# The HigherGov Docs
## Tools to Win. Insights to Lead.
[HigherGov](https://www.highergov.com/) provides the most comprehensive market intelligence and business development tools for government contractors, grant recipients, consultants, and agencies.
This guide provides an overview of some of the most common ways our subscribers use HigherGov and key tools and features.
If you have questions or need further assistance, you can reach us for support:
**Current Subscribers:**
* Chat us inside the platform Monday-Friday between 9am - 5pm ET by clicking the chat bubblein the upper right of the page
* Schedule [Training](https://www.highergov.com/training)
* Email us at
**Prospective Subscribers:**
* Schedule a [Demo](https://www.highergov.com/demo)
* Email us at
# Search Basics
Leverage HigherGov's Powerful Search Functionality to Find Opportunities and Perform Market Research
## Category Search
All major datasets within HigherGov have a Category Search screen listed in the sidebar. Most of these screens work similarly, although the filters available will vary based on the type of data being searched.
The buttons that are available on the Category Search pages include:
* **Add Filters**: Add powerful filters to your search to limit results
* **Export**: Download your records in the .csv or .xlsx (Excel) formats
* **Save**: Save your search for future reference. Press the down caret next to the save button to Open your previous searches. Learn more about saving searches [here](/highergov-basics/saved-searches-and-alerts).
* **Share**: Send your search to someone else either with a URL or with an email
* **Reset**: Clear and start your search over from scratch
* **Columns**: Add or remove the columns that appear in the search results table
* **Sort**: Order the results by the available categories
### Search Strategy
#### Using Filters
There are two types of filters available on most pages, Quick and Search. The Quick filters allow you to quickly apply advanced searches such as finding recompetes or vulnerable incumbents with the click of a button. The Search filters allow you to add additional complex filters to your search.
{% hint style="info" %}
Several category screens including Contract Opportunities, Grant Opportunities, Contract Awards, and Grant Awards have an **Active** Quick filter. In many cases, you will want to select this **Active** filter to limit results to currently actionable opportunities or ongoing contracts rather than including historical data.
{% endhint %}
#### Keyword Search Tips
The Keyword filter supports advanced options for finding records.
Basic Keyword Search
* **physical security** -> Contains both *physical* and *security*
"Or" Keyword Search
* **physical security or surveillance** -> Contains both *physical* and *security* or *surveillance*
"Close Match" Search
* "**physical security**" -> Contains *physical* directly next to *security*
Exclude Search
* **physical security -training** -> Contains both *physical* and *security* and excludes *training*
Complex Grouping
* **(physical security or surveillance) (school or college) -training** -> Contains either *physical security* or *surveillance* and contains either *school* or *college.* Does not include training.
There is no limit on the number of keywords that can be joined in an "or" search.
## Other Ways to Search HigherGov
### Quick Search Bar
If you know exactly what you're looking for, the fastest way to find records in HigherGov is by using the Quick Search bar at the top of every page. The Quick Search bar accepts IDs (such as contract or grant IDs, solicitation numbers, or UEIs) as well as names for records such as awardees or agencies.
Press Enter in the Quick Search to open your search in Search All.
### Search All
If you're performing general research on a topic or are not sure exactly what you're looking for, you can use the [search all](https://www.highergov.com/all/) screen to quickly filter the entire HigherGov database by keyword.
Once you type in a keyword or set of keywords, tabs will highlight where results are found. Within each of those tabs, you can select **See All Results -->** to open up the Category Search screen to add more advanced filters.
###
# Saved Searches and Alerts
Save Searches and Receive Automated Alerts
## Saving a Search
On all Category Search pages on HigherGov, you can save searches by pressing the Save button, entering a Search Name, setting the Email Notification Updates frequency (optional), and pressing Save.
## Receiving Saved Search Notifications
When saving a Search, you can opt-in to receive an email notification when there are new results. To receive notifications, select a frequency under Email Notification Updates (Real Time, Daily, Weekly, or Monthly) when saving a search. Note that Real Time alerts are only available for opportunity searches.
Example email notification
Saved Search Notifications are available for all search categories that receive frequent updates. Stop future notifications by pressing the Unsubscribe link in the notification email or on the Saved Search page (see below).
### Automatic Notifications
Many detail pages on HigherGov, including Awardee, Government People, and Agency pages have a Notify option in the top right to automatically create Saved Searches with daily alerts when there are new results.
## Opening a Saved Search
You can access your saved searches at any time by selecting the dropdown arrow next to the Save button and selecting the saved search you would like to open.
## Updating a Saved Search
To update a saved search, run your new search and press Save as described above. In the Search Name box either start typing the name of the search you would like to replace or select the dropdown arrow and the name of the search you would like to replace and press save.
## Managing Saved Searches
To manage your saved searches, select the [Saved Searches](https://www.highergov.com/search/) option near the bottom of the sidebar. Here, you can view results, change the email notification frequency, and delete saved searches.
If you share an account with other team members, you can view their saved searches by selecting the Team Searches tab at the top of the page.
# Favoriting, Tracking, and No Bidding
HigherGov offers multiple tools to quickly manage opportunities
{% hint style="info" %}
The below focuses on the basic tools available for quickly managing and tracking Opportunities, Awards, and other data in HigherGov. Please see the documentation on setting up [pipelines](/pursuit-management/create-a-pipeline) and managing [pursuits](/pursuit-management/add-pursuits-to-pipeline) for more advanced options.
{% endhint %}
## Favoriting
Most pages on HigherGov have a Favorite button in the upper right-hand corner of the page. To favorite the item, click the Favorite button once. To un-Favorite the item, click the button again. If the item is Favorited, a red heart will appear in the button.
To quickly recall your Favorited items, go to the relevant search page and select My Favorites from the dropdown.
If someone else on your team has favorited an item, this will also be visible to you on the page under the navigation bar.
## Tracking
Tracking allows you to receive email alerts when there is an amendment to the opportunity or award. Tracking is available for Federal Contract and Grant Opportunities and Federal Prime Contracts and Grants awards.
To track an item, click the Track button once. To un-Track the item, click the button again. If the item is Tracked, a red bell will appear in the button.
If the item is updated or amended, you will receive an email that show any key changes
## No Bidding
Opportunities, Forecasts, and Existing Award pages all have the option to mark the item as No Bid if you are not interested. To market an item as No Bid, click the No Bid button once. To revert, click the button again. If the item is No Bid, a red Circle X will appear in the button.
To remove No Bid items from your search results, select the Exclude No Bid dropdown in the relevant search.
If someone else on your team has No Bid on an opportunity, this will also be visible to you on the page under the navigation bar.
# Adding Users to Your Account
How to add and remove users from your account
### Adding Users
Most HigherGov [plans](https://www.highergov.com/pricing/) (except for the Starter plan) allow for multiple users on a single account. To add additional users to your account, select the gear icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page or click [here](https://www.highergov.com/account/).
{% hint style="info" %}
Only account administrators are able to add users. If you need to add an administrator please contact us in the chat or send us an [email](mailto:contact@highergov.com).
{% endhint %}
Go to the Manage Users section and select the add user button on the right. Input the Name of the user and their email address and click the Add User button. That person will receive a Welcome Email with instructions to set up their account.
If you receive a message that the user already exists, please contact us in the chat or [email](mailto:contact@highergov.com) us to transfer that user on to your account.
### Resending the Welcome Email
If the user has not yet set up an account, there will be an option to Resend them the Welcome Email on the screen. The email is sent immediately, if the user still does not receive the Welcome Email, they should check their Spam folder. Please contact us in the chat or [email](mailto:contact@highergov.com) us if you continue to have issues.
{% hint style="info" %}
The option to Resend welcome emails is only available to annual subscribers. If you have a trial account, please chat or [email](mailto:contact@highergov.com) us for instructions.
{% endhint %}
### Removing Users
To remove users from your account, please contact us in the chat or [email](mailto:contact@highergov.com) us.
# Daily Opportunity Emails
Receive a daily email of new relevant opportunities
{% hint style="info" %}
This document discusses setting up a daily email of new opportunities tailored to your business. To receive updates to a saved search, see the documentation on [Saved Searches](/highergov-basics/saved-searches-and-alerts).
{% endhint %}
### Turning on Emails
To receive a tailored daily email of new opportunities, select the gear icon in the upper right of the platform and select Profile (or click [here](https://www.highergov.com/profile/)). HigherGov provides daily emails for Federal Contract Opportunities, State and Local Opportunities, and Federal Grant Opportunities. To turn on the email select the desired switches.
Note that you will only receive an email daily if there are new relevant results.
### Setting Preferences
To indicate your preferences for the daily email, click the blue preferences text for the relevant email, provide your preferences in the pop-up, and select Save. There is no required format for providing your preferences.
If you do not provide preferences, HigherGov will automatically set your preferences based on your company's award history and / or registration data.
# Federal Contracts
How to Identify Relevant Federal Prime Contract Opportunities
{% hint style="info" %}
Need to understand the basics of search like Keyword syntax? See [Search Basics](/highergov-basics/search-basics)
{% endhint %}
## Federal Contract Opportunity Search
Contract opportunities are available on the Contract Opportunity Search page, which can be found under *Business Development -> Opportunities -> Contracts* in the sidebar or by clicking [here](https://www.highergov.com/contract-opportunity/).
On this page, you can select the Add Filters dropdown to add filters to find the opportunities most relevant to your business (a full list is below).
As you find potentially interesting contract opportunities, click the opportunity title to open up the Contract Opportunity detail page to see the opportunity description, history, related solicitations, documents, similar opportunities, potential bidders, and other details. You can also favorite the opportunity by clicking the heart button to easily access it later by selecting the My Favorites filter.
{% content-ref url="/pages/HP1eHzBDooPW1fiH6xOY" %}
[Saved Searches and Alerts](/highergov-basics/saved-searches-and-alerts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/pB0Pqe55MKARYPQj31eT" %}
[Favoriting, Tracking, and No Bidding](/highergov-basics/favoriting-tracking-and-no-bidding)
{% endcontent-ref %}
## Data Sources
HigherGov integrates data from dozens of federal opportunity sources. Those available on each tab include:
#### Opportunities Tab
These include opportunities and documents posted to the following sources: SAM.GOV, SBIR.GOV, NECO, DIBBS (> $25,000), NIH eBidBoard, JCCS, FedConnect, and Unison. If you have [integrated a vehicle](/import-and-export/task-order-integration) system such as eBuy or Symphony, these opportunities will also be available in this tab.
#### Forecasts Tab
These include forecasts posted by agencies from 40+ sources including those posted to formal forecasting systems such as DHS's APFS system and spreadsheets and presentations released by various agencies throughout the year. See [Forecasts and Expiring Contracts](/find-opportunities/forecasted-opportunities-and-expiring-awards) to learn more about forecasted opportunities and how to find upcoming opportunities that have not been forecasted by an agency.
#### DIBBS Tab
Includes all contracts posted to DLA's DIBBS systems for the procurement of sustainment products.
## Available Federal Contract Opportunity Search Filters
#### Quick
* **Active Opportunity:** Filter for opportunities with a due date in the future
* **Exclude No Bid:** Exclude opportunities from the results that you have marked as No Bid.
* **My Favorites:** Filter for opportunities that you have marked as a favorite
* **My Pursuits:** Filter for opportunities linked to at least one Pursuit for which you are the owner. This filter is only available if you have [Created a Pipeline](/pursuit-management/create-a-pipeline) and at least one pursuit.
* **Future Vehicle:** Filtering for opportunities that are likely to result in the creation of a contract vehicle such as an IDIQ, BPA, or MATOC
* **Only Civilian:** Filter for agencies outside of the Department of Defense
* **Only Defense:** Filter for agencies within the Department of Defense
#### Search
* **Keywords:** Keywords found in the contract description, document summaries, or other metadata. Learn more about accepted keyword syntax in the [Search Basics](/highergov-basics/search-basics).
* **Agency:** Filter by the federal agency that issued the opportunity
* **Due Date:** Filter by the current due date of the contract opportunity
* **Date Posted:** Filter by the most recent posting date of the contract
* **Experience:** Filter for recommended opportunities based on a company's prior experience or registration information.
* **FSG / NSG:** Filter by the 1 or 2-character Federal Supply Group or NATO Supply Group
* **NAICS:** Six-digit code used to classify businesses by type of economic activity. This is the most common filter that federal contractors will use to filter for opportunities relevant to their business. Learn more about NAICS codes [here](/reference/analyze-and-select-naics-and-psc-codes).
