracting plan is an obligation, not a courtesy

The clause is the mechanism

The goals are in the contract

So the conversation is different

And it is invisible from prime notices

Matched to your certifications and your scope

Goal categories matched to your status

Scope matched too

Timed to the award

Liaison contact on the record

Both routes into the market

Direct requests

Inferred from plans

On every record

Alerts on the awards that matter

Save your certifications and scope

New prime awards are checked

AI qualifies before sending

You approach while it is early

Ask the award anything

Questions worth asking first

Answered against

With the receipts

Why subcontracting is worth a small company's time

The barrier is lower

It builds what you lack

The programmes are large

Related searches

Partnership search

Federal contract search

Recompetes

Frequently Asked Questions

See which primes have a goal you can fill.

A subcontracting plan is an obligation, not a courtesy

The clause is the mechanism

The goals are in the contract

So the conversation is different

And it is invisible from prime notices

Matched to your certifications and your scope

Goal categories matched to your status

Scope matched too

Timed to the award

Liaison contact on the record

Both routes into the market

Direct requests

Inferred from plans

On every record

Alerts on the awards that matter

Save your certifications and scope

New prime awards are checked

AI qualifies before sending

You approach while it is early

Ask the award anything

Questions worth asking first

Answered against

With the receipts

Why subcontracting is worth a small company's time

The barrier is lower

It builds what you lack

The programmes are large

Related searches

Partnership search

Federal contract search

Recompetes

Frequently Asked Questions

See which primes have a goal you can fill.