* **NSN (NATO Stock Number):** Filter by the 13-digit numeric code used by NATO to identify standardized products
* **Opportunity Type:** Filter by the type of opportunity. Most commonly, companies will use this filter to focus on opportunities in a Source Sought, Presolicitation, or Forecast stage to identify upcoming and future solicitations
* **Person:** Filter by the federal contracting officer listed on the contract opportunity
* **PSC / FSC:** Filter by the PSC Code, a four-character code used to describe products, services, and research and development (R\&D) purchased by the federal government. This is the second most common filter federal contractors use to find relevant opportunities (after NAICS) and is especially popular with contractors focused on products. Learn more about PSC codes [here](/reference/analyze-and-select-naics-and-psc-codes)
* **Place of Performance:** Filter by the location where the contract will be performed. Opportunities can be filtered at country, state, county, or zip code level
* **Set Aside:** Filter by the socio-economic set-aside. Contract Opportunities with set asides can only be bid on by companies meeting the requirements of that set aside. Major set-aside categories include Small Business, Disadvantaged Business 8(a), Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, and Woman-Owned Small Business
* **Value Range:** Filter by the approximate value range of the contract as indicated in the solicitation or based on an AI estimate when a range is not indicated in the solicitation
* **Vehicle:** Filter by an integrated contract vehicle. Note this filter will only be available for subscribers who have added a [Task Order Integration](/import-and-export/task-order-integration).
## Related Pages
{% content-ref url="/pages/HP1eHzBDooPW1fiH6xOY" %}
[Saved Searches and Alerts](/highergov-basics/saved-searches-and-alerts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/bIk3DFUPaZ5oBZr6N9rS" %}
[Daily Opportunity Emails](/highergov-basics/daily-opportunity-emails)
{% endcontent-ref %}
# Federal Grants
How to Easily Find and Pursue Federal Prime Grant Opportunities
{% hint style="info" %}
Need to understand the basics of search like Keyword syntax? See [Search Basics](/highergov-basics/search-basics)
{% endhint %}
## Federal Grant Opportunity Search
Grant opportunities are available on the Grant Opportunity Search page, which can be found under *Business Development -> Opportunities -> Grants* in the sidebar or by clicking [here](https://www.highergov.com/grant-opportunity/).
On this page, you can select the Add Filters dropdown to add filters to find the opportunities most relevant to your business (a full list is below).
As you find potentially interesting grant opportunities, click the opportunity title to open up the Grant Opportunity detail page to see the opportunity description, history, related opportunities, documents, similar opportunities, potential applicants, and other details. You can also favorite the opportunity by clicking the heart button to easily access it later by selecting the My Favorites filter.
{% content-ref url="/pages/HP1eHzBDooPW1fiH6xOY" %}
[Saved Searches and Alerts](/highergov-basics/saved-searches-and-alerts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/pB0Pqe55MKARYPQj31eT" %}
[Favoriting, Tracking, and No Bidding](/highergov-basics/favoriting-tracking-and-no-bidding)
{% endcontent-ref %}
## Data Sources
All federal grant opportunity data comes from grants.gov.
## Available Federal Contract Opportunity Search Filters
#### Quick
* **Active Opportunity:** Filter for opportunities with a due date in the future
* **Exclude No Bid:** Exclude opportunities from the results that you have marked as No Bid.
* **My Favorites:** Filter for opportunities that you have marked as a favorite
* **My Pursuits:** Filter for opportunities linked to at least one Pursuit for which you are the owner. This filter is only available if you have [Created a Pipeline](/pursuit-management/create-a-pipeline) and at least one pursuit.
* **Only Civilian:** Filter for agencies outside of the Department of Defense
* **Only Defense:** Filter for agencies within the Department of Defense
#### Search
* **Keywords:** Keywords found in the contract description, document summaries, or other metadata. Learn more about accepted keyword syntax in the [Search Basics](/highergov-basics/search-basics).
* **Agency:** Filter by the federal agency that issued the opportunity
* **Applicant Type**: Filter for the types of applicants that are eligible for the opportunity
* **Due Date:** Filter by the current due date of the contract opportunity
* **Date Posted:** Filter by the most recent posting date of the contract
* **Experience:** Filter for recommended opportunities based on a company's prior experience or registration information.
* **Funding Amount:** Filter by the amount of funding that is allocated to the grant
* **Funding Category:** Filter for matching funding categories associated with the grant opportunity
* **Funding Instrument:** Filter by the type of funding instrument including Grant, Cooperative Agreement and Procurement
* **Grant Program:** Filter by the associated grant program (CFDA)
* **Person:** Filter by the federal grant officer listed on the contract opportunity
* **Posting Type:** Filter by either Posted or Forecasted grant opportunities
* **Value Range:** Filter by the approximate value range of the contract as indicated in the solicitation or based on an AI estimate when a range is not indicated in the solicitation
## Related Pages
{% content-ref url="/pages/XBGijVVdHvEPglQynGTr" %}
[Find and Analyze Federal Grants](/market-intelligence/find-and-analyze-federal-grants)
{% endcontent-ref %}
# State and Local Contracts
How to Easily Find and Pursue State, Local, and Education contract opportunities
{% hint style="info" %}
Need to understand the basics of search like Keyword syntax? See [Search Basics](/highergov-basics/search-basics)
{% endhint %}
## State and Local Contract Opportunity Search
Contract opportunities are available on the Contract Opportunity Search page, which can be found under *State | Local -> Business Development -> Opportunities -> Contracts* in the sidebar or by clicking [here](https://www.highergov.com/sl/contract-opportunity/).
On this page, you can select the Add Filters dropdown to add filters to find the opportunities most relevant to your business (a full list is below).
As you find potentially interesting contract opportunities, click the opportunity title to open up the Contract Opportunity detail page to see the opportunity description, history, related solicitations, documents, similar opportunities, and other details.
{% content-ref url="/pages/HP1eHzBDooPW1fiH6xOY" %}
[Saved Searches and Alerts](/highergov-basics/saved-searches-and-alerts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/pB0Pqe55MKARYPQj31eT" %}
[Favoriting, Tracking, and No Bidding](/highergov-basics/favoriting-tracking-and-no-bidding)
{% endcontent-ref %}
## Data Sources
HigherGov integrates data from 60,000+ agencies across the state, local, education, and public utilities markets. All of our subscriptions include access to opportunities in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and in U.S. territories.
## Available State and Local Contract Opportunity Search Filters
#### Quick
* **Active Opportunity:** Filter for opportunities with a due date in the future
* **Exclude No Bid:** Exclude opportunities from the results that you have marked as No Bid.
* **My Favorites:** Filter for opportunities that you have marked as a favorite
* **My Pursuits:** Filter for opportunities linked to at least one Pursuit for which you are the owner. This filter is only available if you have [Created a Pipeline](/pursuit-management/create-a-pipeline) and at least one pursuit.
#### Search
* **Keywords:** Keywords found in the contract description, document summaries, or other metadata. Learn more about accepted keyword syntax in the [Search Basics](/highergov-basics/search-basics).
* **Agency:** Filter by the state and local agency that issued the opportunity
* **Due Date:** Filter by the current due date of the contract opportunity
* **Date Posted:** Filter by the most recent posting date of the contract
* **Experience:** Filter for recommended opportunities based on a company's prior experience or registration information. This filter is only available for Federal contractors with a linked profile
* **NAICS:** Six-digit code used to classify businesses by type of economic activity. Unlike federal agencies, most state and local agencies do not use NAICS codes. However, HigherGov adds these codes to each opportunity for ease of filtering. Learn more about NAICS codes [here](/reference/analyze-and-select-naics-and-psc-codes).
* **PSC / FSC:** Filter by the PSC Code, a four-character code used to describe products, services, and research and development (R\&D) purchased by the federal government. Note that unlike federal agencies, most state and local agencies do not use PSC codes. However, HigherGov adds these codes to each opportunity. Learn more about PSC codes [here](/reference/analyze-and-select-naics-and-psc-codes)
* **State:** Filter by the State where the contract will be performed.
* **Value Range:** Filter by the approximate value range of the contract as indicated in the solicitation or based on an AI estimate when a range is not indicated in the solicitation
## Finding Additional Information and Applying
By selecting a contract opportunity, you can see the opportunity description and key details including the posting, due date, and other relevant information.
Opportunities will have a direct link to the source where you can learn additional information about the contract opportunity and details on how to apply.
{% content-ref url="/pages/QuZ3CK6NaK9FChKi93a1" %}
[Federal Contracts](/find-opportunities/federal-contracts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
# DLA Opportunities
Find and research opportunities posted on the DLA Internet Bid Board System (DIBBS)
DIBBS is the Defense Logistics Agency's system for acquiring "standardized material items of supply" (standardized products) for the Department of Defense. On average more than 10,000 solicitations are posted to DIBBS weekly, the vast majority of which are not posted elsewhere. Most solicitations posted on DIBBS will have associated [NATO Stock Numbers](https://www.highergov.com/nsn/) (NSN).
HigherGov integrates opportunities found on DLA's DIBBS platform and provides tools to research related NSNs and other key competitive information.
{% hint style="info" %}
Submitting bids to DIBBS requires a separate registration from SAM. Because this registration can take over a week, we recommend setting up an account on DIBBS in advance
{% endhint %}
## Searching for DIBBS Opportunities
Current and historical opportunities posted to DIBBS can be found on the [Contract Opportunity](https://www.highergov.com/contract-opportunity/) search page in the sidebar under Business Development --> Opportunities --> Contracts on the third tab on the page.
To find relevant opportunities, select the Add Filters button. The most common filters used for DIBBS Opportunities include **PSC** (also known FSC), **NSN**, and **Set Aside**. If you want to limit opportunities to those that are currently active, you can select the **Active Opportunity** filter.
You can learn more about searching in HigherGov here:
{% content-ref url="/pages/gChm8fIYWTkwFHg8RiUu" %}
[Search Basics](/highergov-basics/search-basics)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/HP1eHzBDooPW1fiH6xOY" %}
[Saved Searches and Alerts](/highergov-basics/saved-searches-and-alerts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
## Analyzing DIBBS Opportunities
Once you have found opportunities of interest, you can select the opportunity to open up on the DIBBS Opportunity page which will have key information about the solicitation including the set aside, order type, the availability of technical documents, the official solicitation document, and more.
The page will also show the purchase request details, suppliers included in the official solicitation document, and historical pricing details (with linked contracts). The historical pricing, in particular, can be valuable to get a sense of what price would be necessary to win based on historical prevailing bids considering the set aside, quantity, and the number of bidders.
If you want to bid on the opportunity, you can select the Quote option next to Source to go directly to the bidding page in DIBBS.
## Analyzing NATO Stock Numbers
You can learn more information about a given NSN by selecting the NSN listed in the purchase request. This page will include additional details about the NSN including data from DLA's Federal Logistics Information System (FLIS) and other information gathered and tracked by HigherGov.
The information included on this page includes:
**Overview** General information and identifiers associated with this NSN. You can see more details about most codes listed here (and elsewhere on the page) by hovering over the value.
**Characteristics** Government-defined standardized and product-specific characteristics.
**Government Organizations** Major Organizational Entities (MOEs) (also known as Service Agency codes) associated with the NSN. This will give an indication of which agencies are involved in managing or using the product in the life cycle of materiel management. Note that most of the values in the table will be the same for each agency.
**Historical Pricing** Historical prices and other key details on historical winning bids.
**DIBBS Opportunities** Historical and current solicitation details for opportunities posted to DIBBS.
**Federal Contract Opportunities** Solicitations for this NSN that have been posted to other government procurement systems besides DIBBS. These will most often include DLA opportunities in excess of $30,000 (which may also be posted to DIBBS) and NSN purchases by other agencies besides DLA (most often the Navy, Coast Guard, or DHS).
# Forecasted Opportunities and Expiring Awards
How to Find Contract and Grant Opportunities Before They are Widely Released to the Public
## Importance of Finding Opportunities First
Once an opportunity is posted to sam.gov or grants.gov there has often been a significant amount of preparation and shaping done by incumbent awardees or contractors/grantees with a close relationship with the soliciting agency. In some cases, opportunities are never formally posted at all as they are directed to specific contract vehicles or limited groups of potential bidders.
Identifying opportunities earlier allows you to prepare and position for the eventual solicitation, potentially shape the RFP, and forecast appropriately. HigherGov offers multiple tools to find opportunities before they become widely known to the market.
## Contract Opportunities
### Forecasted Opportunities
Opportunities that are forecasted by agencies prior to their formal release can be found going to *Opportunities --> Contracts* in the sidebar and selecting the Forecasts tab or by clicking [here](https://www.highergov.com/contract-opportunity/#contract_forecast). Forecasted opportunities can be filtered using most of the same filter criteria that apply to released contract opportunities (such as **NAICS** or **Set-Aside**) by selecting the Filters dropdown. By clicking on the Title, you can go to the Contract Forecast detail page, which includes details including expected award dates, categories, incumbents, and contact information (as available).
{% hint style="info" %}
Note that many agencies provide forecasts at irregular intervals. HigherGov will generally update its forecasts as often as the government agencies do so.
{% endhint %}
### Sources Sought
Opportunities that have been formally posted to sam.gov but are not yet at the stage of formal solicitation can be found by going to *Opportunities --> Contracts* in the sidebar or by clicking [here](https://www.highergov.com/contract-opportunity/), selecting **Opportunity Type** from the list of Filters, and selecting Presolicitation and Sources Sought. If you are only looking for active opportunities, you should also select the **Active Opportunity** filter. You can add your own filters such as **Agency**, **NAICS**, **Set Aside** or other filters to further focus on the most relevant contracts for your business.
## Potential Recompetes (Expiring Contracts)
### Searching for Potential Recompetes
An effective way to find upcoming contract opportunities is to find relevant contracts that may recompete before they become publicly available as solicitations (if they do ever become publicly available). You can search for potential IDV and Prime Contract recompetes from the Contract search page at *Market Intelligence -> Awards -> Contracts* in the sidebar or by clicking [here](https://www.highergov.com/contract/).
Here you can search for relevant potential recompetes by selecting the **Potential Recompete** option under Filters and then adding your own additional filters to customize your search (for example, **NAICS**, **PSC**, **Agency**, **Set Aside**, etc.). The Potential Recompete filter looks specifically for contracts that are more likely to have upcoming recompetes based on timing, size, and other criteria. Alternatively, rather than selecting the **Potential Recompete** Quick search, you can create your own filter to find using the **Date Potential End** filter.
Once you have found potential recompetes, you can open the IDV or Contract to find additional details about the type of work, incumbent, previous related Contract Opportunities, and the people involved in creating or approving the contract.
### Vulnerable Incumbents
You can further limit your search for recompetes to target by looking for contracts where the incumbent contractor may not be able to recompete for the contract. As incumbents typically win recompetes 50-75% of the time, identifying and focusing on recompete opportunities where the incumbent may no longer be eligible for the contract, can greatly increase the likelihood of winning.
#### Small Business Graduations (Vulnerable SB)
You can also search for potential recompetes for competitors or other awardees that you know have exceeded their SBA NAICS thresholds by filtering by **Awardee** on the Contracts search page and combing this filter with the **Potential Recompete** filter or other relevant filters.
#### 8(a) Graduations (Vulnerable 8(a))
If you participate in the 8(a) program, an additional way to find recompetes is to search for contracts currently held by 8(a) program members who will soon be graduating and thus are more likely to be awarded to a new contractor upon recompete. You can filter for these contracts on the [Contracts ](https://www.highergov.com/contract/)search page by selecting the **Vulnerable 8(a)** Quick filter. You can combine this filter with the **Potential Recompete** filter and other relevant additional filters to narrow down to the potential recompetes most relevant to you.
## Grant Opportunities
### Forecasted Opportunities
Agencies that award grants will frequently provide forecasts of grant opportunities in advance of a formal posting. To find forecasted grant opportunities, go to *Opportunities -> Grants* in the sidebar (or click [here](https://www.highergov.com/grant-opportunity/)) and select **Posting Type** from the list of filters and choose the Forecasted checkmark.
### Recompetes
An effective way to find potential upcoming grant opportunities is to find relevant grants that may recompete. You can search for potential Grant recompetes from the Grant search page at *Market Intelligence -> Awards -> Grants* in the sidebar or by clicking [here](https://www.highergov.com/grant/).
To find grants that are likely to be re-awarded, go to *Awards --> Grants* in the sidebar (or click [here](https://www.highergov.com/grant/)) and select **Recompete Opportunities** under Quick Search. This filters for grants that based on duration, value, and other factors are likely to recompete within the next 12 months. You can add your own filters such as **Agency**, **Assistance Type**, or **Place of Performance** or other filters to further focus on the most relevant contracts for your business.
## Related Pages
{% content-ref url="/pages/PjrBqvC5WTwyOgCAIS7A" %}
[Market Analysis Tool](/market-intelligence/market-analysis-tool)
{% endcontent-ref %}
# Federal Small Business and Socioeconomic Contracts
How to Find and Compete for Federal Set-Aside Contracts Based on Your Set-Aside or Socioeconomic Status such as 8(a) or SDVOSB
{% hint style="info" %}
This guide is focused on tips for finding set-aside contract opportunities. To learn more generally how to search for prime contract opportunities including how to save searches, receive daily recommendations, and more, please see the below guide.
{% endhint %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/QuZ3CK6NaK9FChKi93a1" %}
[Federal Contracts](/find-opportunities/federal-contracts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
## Contract Opportunity Search
### Issued Solicitations
The most direct way to search for contract opportunities is on the Contract Opportunity Search page, which can be found under *Business Development --> Opportunities --> Contracts* in the sidebar or by clicking [here](https://www.highergov.com/contract-opportunity/).
To filter for set-aside opportunities you can either select **Has Set Aside** under the Quick search or select the **Set Aside** under Search All and then select the specific categories relevant to your business.
You can further filter contract opportunities by a number of criteria to narrow opportunities to those that are most relevant to your business including **Agency**, **NAICS**, **PSC**, and **Place of Performance, Active Opportunities**, and **Future Vehicles**.
As you find potentially interesting contract opportunities, you can click the opportunity title to open up the Contract Opportunity detail page to see the opportunity description, history, related solicitations, documents, similar opportunities, potential bidders, and other detail. You can also follow the opportunity by clicking the heart button to easily access it later.
{% hint style="info" %}
Not sure if you qualify as a small business for a particular contract opportunity? You can check the SBA small-business threshold for a particular NAICS code by searching for the NAICS code in the search bar at the top of the page and reviewing the SBA Size Standard (if there is one).
{% endhint %}
### Forecasted Opportunities
Many federal agencies will notify the contracting community of their intent to issue new or recompete contract set-aside opportunities before releasing the solicitation. These future opportunities that are tracked by HigherGov and can be found on the Forecasts tab of the Contract Opportunities Search page. These Forecasted opportunities can be filtered using the same criteria as regular contract opportunities.
### SBIR / STTRs
{% hint style="info" %}
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs encourage domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R\&D) with the potential for commercialization.
{% endhint %}
SBIR and STTR opportunities are available on the Grants Opportunities page by going to *Opportunities --> Grants* in the sidebar. SBIR/STTRs can be structured either as contracts or grants depending on the agency.
SBIR / STTRs are broken into three phases:
* **Phase I**: Applicants submit a proposal outlining their proposed project which is evaluated by the sponsoring agency. If selected, applicants receive up to $250 thousand in funding to develop a prototype or proof-of-concept.
* **Phase II**: Successful applicants from Phase I can receive up to $1 million in funding to further refine the prototype or concept with an emphasis on marketability and commercialization potential.
* **Phase III:** Awardees are encouraged to seek private sector investment or venture capital funding as they transition their product into the marketplace. In some cases, Phase III can include non-SBIR contracts from the government for continued development or for production. These contracts can range into the tens of millions of dollars.
{% hint style="info" %}
You can learn more about the long-term trends and benefits of SBIR awards in our [annual report](https://www.highergov.com/news/sbir-awards-reach-record-high-2023/).
{% endhint %}
## Potential Set-Aside Recompetes
### Searching for Potential Recompetes
An effective way to find upcoming contract opportunities is to find relevant contracts that may recompete before they become publicly available as solicitations (if they do ever become publicly available). You can search for potential IDV and Prime Contract recompetes from the Contract search page at *Market Intelligence --> Awards --> Contracts* in the sidebar or by clicking [here](https://www.govalpha.com/contract/).
Here you can search for relevant potential recompetes by selecting the **Potential Recompete** option under Filters and then adding either the **Has Set Aside** filter under the Quick search or select **Set Aside** under Search All and then select the specific categories relevant to your business. You can further add additional filters to customize your search (for example, **NAICS**, **PSC**, **Agency**, etc.).
### 8(a) Graduations (Vulnerable 8(a))
If you participate in the 8(a) program, an additional available tool to find recompetes is to search for contracts currently held by 8(a) program members who will soon be graduating and thus are more likely to be awarded to a new contractor upon recompete. You can filter for these contracts on the [Contracts](https://www.highergov.com/contract/) search page by selecting the **Vulnerable 8(a)** quick filter. You can combine this filter with other relevant additional filters to narrow down to the potential recompetes most relevant to you.
### Small Business Graduations (Vulnerable Small Business)
You can also search for potential recompetes for competitors or other awardees that may have a limited ability to recompete for a contract because they have exceeded the NAICS set aside threshold for the contract, either through growth or through acquisition. You can filter for these contracts on the [Contracts](https://www.highergov.com/contract/) search page by selecting the **Vulnerable Small Business** quick filter. You can combine this filter with other relevant additional filters to narrow down to the potential recompetes most relevant to you.
## **Researching Entrance Points**
### Analysis Tools
You can use the HigherGov Analysis tool to research trends in small-business contracting at different agencies or products and services. Access the reporting tool by going to *Explore --> Reports* in the sidebar. From here, you can use the **Set Aside** filter to set the types of set-asides you would like to analyze. You can combine this with other filters such as **NAICS**, **PSC**, or **Agency (Awarding)** to further refine your analysis.
You can use the **Trends** tab to look at trends in set-aside obligations, the **Shares** tab to analyze different categories contribution to the total, the **Categories** tab to see how major categories of set-aside awards have changes over time, the **Maps** tab to see the distribution of set-aside awards, the **Vehicles Ranking** tab to find key set-aside vehicles, and the **Awardees Rankings** tab to see the largest set-aside contractors.
### **Set-Aside Goals**
Federal agencies have different targets for the level of funding set aside for small business contracts. The table below shows small business set-aside targets by federal agency for Government Fiscal Year 2022. Additional analysis to help find the best market areas of opportunity for set-aside contracts (including by NAICS/PSC code and by Agency) based on historical trends is available for annual subscribers by selecting Analysis in the sidebar and clicking Custom.
{% embed url="" %}
# Federal Subcontracts and Subgrants
How to Identify and Compete for Relevant Potential Federal Subcontracting Opportunities
## Searching For Potential Subcontract Opportunities
### Contract Search
The quickest way to search for potential subcontract opportunities is to go to the Contracts search page under *Market Intelligence --> Contracts* or click [here](https://www.highergov.com/contract/) and select the **Subcontract Opps** Quick filter. This will filter for contracts that have recently been awarded with a required subcontracting plan. You can add your own filters such as **Agency**, **NAICS**, or **Set Aside** to further focus on the most relevant contracts for your business.
### Subcontracting Plans
By selecting the Contract award ID and scrolling down to the Other Categorizations section, you can see the type of associated Subcontracting plan. Subcontracting plans are typically put in place by the government to encourage or require the Prime contractor to subcontract with companies that meet small business or other set aside requirements.
The most common Subcontracting Plan categorizations are:
* **Individual Subcontract Plan**: Subcontracting plan that covers the entire contract period (including option periods), applies to a specific contract, and has goals that are based on the offeror’s planned subcontracting in support of the specific contract
* **Commercial Subcontract Plan**: Subcontracting plan (including goals) that covers the fiscal year and that applies to the entire production of commercial products and performance of commercial services
* **DOD Comprehensive Subcontract Plan**: The Defense Contract Management Agency will designate the contracting officer who shall negotiate and approve comprehensive subcontracting plans with eligible participants on an annual basis
## Analyzing Potential Prime Partners
### Awardee Page
Once you have identified a potential subcontract opportunity, you can research more information about how the prime Awardee pursues subcontracting. On the Awardee page, you can see the Awardee's existing known Teaming Partners (prime and sub), Mentor-Protégé relationships, and Joint Ventures (if they have any) as well as more general information about the Awardee that can be helpful in determining fit and how best to pursue a relationship.
Learn more about researching Awardees here:
{% content-ref url="/pages/omsVicpjqBapaKzTFuey" %}
[Research Federal Contractors and Grant Recipients](/market-intelligence/research-federal-contractors-and-grant-recipients)
{% endcontent-ref %}
### Existing Subcontracts
To find subcontracts that the Awardee has made in the past, go to *Market Intelligence --> Contracts* (or click [here](https://www.highergov.com/contract/)) and select the **Prime Awardee (Sub Only)** filter and search for the relevant Awardee.
{% hint style="info" %}
Please note that subcontract data is reported by Prime contractors and the consistency and quality of data will vary. To enhance the quality and reliability of this data, HigherGov removes or adjusts a significant percentage of reported subcontracts that are likely duplicates or otherwise inaccurate.
{% endhint %}
## Potential Subgrants
The quickest way to search for potential subgrant opportunities is to go to the Grants search page under *Market Intelligence -> Awards -> Grants (*or click [here](https://www.highergov.com/grant/)) and select the **Subcontract Opportunities** Quick filter. This will filter for Grants that have characteristics that make them more likely to have subgrant opportunities. You can add your own filters such as **Agency**, **Place of Performance**, **Grant Program** or other filters to further focus on the most relevant grants for your organization.
## Additional Resources
{% content-ref url="/pages/QuZ3CK6NaK9FChKi93a1" %}
[Federal Contracts](/find-opportunities/federal-contracts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/Ts20pedUSEZLX814wqbH" %}
[Find Teaming Partners](/business-development/find-teaming-partners)
{% endcontent-ref %}
# Find And Analyze Competing Bidders
How to Identify and Analyze Potential Bidders for a Government Contract or Grant Opportunity
## Identifying Potential Bidders
Identifying potential competing bidders for a contract or grant opportunity can help you competitively position your proposal, understand how strong competition is likely to be, and can assist in teaming efforts.
### In Contract Opportunities
Most Contract Opportunity pages will show an automatically generated list of potential competing bidders based on which companies have bid and won prior solicitations. To find a contract opportunity enter the title or solicitation ID in the search bar at the top of each page or search for the Contract Opportunity in the [Contract Opportunity search](https://www.highergov.com/contract-opportunity/). If a contract opportunity has not been publicly disclosed, see below for two other methods to identify potential bidders.
Note that for historical contract opportunities, HigherGov lists potential competing bidders as if the contract opportunity was being competed today. This can be helpful in identifying contractors that may have bid on an opportunity and not won or identifying who would potentially bid if a historical opportunity is reopened or recompeted in the future.
### In Pursuits
If you use the [HigherGov CRM](https://www.highergov.com/capture-tools/), each saved Pursuit will have a list of the potential bidders listed on the Bidders tab. The accuracy of the bidders shown here is dependent on how fully data has been completed for the pursuit (for example, Agency, Set Aside NAICS codes, and Title / Description).
### Partner Finder Tool
HigherGov's [Partner Finder](https://www.highergov.com/partner-finder/) tool provides a powerful set of tools to find contractors or grant recipients most likely to win opportunities based on prior experience or certifications. See the link below on how to use the Partner Finder tool.
{% content-ref url="/pages/Ts20pedUSEZLX814wqbH" %}
[Find Teaming Partners](/business-development/find-teaming-partners)
{% endcontent-ref %}
If the opportunity is a contract being competed under a Master IDIQ or BPA vehicle, we recommend looking at the relevant [vehicle](https://www.highergov.com/vehicle/) page and analyzing the awardees and vehicle share of that vehicle specifically.
## Analyzing Potential Bidders
### Awardee Profile
Once you have identified a potential bidder, you can learn more about their prior experience, contract vehicle access, partners, and other details relevant to their competitive positioning by reviewing their Awardee page. For more information see the below guide:
{% content-ref url="/pages/omsVicpjqBapaKzTFuey" %}
[Research Federal Contractors and Grant Recipients](/market-intelligence/research-federal-contractors-and-grant-recipients)
{% endcontent-ref %}
### Offerings and Pricing
If the Awardee has a GSA Schedule such as a Multiple Award Schedule, the schedule can provide more context about what services and products the contractor provides beyond what you can typically find on their website and also can assist in understanding how they price their services and products.
You can also find an Awardee's GSA schedule on the [Awardee](https://www.highergov.com/awardee/) page. Alternatively, you can also search for schedules by going to the [Document](https://www.highergov.com/document/) search page, selecting the **Source** filter and choosing Federal Schedule, and then typing in the awardee name as a **Keyword**.
Many contractors will also have pricing available in the [Labor Pricing](https://www.highergov.com/labor-pricing/) tool.
## Related Pages
{% content-ref url="/pages/QuZ3CK6NaK9FChKi93a1" %}
[Federal Contracts](/find-opportunities/federal-contracts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
# Find Teaming Partners
How to Find Teaming Partners to Successfully Pursue Federal Contract or Grant Opportunities
## Identifying Potential Teaming Partners
### Partner Finder Tool
The Partner Finder is a powerful tool for identifying companies that are likely to be the best fit for a given contract or grant opportunity. The tool sorts parent contractors and grant recipients by their level of federal obligations, so you can discover who has the most relevant prior experience and/or other characteristics (such as certifications) to win an opportunity.
Common use cases for the Partner Finder include:
1. Finding potential prime partners
2. Finding potential subcontractors
3. Identifying likely competitors for an opportunity
4. Identifying potential acquisition targets
To access the Partner Finder tool, go to *Business Development -> Partner Finder* in the sidebar or click [here](https://www.highergov.com/partner-finder/) and select either Contracts or Grants. To search for potential partners, add Filters for data relevant to the contract opportunity.
For Contracts, the recommended Experience filters to add include (but are not limited to):
* **Agency (Awarding)**
* **NAICS** or **PSC**
* **Set Aside** (select **No Set Aside Used** for Full & Open competition)
* **Place of Performance**
For Grants, the recommended filters to add include (but are not limited to):
* **Agency (Awarding)**
* **Assistance Type**
* **Place of Performance**
* **Amount Obligated** (recommend setting a very wide range)
In some cases, you may also want to add Registration Info filters (which are listed at the bottom of the filters below the Experience filters). Use these filters if you want to limit your results to companies or organizations that meet certain registration or demographic information such as having a certain certification. For example, while the Experience **Set Aside** filter allows you to find contractors that have won the most awards with an 8(a) set-asides, the Registration Info **Certification** filter allows you to limit results to contractors that are active in the 8(a) program regardless of if they have historically won contracts with an 8(a) set-aside.
The resulting search will provide a ranking of every contractor by the total dollar obligations they have received over the set period. You can click on the Explore button next to each row to see the contracts that are relevant to your search for that Awardee.
By default, the results will only return Prime Contracts or Grants for the prior government fiscal year. In many cases, you will want to change the **Include** and **Range** dropdowns to include Prime + Sub contracts as well as extend the range measured back to 3 or 5 years.
If you are not finding many results, you can try broadening or removing filters.
### **Awardee Search**
You can also filter for potential partners that meet desired criteria by going to *Market Intelligence --> Awardees* in the sidebar or by clicking [here](https://www.highergov.com/awardee/).
Some of the common criteria for filtering for buyers or targets include:
* **NAICS**: Limit the search to Awardees focused on the most relevant NAICS codes
* **Business Type**: Limit the search to contractors with the most relevant Business Types
* **Contract and Grant PY Obligations**: Limit the search to Awardees with at least a certain level of prior year federal obligations
{% hint style="info" %}
Note that the NAICS and Business Type filters are based on the NAICS codes and Business Types disclosed in the awardee's registration with the federal government, and do not necessarily reflect historical performance. For filtering based on actual historical performance, see the Awardee Ranking Tool above.
{% endhint %}
### Similar Contracts or Grants
Another method of finding relevant prior experience is to search for the Awardees of similar contracts or grants to the one you are looking to find a partner on. The [Contract](https://www.highergov.com/contract/) and [Grant](https://www.highergov.com/grant/) searches allow you to apply dozens of filters to find contracts or grants that share agency customers, set-asides, size, keywords, and much more.
### Potential Bidders or Recipients
Looking at potential other bidders for a contract or grant can help you find potential partners to pursue the opportunity with. Most Opportunity pages will show an automatically generated list of potential competing bidders based on the details of the opportunity. To find a contract opportunity enter the title or solicitation ID in the search bar at the top of each page or search for the Contract Opportunity in the Contract Opportunity search [here](https://www.highergov.com/contract-opportunity/).
### Contract Vehicles
If the opportunity you are looking to pursue requires contract vehicle access, you can use the Vehicle search bar at the top of the page or the Vehicle search page (*Market Intelligence --> Awards --> Vehicles* in the sidebar or click [here](https://www.highergov.com/vehicle/)) to find the vehicle detail page. The Vehicle page provides details on current awardees as well as the current Award Share, which can help determine the likelihood of a particular potential partner winning.
To learn more about analyzing vehicles, see:
{% content-ref url="/pages/xfyUV3zyoUl0K9qAGxhR" %}
[Analyze Contract Vehicles](/market-intelligence/analyze-contract-vehicles)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% hint style="info" %}
HigherGov covers more than 4,000 contract vehicles representing the vast majority of multi-award contract vehicles by dollar awarded. If you are an annual subscriber and need an analysis of a contract vehicle we do not currently cover, please [contact us](mailto:contact@highergov.com) or reach out in the chat.
{% endhint %}
## Analyzing Potential Teaming Partners
### Awardee Profile
Once you have identified a potential partner, you can learn more about their prior experience, existing partners, and other details relevant to their competitive positioning and capabilities by reviewing their Awardee page. For more information please see the below guide:
{% content-ref url="/pages/omsVicpjqBapaKzTFuey" %}
[Research Federal Contractors and Grant Recipients](/market-intelligence/research-federal-contractors-and-grant-recipients)
{% endcontent-ref %}
### Offerings and Pricing
If the Awardee has a GSA Schedule such as a Multiple Award Schedule, the schedule can provide more context about what services and products they provide beyond what you can typically find on their website.
You can find an Awardee's GSA schedule on the Awardee page. Alternatively, you can also search for schedules by going to the [Document](https://www.highergov.com/document/) search page, selecting the **Source** filter and choosing Federal Schedule, and then typing in the awardee name as a **Keyword**.
## Related Pages
{% content-ref url="/pages/QuZ3CK6NaK9FChKi93a1" %}
[Federal Contracts](/find-opportunities/federal-contracts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/VZHsmYyp0xFhHXiPYutH" %}
[Federal Grants](/find-opportunities/federal-grants)
{% endcontent-ref %}
# Benchmarking Labor Rates
How to research and competitively price labor rates
## Overview of Price Benchmarking
The HigherGov Price Benchmarking tool allows you to research labor rates offered to the government by other government contractors. By benchmarking labor rates, you can determine whether the labor rates you offer are likely to be competitive when submitting RFPs, submitting pricing for GSA Schedules or contract vehicles, or making decisions about what markets to enter. The price benchmarking tool can be found at *Business Development -> Labor Pricing* or by clicking [here](https://www.highergov.com/price-benchmarking/).
{% hint style="info" %}
All prices in the labor tool are not-to-exceed (ceiling) fully-burdened labor rates. Actual rates will typically be 10-20% below the not-to-exceed rates.
{% endhint %}
The labor rate tool takes rates from a number of different sources including MAS Schedules, 8(a) STARS III, TSA eFast, Alliant II, and VETS 2.
## Filtering for Relevant Rates
### Finding Relevant Job Titles
The quickest way to find relevant job titles is to search for relevant Keywords; however, this can sometimes find too many or non-relevant results. Alternatively, you can search for specific job titles by selecting **Title** from the Filters dropdown and searching for relevant job titles. If filtering for Titles, we strongly recommend selecting multiple relevant titles as this will help increase the diversity of pricing sources, which will improve accuracy and better allow for the application of additional filters.
### Refining Your Search
Adding the below filters can help you to narrow prices to the ones most relevant to your analysis.
* **Education**: Filter for rates where the relevant position requires a minimum educational level.
* **Min. Years Experience**: Filter for rates where the position requires a minimum number of years of experience.
* **Small / Large Businesses Only**: Filter for rates from contractors that were classified either as a small business or a large business by the contracting officer.
* **Worksite**: Filter for rates applicable for Contractor or Customer site.
Moreover, you can remove specific prices that are not relevant by clicking the next to the price.
{% hint style="info" %}
The labor pricing tool includes more than 470,000 active prices and more than 10,000 job titles. If you need pricing for a competitor or job title that is not included in the tool, you can submit a request by clicking the Research button and letting us know what you are looking for (required Standard subscription). Note that we are only able to provide pricing for vehicles and schedules with publicly disclosd pricing.
{% endhint %}
## Other Ways to Find Competitive Prices
### Pricing for a Particular Competitor
If you need pricing for a particular competitor and it is not available in the pricing tool, you can also check if the competitor has a GSA Schedule that may include pricing. To find a competitor's GSA Schedule search for them either in the search bar at the top of the page or in the Awardee search in *Market Intelligence --> Awardees.* If the competitor has a GSA Schedule, it will be available in the Schedules section of the Awardee profile.
### Contract-Level Labor Pricing
For most federal labor contracts over $500,000 that are more than 18 months old, HigherGov tracks the applicable blended labor rate on the contract. This will be available in the Labor Services Billing section on the federal contract award page. These rates represent the average blended rate that the government paid for the services component of the contract as reported by the Awardee.
### Product Pricing or Other Labor Categories
If you need pricing for a product or a job title that is not available in the tool, or if you would like to find additional prices, you can search other GSA Schedules for relevant job titles. To find additional GSA schedules, go to *Market Intelligence -> Documents*, select the filter for **Source** and choose Federal Schedule (or click [here](https://www.highergov.com/document/?searchID=3jaqQgZZz6ieGwclJ97rD)). To find schedules with relevant job titles, search for relevant Keywords. You can further narrow results by putting the keyword search in quotes (e.g., "Janitorial Services").
# Find Federal Incumbents
Find the incumbent for recompeting federal contracts
Identifying the incumbent for a recompeting contract can help in making a bid go/no-go decision, pricing the bid, finding partners, and positioning the proposal.
### Federal Contract Opportunities
HigherGov will automatically search for incumbent and similar awards for new contract opportunities. This analysis is available in the "Incumbents" section on the Federal Contract Opportunity page. To identify incumbent and similar contracts, HigherGov looks at key contract information including keywords and contract structure and measures the similarity.
Hover over the Similarity bar to see the matching features of the existing contract. Click on the Award ID to learn more information about the contract.
Contracts may be classified as:
* Incumbent: Performing substantially the same work as this opportunity
* Closely Related: Performing very closely related work to this opportunity but not confirmed to be the incumbent contractor
* Similar Work: Performing similar work to the opportunity
* Limited Similarity: Has some overlap with this opportunity, such as capabilities, agency, or location but are substantially different in other ways
#### Searching Manually
Incumbent contracts and grants can also be searched for manually using the [Contract](https://www.highergov.com/contract/) or [Grant](https://www.highergov.com/grant/) Award search. Typical filters to use include:
* **Date Potential End**: Set with a range around the expected award date for the opportunity.
* **Agency (Awarding)**: The agency that issued the opportunity. We recommend initially setting the agency broadly (e.g., FEMA instead of FEMA Region 6), as sometimes the awarding agency will shift between iterations of a contract, even if the work remains the same due to reorganizations.
* **Place of Performance:** Where the contract is to be performed if a service contract. We recommend setting this broadly at the Country or State level.
* **Keywords**: Adding a couple of keywords can help to limit the results if the prior filters are returning too many results.
* **NAICS**: The NAICS of the opportunity. Note that NAICS codes often change between contract iterations so it may make sense to add multiple NAICS in the search or to leave off entirely.
* **Vehicle**: Can be used if the new opportunity is being issued under a specific contract vehicle.
In some cases, it may make sense to also use **PSC** code or **Potential Value** as filters if there are too many results with the above filters. Please see an example search using Date Potential End, Agency (Awarding), Place of Performance, and keywords [here](https://www.highergov.com/contract/?searchID=7Bpvih7aTWUMZ9sypkB8r#contract).
# Find Government Buyers
Research and reach out to key procurement officers for your market
## Government Buyer Tool
The Government Buyer tool provides a quick and easy way to identify the government procurement officers that are the most active in your target market. The tool sorts government buyers by their level of activity (both opportunities and awards) to identify those most relevant to your business objectives.
Common use cases for the Government Buyer tool include:
1. Monitoring the relevant solicitations of contracting officers
2. Sending capability statements or other marketing materials to contracting officers
To access the Government Buyer tool, go to Business Development *--> Government Buyer* in the sidebar or click [here](https://www.highergov.com/government-buyer/) and select either Contracts or Grants (or click [here](https://www.highergov.com/sl/government-buyer/) for state and local opportunities). To search for government buyers, add Filters relevant to the market you are targeting.
For Federal Contracts, the recommended filters to add include (but are not limited to):
* **Agency (Awarding)**
* **NAICS** or **PSC**
* **Set Aside** (select **No Set Aside Used** for Full & Open competition)
* **Place of Performance**
For Federal Grants, the recommended filters to add include (but are not limited to):
* **Agency (Awarding)**
* **Assistance Type**
For State and Local Contracts, the recommended filters to add include (but are not limited to):
* **State**
* **NAICS** or **PSC**
* **Agency Type**
The resulting search will provide a ranking of government buyers sorted by their Relevance in the filters you have selected. You can click on the Awards or Opps buttons next to each row to see the Awards or Opportunities that the contracting officer is associated with.
If you are not finding many results, you can try removing or broadening filters.
## More Ways to Find Contracting Officers
The HigherGov platform provides several other ways to find relevant procurement officers.
### People Search
HigherGov also provides a search to find specific procurement officers or to find all of the recently active relevant contracting officers in a given agency using [People](https://www.highergov.com/people/) search. While less powerful than the Government Buyer tool, this can be a way to quickly identify specific procurement officers or all procurement officers in a particular agency.
### Federal Sources Sought and Forecasts
By the time a solicitation has been released, it is often too late to provide relevant information to a contracting officer that might help them make informed decisions about how they will procure the contract (set-aside etc.). The Presolicitation and the Forecasting processes both provide opportunities to identify contracts before solicitation.
**Soughts Sought** Presolicitations and Sources Sought are semi-formal notices provided by the government typically looking for industry input and / or to create a list of potential vendors. Currently actionable Sources Sought and Presolicitations can be found in the [contract opportunity](https://www.highergov.com/contract-opportunity/?searchID=AQCEyn2xtfnERQKg2qfgj) search by using the Opportunity Type filter.
**Forecasts** Federal agencies are required by law to publish forecasts of opportunities they plan to solicit in the future to provide small businesses insights on upcoming bids. HigherGov tracks these [forecasts](https://www.highergov.com/contract-opportunity/?searchID=wdX8c0BMW7jbU4EgBAPYY#contract_forecast) as part of its Federal Opportunities search. As forecasts are often released 6 months to 2 years ahead of a solicitation, they allow a contractor additional time to reach out to the relevant contracting officer (listed on the Forecast), prepare for the solicitation, or build a team.
# Create a Pipeline
Create a pipeline to track your pursuits in HigherGov
{% hint style="info" %}
HigherGov offers a fully integrated CRM designed for government contracting and grants. The CRM integrates the best practices of leading capture professionals and can be set up in minutes. If you are not currently a subscriber, you can try out the CRM by [signing up](https://www.highergov.com/signup/) for a trial account or scheduling a [demo](https://www.highergov.com/demo/).
{% endhint %}
## Creating a Pipeline
The first step in managing pursuits on HigherGov is to create a Pipeline. You can create a pipeline by selecting *Business Development --> Pipelines --> \[+]* on the sidebar or clicking [here](https://www.highergov.com/pipeline/add/). On this page, you can enter a Title, set a Pipeline Owner, and set preset or custom Pipeline Stages.
### Setting Pipeline Stages
For the Pipeline Stages, you can select one of four available presets, or press the Customize Stage button on any of the presets to customize the number and name of stages as well as set custom p(win) and p(go) options. If you set a customized p(win) or p(go), these values will automatically populate in a pursuit when you change the stage. This can be helpful in encouraging weighting standardization across your pipeline.
Once you are done with the above, make sure to press the Save button in the upper right to finish creating the Pipeline.
If you are an annual subscriber and transitioning from another CRM or tracking method, please [contact us](mailto:contact@highergov.com) or message us in the chat and we can help bulk migrate your Pursuits into HigherGov.
### Editing the Pipeline
If you need to edit your pipeline in the future, you can do so by going to the [Pipelines page](https://www.highergov.com/pipeline/) and selecting the Edit Pipeline button in the upper right (if you have more than on pipeline, you must select a specific pipeline before editing).
# Add Pursuits to Pipeline
Find and add pursuits to your Pipeline
{% hint style="info" %}
Before creating pursuits, you must first [create a pipeline](/pursuit-management/create-a-pipeline).
{% endhint %}
## Finding and Adding Pursuits
### Find Opportunities
HigherGov has many tools to help to identify potential opportunities. See one of the below topics for more details on some of the available tools.
{% content-ref url="/pages/QuZ3CK6NaK9FChKi93a1" %}
[Federal Contracts](/find-opportunities/federal-contracts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/5NPYbcpEXcDBUjsVUVbX" %}
[Federal Subcontracts and Subgrants](/find-opportunities/federal-subcontracts-and-subgrants)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/VZHsmYyp0xFhHXiPYutH" %}
[Federal Grants](/find-opportunities/federal-grants)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/cfqC4gAk3MQVoeYVvvvz" %}
[State and Local Contracts](/find-opportunities/state-and-local-contracts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
### Adding Automatically
You can automatically create new pursuits from Federal and State and Local Contract Opportunity, Forecast Opportunity, DIBBS Opportunity, Grant Opportunity, SBIR Opportunity, IDV Award, Prime Contract Award, and Prime Grant Award pages by selecting the Pipeline dropdown in the upper right of the page and selecting the pipeline you want to add the opportunity to. This will create a new pursuit and autofill any available information from the opportunity or award.
Once you have created a pursuit automatically you can further edit the pursuit by going to *Business Development --> Pursuits* (or clicking [here](https://www.highergov.com/pursuit/)) and selecting the pursuit you created.
### Adding Pursuit Manually
You can manually create a new pursuit by selecting *Business Development --> Pursuits --> \[+]* on the sidebar or clicking [here](https://www.highergov.com/pursuit/new). On this screen you can enter basic pursuit information, add links to other relevant data in HigherGov, upload documents, talk with your team members, and create activities for yourself and others.
Once you have added some information about the Pursuit and saved, the Bidders and Similar tabs will populate, providing you additional insights about potential bidders as well as similar active opportunities. The more completely the pursuit information is filled out, the more accurate and useful the insights these tabs provide will be.
## Managing Pursuits
### Editing Pursuit Details
Once you have created a pursuit, you can edit it by opening it from the [Pursuit](https://www.highergov.com/pursuit/) search page, making any changes, and saving.
Alternatively, you can also filter and edit key pursuit information in bulk by selecting *Business Development --> Pipelines* in the sidebar and clicking on the Pursuit tab. On this tab, you can filter the displayed information by **Pipeline** or **Owner** by using the dropdowns at top and further filter by **Stage** as well as pursuits **Past Due**, **Due Soon**, and **Stale** (not updated recently). Key pursuit information including Proposal Date, Pursuit Stage, p(win), p(go), and Estimated Value can be quickly updated from this page or you can open the pursuit to edit other information.
### Managing Activities
You can further manage pursuits by adding Activities, including activities and events, for yourself and others. You can create a new Activity by selecting *Business Development --> Activities --> \[+]* from the sidebar anywhere in HigherGov or within a pursuit by going to the Activities tab and selecting the \[+New] button.
For each activity, you can add a Title, Activity Type, Due Date, Owner, Description, Tags, and assign the Activity to any Pursuit. You can view all of your team's activities by going to activity search under *Business Development --> Activities* in the sidebar or reviewing the calendars on your Dashboard or on the Pipeline Review page. From these pages you can also edit Activities at any time.
# Review Pipeline and Performance
How to Review the Performance of Your Government Contract or Grant Business Development Team, Project the Future, and Make Adjustments
## Pipeline Analysis
To start an analysis of your pipeline(s), select Business *Development --> Pipelines* in the sidebar or click [here](https://www.highergov.com/pipeline/). Along the top of the page, you can filter the analysis by Pipeline and Pursuit owner, which allows you to better understand the performance of teams or individual team members.
{% hint style="info" %}
Note that you must first have created a pipeline before being able to access the pipeline analysis page.
{% endhint %}
### Funnel
Shows the weighted and unweighted value of your pipeline by stage. You can filter the funnel to show different calendar years and can change the measurement to show the pipeline by dollar or by number of opportunities.
Note that if you have more than one Pipeline selected the funnel will show the pipeline stages relative to Award (-1 meaning one stage from Award, -2 meaning two stages from Award) rather than by name.
### Projections
Shows the weighted and unweighted value of the pipeline by Year, Quarter, or Month.
### Analysis
Shows a breakdown of the funnel by different categories including **Agency**, **Contract/Grant**, **Contract Vehicle**, **Owner**, **Pursuit Type**, **NAICS**, **Prime/Sub**, **PSC**, and **Set Aside**. The analysis can be further filtered by **Weighted** and **Unweighted** pipeline and **Dollar** vs **Count**.
### Win/Loss
Shows opportunity Win / Loss rates and can be analyzed by dollar and count and by calendar year.
### Calendar
The Calendar tab shows all historical and upcoming pursuits and activities for the selected Pipelines / Owners. This calendar is also available from your Dashboard when you sign in.
### Bulk Pursuit Editor
Need to make adjustments quickly? The Pursuits tab in the Pipeline Review allows for rapidly changing proposal due date, pursuit stage, p(win), p(go), and estimated value for multiple pursuits quickly. The Pipeline Analysis will be automatically updated after adjustments are made.
## Related Pages
{% content-ref url="/pages/QuZ3CK6NaK9FChKi93a1" %}
[Federal Contracts](/find-opportunities/federal-contracts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/VZHsmYyp0xFhHXiPYutH" %}
[Federal Grants](/find-opportunities/federal-grants)
{% endcontent-ref %}
# Research Federal Contractors and Grant Recipients
How to Analyze the Past Performance, Market Access, Socioeconomic Status, and Partnerships of Federal Contract and Grant Awardees
## Finding an Awardee
There are three primary ways to search for an Awardee on HigherGov:
1. The Search Bar at the top of every page. Fastest if you already know the Name, UEI, or CAGE Code of the Awardee.
2. The Awardee search (*Market Intelligence --> Awardees* in the sidebar or [here](https://www.highergov.com/awardee/)). Best if you want to filter by Awardee characteristics such as **Primary NAICS**, **Headquarters**, **Ownership Types**, **Obligations**, etc.
3. Partner Finder Tool (Business Development *-> Partner Finder* in the sidebar or [here](https://www.highergov.com/analysis/award/)). Best if you want to research which Awardees are most prevalent in any combination of **NAICS**, **PSC**, **Set Aside**, **Agency**, **Contract** / **Grant Type, awards,** or any other available search criteria.
## Awardee Overview
The Awardee Overview provides high-level summary information on the Awardee.
If the Awardee has had material Contract or Grant awards in the past 3 years, a "Show Quick Stats" sub-section will appear that will give a summary of the Awardee's estimated set-aside percentage, largest agencies, NAICS and PSC codes, and Grant Programs as applicable.
### Hierarchy
Within the Overview section, there will be an item either labeled Child Awardee or Parent. If there is a hierarchy icon next to the label value, that means that the Awardee is either a Parent with multiple children awardees aggregated underneath or a child that has a Parent awardee.
Children can represent a subsidiary, an acquired company, or just an additional UEI or Cage Code created by the Parent Awardee (often the case when you see many children with the same or similar names).
Often if you are looking at a Child awardee, it will be more worthwhile to look at the details of the Parent to get a more complete picture of the Awardee and its history and capabilities.
{% hint style="info" %}
Note that in all of the below sections besides Registration, if the Awardee is a Parent, all of the Parent's child awards will also be included. Accordingly, you may see award or partnerships listed with the names of child awardees in these sections.
{% endhint %}
{% hint style="info" %}
Note that awardee hierarchies are inferred from government-reported award data. If you are an annual subscriber and need an Awardee's hierarchy to be manually reviewed for analysis purposes, please [contact us](mailto:contact@highergov.com) or reach out in the chat.
{% endhint %}
## Funding Analysis
{% hint style="info" %}
Note that the Funding Analysis and the below sections will only appear if the Awardee has relevant associated data.
{% endhint %}
The funding analysis section provides additional detail on the Awardee and allows for easy analysis by time period and various other criteria. Five tabs are available:
* **Trends**: Shows the trend in the Awardee's Contract and Grant obligations over the specified period
* **Shares**: Shows a breakdown of obligated awards for each chosen **Category**. Note that totals may differ from the Trends tab due to not all information being available for all categories on each Award
* **Categories**: Shows the top 10 values for the selected Category over the past 10 years
* **Maps**: Maps Place of Performance for Prime Awards by state (**Map**) or zip code (**Heat**)
* **Vehicle Rankings**: Ranks the Awardee's most important Contract Vehicles
{% hint style="info" %}
**Details on the data that is included in the Funding Analysis:**
**Scope:** Data includes non-classified prime contracts and grants reported by the government and subcontracts and subgrants as reported by prime awardees. Adjustments are made to aggregate related awardees, remove likely erroneous data, and assign classifications.\
**Timing:** Data is typically available within 30 days of the award except for the Department of Defense, which is typically delayed 90 days. Data is presented as of the date of obligation.\
**Aggregation:** For acquired subsidiaries, data is presented on a pro forma 'past performance' basis from the date of the acquired awardees' formation.\
**Years:** GFY ending September 30.
{% endhint %}
## Registration
### Registration
Shows details on the Awardee's registration with the federal government including legal and DBA names, UEI, cage code, registration dates, specified NAICS and PSC codes, entity types, and points of contact.
### Set Aside Classifications
Includes any size or socio-economic statuses self-reported when registering with the government, any SBA-certified set-aside and socio-economic statuses, and any other self-reported certifications. Note that the statuses here may not fully reflect an Awardee's ability to bid on certain contracts as Awardees do not always report complete information or keep their registrations updated and SBA size standards vary by NAICS code.
## Schedules and Vehicles
### GSA Schedules
Provides details on GSA Schedules that the Awardee holds (or held in the past). GSA Schedules are long-term multi-agency contracts that provide the government with access to millions of commercial products and services. Recently awarded GSA Schedules will usually have a copy of the Schedule available for download from this page. The Schedule will detail the products and services and the prices at which the Awardee can offer through the Schedule.
### Contract Vehicles
Provides details on Master Contract Vehicles that the Awardee holds. Master Contract Vehicles are Indefinite Delivery Vehicles (IDVs) including Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity (IDIQs), Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPAs), Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs), and General Service Administration (GSA) Schedules, held by multiple Awardees. You can click on the Vehicle to learn additional information including other Awardees and Vehicle Share.
HigherGov tracks over 4,000 contract vehicles comprising the vast majority of dollars awarded. If you are an annual subscriber and require an analysis of a contract vehicle we currently do not cover, please [contact us](mailto:contact@highergov.com) or reach out in the chat.
## Contract Awards (IDV, Prime, and Sub)
Details on prime Indefinite Delivery Vehicles (IDVs), Prime Contracts (awarded directly by the government) and Subcontracts (awarded by another Prime Contract recipient) awarded to the Awardee. You can click on any of the IDVs, Prime Contracts, or Subcontracts to learn additional information. You can further filter these sections either by typing whole words into the Search box or by clicking the Explore button to go to the relevant Search page and adding additional filters.
## Grant Awards (Prime and Sub)
Details on prime Grants (awarded directly by the government) and Subgrants (awarded by another Prime Grant recipient) awarded to the Awardee. You can click on any of the Grants or Subgrants to learn additional information. You can further filter these sections either by typing whole words into the Search box or by clicking the Explore button to go to the relevant Search page and adding additional filters.
## Partners
### Teaming
List of teaming partners for which the awardee is either a prime or sub on Subcontracts as well as the total count, value, and most recent associated award date. Note that this table will only include subcontract relationships that have been disclosed by the Prime contractor.
### Mentor-Protégé
List of SBA Mentor Protégé teams the Awardee is a member of. The SBA Mentor-Protégé program helps eligible small businesses (protégés) gain capacity and win government contracts through partnerships with more experienced companies (mentors).
### Joint Ventures
List of JVs the Awardee has an ownership interest in. Note that HigherGov tracks the ownership of the 500 largest Joint Ventures, which accounts for \~95% of Contracts awarded by dollar value.
# Find and Analyze Federal Contracts
How to Find, Research, and Monitor Federal IDVs, Prime Contracts, and Subcontracts
{% hint style="info" %}
HigherGov tracks more than 65 million government IDVs, prime contracts, subcontracts, and OTAs awarded since 2000.
{% endhint %}
## Finding Contracts
### Finding a Specific Contract
If you already know the contract ID of the contract you are looking for, you can enter it into the search bar at the top of the page.
### Searching for Contracts
You can search for IDVs, contracts, and subcontracts on the Contract search page by going to *Marketing Intelligence -> Awards -> Contracts* in the sidebar or by clicking [here](https://www.highergov.com/contract/). Here you can search by keyword or more than 35 different filters to find contracts including **Agency**, **NAICS**, **PSC**, **Start Date**, **End Date**, **Place of Performance**, **Set Aside**, and more.
You can also use the contract search to find potential recompete and subcontract opportunities.
{% content-ref url="/pages/QuZ3CK6NaK9FChKi93a1" %}
[Federal Contracts](/find-opportunities/federal-contracts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/5NPYbcpEXcDBUjsVUVbX" %}
[Federal Subcontracts and Subgrants](/find-opportunities/federal-subcontracts-and-subgrants)
{% endcontent-ref %}
If you want to learn more about a contract you click into the detail page to see more detail.
## Contract Detail Analysis
The sections available on the detail page will depend on the type of award and the details of the contract. The most common sections are below.
* **Overview**: Provides general information about the award including the Awardee, Description, Awarding and Funding Agency, NAICS, PSC, Place of Performance, Pricing Type, Set Aside, and Extent Competed.
* **Funding Status *****(IDV and Contract Only)***: Provides the total value of the contract and start and end dates. For IDVs, the amounts obligated and current and potential values represent the sum of all of the contracts awarded under that IDV.
* **Award Hierarchy**: Shows the relationship between this contract and any parent and child awards.
* **Funding Timeline *****(Contract Only)***: Graphically shows the history of obligations funded under the contract as well as the start and current and potential end dates.
* **History**: Shows high-level details of any contract modifications (will only appear if the award has had at least one modification)
* **Additional Details *****(IDV and Contract Only)***: Provides additional information about the contract including details of competition for the award, any other applicable categorizations, the government's agency categorizations, and any legislative mandates applicable to the contract.
## Finding Additional Information
Sometimes the descriptions provided by the government do not provide much detail on the type of work actually being performed. Below are resources to find additional information about a contract:
* **Related Opportunity**: Many contract awards have a linked contract opportunity in the Overview section, which can provide additional detail (make sure to check contract opportunity documents and links, which often include a statement of work or additional descriptions).
* **Parent Award**: The descriptions and categories of the parent award(s) (master contract vehicle, IDV, or prime contract as applicable) will often provide additional detail about the general types of work being performed.
* **FOIA Request**: A Freedom of Information Act request can be made to the awarding agency requesting the statement of work.
* **Contracting Officer**: Most IDV and contract pages will list a set of People associated with the contract (and/or the relevant small business office) that you may be able to reach out to obtain additional information about the contract.
## Additional Resources
{% content-ref url="/pages/XBGijVVdHvEPglQynGTr" %}
[Find and Analyze Federal Grants](/market-intelligence/find-and-analyze-federal-grants)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/xfyUV3zyoUl0K9qAGxhR" %}
[Analyze Contract Vehicles](/market-intelligence/analyze-contract-vehicles)
{% endcontent-ref %}
# Find and Analyze Federal Grants
How to Research Federal Prime Grants and Subgrant Awards
{% hint style="info" %}
HigherGov tracks more than 8 million government grants and subgrants awarded since 2000.
{% endhint %}
## Finding Grants
### Finding a Specific Grant
If you already know the ID of the grant you are looking for, you can enter it into the search bar at the top of the page.
### Searching for Grants
You can search for Grants and Subgrants on the Grant search page by going to *Marketing Intelligence --> Awards --> Grants* in the sidebar or by clicking [here](https://www.highergov.com/grant/). Here you can search by keyword or more than 18 different filters to find grants including **Agency**, **Grant Program**, **Start Date**, **End Date**, **Place of Performance**, and more.
If you want to learn more about a grant you can click on the grant detail page.
{% hint style="info" %}
Please note that subgrant data is reported by Prime grant-awardees and the consistency and quality of data is low. To enhance the quality and reliability of this data, HigherGov removes or adjusts a significant percentage of reported subgrants that are likely duplicates or otherwise inaccurate.
{% endhint %}
## Grant Analysis
The sections available on the detail page will depend on the type of award and the details of the grant. The most common sections are below.
* **Overview**: Provides general information about the award including the Awardee, Description, Grant Program (CFDA), Awarding Agency, Place of Performance, and Assistance Type.
* **Funding Status *****(Prime Only)***: Provides the total value of the grant and start and end dates.
* **Timeline *****(Prime Only)***: Graphically shows the history of obligations funded under the grant as well as the start and end dates.
* **History**: Shows high-level details of any grant modifications (will only appear if the award has had at least one modification)
* **Additional Details *****(Prime Only)***: Provides additional information about the grant including the government's agency categorizations.
## Finding Additional Information
Sometimes the descriptions provided by the government do not provide much detail on the type of work actually being performed under a grant. Below are resources to find additional information:
* **CFDA**: Most grants have a linked Grant Program in the Overview section, which can provide additional detail on the program including the program's objective and eligibility.
* **FOIA Request**: A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request can be made to the awarding agency requesting additional details on the grant.
## Additional Resources
{% content-ref url="/pages/GpP9fmRHPv9n5GWJtEJb" %}
[Find and Analyze Federal Contracts](/market-intelligence/find-and-analyze-federal-contracts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
# Market Analysis Tool
How to Find Government Contracting and Grant-Making Entry Points to New Agencies and Products / Services
## **Finding The Best Areas For Expansion**
### **Custom Analysis**
The HigherGov Market Research Tool can create custom analyses to research and analyze potential areas for expansion. To access the analysis tool, go to *Explore --> Analysis* in the sidebar or [click](https://www.highergov.com/analysis/award/) here. Common filters to set include **Agency (Awarding)**, **NAICS**, **PSC**, **Set Aside**, and **Assistance Type**.
Examples of typical analyses that can be used with each type of analysis include:
* **Trend**: Understand trends in the total dollar volume of contracts or grants
* **Shares**: Understand the relative importance of agencies, NAICS / PSC codes, or Programs
* **Categories**: Understand trends in the share of awards over time
* **Maps**: Understand the geographic dispersion of awards
* **Vehicle Rankings**: Understand key contract vehicles
* **Awardee Rankings**: Understand major incumbent Awardees
The below shows an example of an analysis to find the most attractive NAICS codes for full & open contracts within HHS.
First looking at the [largest NAICS codes](/business-development/find-and-analyze-competing-bidders):
Then adding the 541330 NAICS code to see the [trend in awards over time](https://www.highergov.com/analysis/award/?report=funding_total\&date_trend=-10\&searchID=h945AysiswxTd5_A2lfpu):
The Vehicles Rankings tab can be used to discover what multi-award contract vehicles are most key for the filtered market:
The Awardee Rankings tab can be used to discover who the market leaders in the filtered market are, either to identify potential partners or understand the strengths / weaknesses of the current leaders:
### **Detail Pages**
In addition to running custom analyses, the [Agencies](https://www.highergov.com/agency/), [Defense Program](https://www.highergov.com/defense-program/), [Grant Program](https://www.highergov.com/assistance/), [PSC](https://www.highergov.com/psc/), and [NAICS](https://www.highergov.com/naics/) detail pages have pre-prepared analyses that can be further customized as needed. These pages can also provide a launching point for understanding recent contracts and grants awarded, active opportunities, and more.
## **Finding Entrance Points**
### **Vehicles**
In some cases, winning a seat on a contract vehicle or schedule or partnering with an existing vehicle holder can greatly increase the chances of accessing a new agency. Looking at agency vehicle rankings and vehicle award share analysis can help to identify key vehicles at target agencies, vulnerable incumbents, and which current vehicle holders are likely to make the most effective teammates.
See more details at the below link:
{% content-ref url="/pages/xfyUV3zyoUl0K9qAGxhR" %}
[Analyze Contract Vehicles](/market-intelligence/analyze-contract-vehicles)
{% endcontent-ref %}
### **Teaming**
Teaming with an awardee with relevant experience can help to build a relationship and past performance with the agency or to win prime contracts outright.
One method to find a strong teaming partner is to look at the largest contractors at a particular agency, program, or NAICS code (see discussion of the Awardee Ranking tool above).
See more details at the below link:
{% content-ref url="/pages/Ts20pedUSEZLX814wqbH" %}
[Find Teaming Partners](/business-development/find-teaming-partners)
{% endcontent-ref %}
### Contracting and Grant Officers
Establishing relationships with contracting or grant officers and learning about upcoming opportunities can greatly improve the odds of discovering and winning contracts. Two ways to do this effectively are to attend industry days and to build targeted relationships with key agencies.
Each [Agency](https://www.highergov.com/agency/) page has a listing of the key people at that agency and you can also search for people using the search bar at the top of each page or using the People search page (*Market Intelligence --> People* or click [here](https://www.highergov.com/people/)). Additionally, you can use the Document search (*Market Intelligence --> Documents* or click [here](https://www.highergov.com/document/)) to search for Industry Day presentations.
### **Mergers & Acquisitions**
{% hint style="info" %}
Note that the use of some of the tools mentioned in the sub-section requires a HigherGov Leader subscription. Please schedule a [demo](https://www.highergov.com/demo/) or [contact us](mailto:contact@highergov.com) to learn more.
{% endhint %}
Among the fastest and most durable methods of expanding the scope of a business is to acquire a contractor that already has relevant experience. The last decade has seen an average of over 300 government contractor acquisitions per year and the most common acquisition rationale given by acquirers is to gain access to new customers and new products or services.
Among the HigherGov tools you can use to help execute an M\&A strategy include using the [Contractor Ranking](https://www.highergov.com/analysis/award/) tool (requires sign-in) and [Awardee](https://www.highergov.com/awardee/) search to find the best fitting potential targets, the [M\&A Transaction](https://www.highergov.com/transaction/) search tool (requires sign-in) to find similar contracts and likely valuation/pricing, and the [Investor](https://www.highergov.com/investor/) search tool (requires sign in) to find investors to help to fund an M\&A strategy.
See more details at the below link:
{% content-ref url="/pages/tpiUD12ei4dc9SKdealN" %}
[Find M\&A Targets and Buyers](/capital-markets/find-m-and-a-targets-and-buyers)
{% endcontent-ref %}
## **Finding Opportunities to Pursue**
Once you have identified new potential agencies and products and services to pursue, you can use HigherGov's [Contract](https://www.highergov.com/contract-opportunity/) and [Grant](https://www.highergov.com/grant-opportunity/) Opportunity and Search tools (available in the sidebar under Business Development) to look for specific opportunities.
Learn more about how to find relevant opportunities at the below:
{% content-ref url="/pages/QuZ3CK6NaK9FChKi93a1" %}
[Federal Contracts](/find-opportunities/federal-contracts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/VZHsmYyp0xFhHXiPYutH" %}
[Federal Grants](/find-opportunities/federal-grants)
{% endcontent-ref %}
## Other Considerations
### Agency Set-Aside Targets
Federal agencies have different targets for the level of funding set aside for small business contracts. The table below shows small business set-aside targets by federal agency. Depending on your set-aside status, you may want to consider targeting agencies that align with your business status.
{% embed url="" %}
Government Fiscal Year 2022 Small Business Contracting Goals by Agency. Source: [SBA](https://www.sba.gov/document/support-agency-contracting-goals).
{% endembed %}
### Agency Openness to New Awards
Some agencies are more likely to award prime awards to new contractors than others. The below table shows the percentage of contracts awarded to contractors new to that agency (by count). A full analysis is available for subscribers by selecting Analysis in the sidebar and selecting Custom at the top and selecting the *Prime Contractor Agency Expansion* document*.*
{% embed url="" %}
Analysis includes any prime contract award worth more than $20K in GFY2021 made to a parent contractor that had not received an award from that agency in prior years. The above list is limited to the top 25 sub-agencies by total count of awards.
{% endembed %}
# Analyze Contract Vehicles
How to Analyze the Historical Performance on a Contract Vehicle Including Awardee Share and Future Prospects
## How to Find a Contract Vehicle
There are three primary ways to search for a Vehicle on HigherGov:
1. The Search Bar at the top of every page. Fastest if you already know the name of the Vehicle.
2. The Vehicle search (Market Intelligence --> Vehicles in the sidebar or [here](https://www.highergov.com/vehicle/)). Best if you want to filter by Vehicle characteristics such as **Primary Agency**, **Vehicle Type**, **Award Date, End Date,** **Awardee**, etc.
3. The Vehicle Ranking Analysis Tool (go to *Explore --> Analysis* in the sidebar or click [here](https://www.highergov.com/analysis/award/) (must be signed-in) and then select the Vehicle Rankings tab). Best if you want to research which Vehicles are most prevalent in any combination of **NAICS**, **PSC**, **Set Aside**, **Agency**, **Contract Type** or any other available search criteria.
{% hint style="info" %}
HigherGov covers more than 4,000 contract vehicles representing the vast majority of multi-award contract vehicles by dollars awarded. If you are an annual subscriber and need an analysis of a contract vehicle we do not currently cover, please [contact us](mailto:contact@highergov.com) or reach out in the chat.
{% endhint %}
## Analyze a Contract Vehicle
On the Vehicle detail page, you can see the description of the contract vehicle, the shared ceiling, the primary sponsoring agency, the related contract opportunity, any predecessor or successor vehicle tracked by HigherGov, award and end dates, and the total amounts that have been obligated under the Vehicle.
{% hint style="info" %}
Note that HigherGov defines the Primary Sponsoring Agency based on the Agency most frequently listed on the contract vehicle awards. This is not necessarily the agency that will make the most contract awards or the agency that issued the solicitation.
{% endhint %}
The detail page also shows IDV Awards, Contract Awards, and Subcontract Awards under the vehicle. You can further filter any of the award listings by using the search box above the awards or by clicking the Explore button, which will take you to a search page where you can additional filters.
### Analyze Vehicle Award Share
Each vehicle with awarded contracts will show a spider chart that ranks the largest awardees by dollars obligated. This chart can be useful in many analyses including determining who is most likely to win a new opportunity under the contract vehicle or a seat on a successor contract vehicle.
Note that you can also analyze vehicle award share for different time periods and see an expanded list by going to the Awardee Rankings of the Funding Analysis below.
### Funding Analysis
The funding analysis tool enbales you to analyze the obligations under the contract Vehicle by:
* **Trends**: Trend in obligations
* **Shares**: Percentage of awards by categories including Agencies, NAICS, PSC, Set Aside, and more
* **Categories**: Historical trends in the largest categories
* **Maps**: The geographic distribution of awards
* **Awardee Rankings**: Rankings of all awardees under the Vehicle that have received awards
### **Explore Awardees**
You can also explore and further filter which awardees hold a position on a contract Vehicle by selecting *Market Intelligence --> Awardees* in the sidebar or clicking [here](https://www.highergov.com/awardee/)), selecting the **Vehicle** filter, and typing in the name of the Vehicle you would like to analyze.
## **Related Pages**
{% content-ref url="/pages/omsVicpjqBapaKzTFuey" %}
[Research Federal Contractors and Grant Recipients](/market-intelligence/research-federal-contractors-and-grant-recipients)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/QuZ3CK6NaK9FChKi93a1" %}
[Federal Contracts](/find-opportunities/federal-contracts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
# AI Analysis
HigherGov's Opportunity Assistant tool allows you to perform instant AI analysis on Federal and State & Local opportunities. It can answer questions using the opportunity description, opportunity metadata, attached documents, and other available HigherGov information. For company-specific analysis, such as gap analysis, it can also use a linked Federal profile or an uploaded capability statement.
AI Analysis is available on [**Federal Opportunity**](https://www.highergov.com/contract-opportunity/) pages and [**State & Local Opportunity**](https://www.highergov.com/sl/contract-opportunity/) pages.
{% hint style="info" %}
HigherGov does not use subscriber interactions or documents provided to any of our AI tools for model training.
{% endhint %}
***
### Accessing AI Analysis
You can access AI Analysis from an opportunity page in two ways.
#### Opportunity Assistant button
Click the **Opportunity Assistant** button in the lower-right corner of the opportunity page.
This opens the assistant panel, where you can ask questions about the opportunity.
#### AI Analysis section
You can also use the **AI Analysis** section directly on the opportunity page.
***
### Asking questions
You can use AI Analysis by selecting a preset question or by writing your own.
#### Use a preset analysis button
Click one of the default buttons in the **AI Analysis** section or in the Opportunity Assistant.
For example:
* **Summarize scope** summarizes the work required.
* **Requirements checklist** identifies key response requirements.
* **Subcontracting requirements** highlights subcontracting-related requirements, if available.
* **Find incumbent** looks for incumbent or related prior award information, when available.
#### Write your own question
You can also type a custom question.
1. Open the **Opportunity Assistant**.
2. Type your question in the **Enter a question...** box.
3. Click **Submit**.
Example questions:
* “What are the most important requirements in this opportunity?”
* “What are the response instructions?”
* “What are the biggest risks in this solicitation?”
* “What should we clarify with the agency?”
* “Does this look like a recompete?”
***
### Saving custom analysis questions
If you frequently ask the same type of question, you can save it as a reusable prompt.
To save a question:
1. Click **+ Save Question**.
2. Enter a short **Title**.
3. Enter the full **Question / Prompt**.
4. Click **Save Question**.
Your saved question will appear as a reusable button in the AI Analysis area.
***
### Advanced analysis with company information
Most opportunity documents are already attached to the opportunity in HigherGov. You typically only need to add documents if they are not already available in HigherGov or if you want to include your own company-specific materials.
#### Federal company profile
For Federal opportunities, you can link a **Federal company profile** so AI Analysis can use public company information including your award history and government registrations associated with your organization.
This is useful for company-specific analysis, including fit assessments and gap analysis.
To link a company profile, go to the Link Awardee Profile section in the AI Settings on your [profile page](https://www.highergov.com/profile/).
#### Company Documents
You can add documents relevant to your company to enhance the AI analysis by providing additional information to inform gap analysis and similar inquiries.
{% hint style="info" %}
Documents uploaded to HigherGov are stored securely and not shared outside of your account
{% endhint %}
To upload company documents, first select the Opportunity Assistant button in the bottom right of an opportunity and select the option to Upload a capability statement or catalogue. From there, you can drag and drop documents to the Company Documents section. They will be available every time you use any of the AI tools unless you remove them.
You can upload company materials, such as:
* Capability statements
* Product or service catalogs
* Past performance summaries
* Prior responses
* Certification or qualification documents
For gap analysis, AI Analysis needs either a linked Federal company profile or an uploaded capability statement.
#### Opportunity-specific documents
If a document is not already available in HigherGov, you can upload it to the opportunity.
For **State & Local opportunities**, if documents are not available, you will see an option to **Request Documents** from the opportunity page.
***
### Common types of analysis
AI Analysis can help with many types of opportunity review.
#### Opportunity summary
Use this to quickly understand the opportunity.
Example prompts:
* “Summarize this opportunity.”
* “What is the scope of work?”
* “What are the key dates and requirements?”
#### Requirements checklist
Use this to identify required submissions, forms, deadlines, and instructions.
Example prompts:
* “Create a requirements checklist.”
* “What must be submitted with the response?”
* “List the compliance requirements.”
#### Gap analysis
Gap analysis compares the opportunity requirements against your company’s capabilities.
To run a useful gap analysis, AI Analysis needs either:
* A linked **Federal company profile**, or
* An uploaded **capability statement** or other company document
Example prompts:
* “Perform a gap analysis for this opportunity.”
* “What requirements do we appear to meet, and what gaps exist?”
* “What partners, certifications, or experience may be needed?”
#### Bid / no-bid support
Use this to evaluate whether the opportunity may be a good fit.
Example prompts:
* “What are the main bid/no-bid considerations?”
* “What are the biggest risks in pursuing this?”
* “Does this opportunity appear aligned with our capabilities?”
#### Compliance review
Use this to identify response rules and potential compliance risks.
Example prompts:
* “What are the response instructions?”
* “What are the compliance risks?”
* “List required forms, attachments, and certifications.”
#### Subcontracting analysis
Use this to understand subcontracting requirements or teaming opportunities.
Example prompts:
* “Are there subcontracting requirements?”
* “What parts of the work may require subcontractors?”
* “What teaming needs are suggested by the scope?”
#### Incumbent or recompete research
Use this to look for incumbent, recompete, or related prior award information.
Example prompts:
* “Is there an incumbent?”
* “Does this look like a recompete?”
* “What prior contract or award information is available?”
#### Clarification questions
Use this to identify questions to ask the agency.
Example prompts:
* “What questions should we ask the contracting officer?”
* “What information is unclear?”
* “What ambiguities should be clarified before responding?
# AI Proposal Drafting
HigherGov’s Proposal Generator is an advanced one-click solution for creating high quality opportunity-specific proposal drafts with minimal configuration. It leverages HigherGov’s extensive market intelligence database, opportunity documents, and company context to generate structured drafts that you can review, edit, and export.
Proposal Generation is available on [**Federal Opportunity**](https://www.highergov.com/contract-opportunity/) pages and [**State & Local Opportunity**](https://www.highergov.com/sl/contract-opportunity/) pages.
{% hint style="info" %}
Your proposal drafts, uploaded company documents, and generated content are **not used to train AI models** and are **not shared outside your account**.
{% endhint %}
***
### Creating a proposal draft
You can start proposal generation from the **Opportunity Assistant** in the bottom-right corner of an opportunity page or from the generation options directly on the opportunity page.
Depending on the opportunity type, available documents, and opportunity stage, available draft options may include:
* **Draft Sources Sought**
* **Draft Proposal Outline**
* **Draft Full Proposal**
* **Draft Sole Source Response**
***
### Customize Generation
After selecting a draft option, the **Customize Generation** window opens.
This screen lets you confirm or add the information HigherGov should use to generate the draft. The generator uses the selected context to create a stronger, more relevant proposal based on the opportunity requirements and your company’s capabilities.
#### Federal Profile
For **Federal opportunities**, you can link a related Federal Profile within HigherGov.
This allows the generator to use publicly disclosed information including capability statements, awards, contracting vehicles, certifications, and a SAM registration when drafting the response.
#### Company Context
Company Context includes documents and information about your business. Selecting the Add Company Document(s) section will open the Document Library where you can add relevant documents.
While not strictly necessary, we strongly encourage you to add relevant company documents before generating a draft. These materials help the generator tailor a winning proposal to your company’s capabilities, past experience, differentiators, and technical approach.
Examples of useful company documents include:
* Capability statements
* Sources sought responses
* White papers
* Prior solicitation responses
* Past performance summaries
* Product or service descriptions
* Technical approach examples
* Certifications or qualification materials
Company Context may include documents already available in HigherGov as well as any additional company documents you choose to upload.
#### Opportunity Context
Opportunity Context includes documents specific to the opportunity. Selecting the Opportunity Document(s) section will open the Document Library where you can add relevant documents.
If an opportunity document is already available in HigherGov, you do not need to upload it again. If you have additional opportunity-specific documents that are not already in HigherGov, you can add them before generating.
For State & Local opportunities, if documents are not already available, you may also be able to Request Documents from the opportunity page.
#### Link a Pursuit
You can optionally link the generated draft to an existing **Pursuit**.
This associates the proposal draft with an opportunity you are already tracking in your pipeline and helps keep proposal work connected to the related pursuit record.
***
### Generate the draft
Once the relevant information is selected, press the Generate button to generate the draft.
HigherGov will create the proposal using the opportunity documents, HigherGov market intelligence, selected company context, linked Federal Profile when applicable, and any additional information you provided.
When the draft is ready, you will receive an email notification. Drafts are typically ready in 3–5 minutes.
***
### Viewing drafted proposals
All generated proposal drafts are available from the Proposals screen:
From this page, select a proposal to open it.
***
### Exporting a proposal
Use the **Export** dropdown in the proposal editor to download the proposal.
Available export formats include:
* **Word**
* **PDF**
Use Word if you want to continue editing offline or incorporate the draft into your own proposal template. Use PDF when you need a fixed-format version for review or sharing.
***
### Editing a proposal
Generated proposals open in an on-page editor.
You can edit the proposal directly in the browser, including revising text, adding or removing sections, adjusting formatting, editing lists or tables, and adding supporting details.
{% hint style="info" %}
Proposal drafts save automatically while you work.
{% endhint %}
An outline appears on the left side of the editor. The outline is generated from the proposal’s **Heading 2** and **Heading 3** sections, making it easier to navigate longer drafts.
The editor also includes a **full-screen**  option, which can be helpful when reviewing or editing larger proposals.
# AI Match Scoring
Match Scoring helps you rank Federal and State & Local opportunities based on how closely they align with a selected company profile or capability statement.
You can use Match Scoring to prioritize opportunities by fit, quickly identify stronger matches, and understand the broad rationale behind each score.
Match Scores are calculated out of 100 and are based on relative opportunity fit. A score is not a probability of win, bid recommendation, or prediction of award likelihood. Instead, use it as a directional ranking tool to compare opportunities against your selected profile or capability statement.
The [Opportunity Assistant](/ai-tools-and-accelerators/ai-analysis) within each opportunity can help you to quickly dive deeper on if the opportunity is a match or not.
***
### How Match Scoring works
Match Scoring ranks opportunities based on one of two inputs:
1. **A link to your Awardee profile in HigherGov**
2. **An uploaded capability statement**
If a company has disclosed award history, we generally recommend using a **linked Federal awardee profile**. This allows Match Scoring to compare opportunities against the company’s prior work and public federal market activity.
If a company does not have meaningful public award history, or if you want to score against a specific business line, solution, or capability area, you can upload a **capability statement** instead.
{% hint style="info" %}
You can run Match Scoring for any company, not just your own. For example, you can link or upload information for a competitor, potential partner, subcontractor, or acquisition target.
{% endhint %}
***
### What Match Scoring considers
Match Scoring is based on more than 30 factors.
Broadly, these include:
* **Prior Performance**
* **Vehicles and Certifications Held**
* **SAM and SBA Registrations**
The score compares the opportunity against the selected company profile or uploaded capability statement to estimate how closely the opportunity matches the company’s known experience, registrations, and capabilities.
***
### Setting up Match Scoring
Match Scoring is configured from your [Profile screen](https://www.highergov.com/profile/):
Go to the **AI Settings** section.
From this section, you can link a **Federal Awardee Profile** or upload a **Capability Statement**.
#### Link Federal Awardee Profile
Use **Link Federal Awardee Profile** when you want Match Scoring to use public federal company information and prior award history.
This is generally recommended when the company has disclosed or trackable award history.
#### Upload Capability Statement
Use **Upload Capability Statement** when you want Match Scoring to evaluate opportunities based on a specific company document.
For best results, upload a capability statement that includes clear, detailed descriptions of what the business does. If relevant, include:
* NAICS codes
* PSC codes
* Core capabilities
* Relevant services or products
* Past performance examples
* Certifications or qualifications
* Customer types or agency experience
Avoid relying heavily on marketing language or generic descriptions. A detailed, factual capability statement will generally produce better matching results than a short or highly promotional document.
***
### Using Match Score in opportunity search
The Match core option is available in search under **Add Filters** for:
* **Federal Opportunities**
* **State & Local Opportunities**
Match Score works like other search filters, so you can combine it with filters such as agency or NAICS.
After adding the Match Score filter, the search results will rank opportunities based on their Match Score, helping you prioritize opportunities that appear most aligned with the selected profile or uploaded capability statement within your filtered search.
***
### Viewing the match rationale
Each opportunity receives a score out of **100**.
Click the score to view the broad rationale for the ranking.
The rationale explains why the opportunity received its score, including major areas of alignment or mismatch based on the available profile, capability statement, and opportunity information.
Use the rationale to understand why an opportunity is ranked highly or lower than expected.
***
### Adjusting results
If your Match Scores do not look right, first review the linked profile or uploaded capability statement.
For uploaded capability statements, make sure the document clearly explains what the company does and includes relevant NAICS, PSC, experience, and capability details where applicable.
If results still need tweaking, contact HigherGov support using the chat and we can help to adjust.
# Analyze M\&A Transactions and Trends
How to Analyze Aerospace, Defense, and Government M\&A Trends and Multiples
{% hint style="info" %}
Please note that to access the tools listed below, you must have a HigherGov [Leader](https://www.highergov.com/pricing/) subscription. If you are interested in learning more, please schedule a [demo](https://www.highergov.com/demo/).
{% endhint %}
## Analyzing M\&A Transactions
### Finding Transactions
There are two primary ways to search for M\&A transactions on the HigherGov platform:
* The Search Bar at the top of every page. Best if you are looking for a specific transaction.
* The M\&A Transaction search (*Capital Markets --> M\&A Transactions* in the sidebar or [here](https://www.govalpha.com/transaction/)). Best if you want to filter for transactions based on characteristics like sub-market served, number of employees, date, or transaction multiples.
Transactions can also be found through the [Search All ](https://www.highergov.com/all/)tool.
{% hint style="info" %}
The HigherGov transaction database covers M\&A transactions for companies that serve the Aerospace, Defense, and Government (ADG) sectors for both federal and state and local markets.
{% endhint %}
### Analyzing Transactions
#### Target / Buyer
If available, the target and buyer will have links to their respective HigherGov Awardee pages. On the Awardee page, you can analyze many key characteristics that drive acquisition decisions as well as valuation and valuation multiples such as the percentage of set-side awards, key customer agencies, access to contract vehicles, etc.
Because many M\&A transactions do not align cleanly with government award entity reporting (for example, carve-out transactions) and some covered companies will not have federal registrations (for example, state and local contractors and commercial aerospace companies), not all targets and buyers will have linked Awardee pages. If you need help finding additional information on a buyer or target, please contact us via the chat.
#### Transaction Financials
Provides transaction financials including revenue, EBITDA, and transaction multiples, if they were disclosed. For comparability across transactions, transaction financials are presented on a trailing 12-month basis before accounting for any synergies or tax attributes.
#### Similar Recent Transactions
Lists similar recent transactions with disclosed financial metrics. Similar transactions are determined based on the target company's target market and related characteristics.
## Analyzing Trends
To access M\&A transaction analysis tools go to *Explore --> Analysis* in the sidebar and select the M\&A link at the top or click [here](https://www.highergov.com/analysis/transaction/).
### Multiple Analysis
Create a custom M\&A transaction trend analysis by selecting the following options:
* **Category**: Analyze transaction valuations by sub-market
* **Multiple**: EBITDA or Revenue multiples
* **Statistic**: Median or Average
Three types of charts are available:
* **Bar**: Shows the median or average multiple per year
* **Bubble**: Shows the median or average multiple by year with the size of the bubble determined by the total number of transactions in that year
* **Bubble Spread**: Shows the distribution of transaction multiples by year with the size of the bubble determined by the number of transactions with that multiple (note that the Statistic option is not relevant for this chart type)
### Volume Trend
Create custom M\&A volume trend analysis by selecting the following options:
* **Statistic**: Number or transactions or the total Dollar value
Three types of charts are available:
* **Bar**: Shows the total as a bar chart
* **Line**: Shows the total as a line chart
## Related Pages
{% content-ref url="/pages/omsVicpjqBapaKzTFuey" %}
[Research Federal Contractors and Grant Recipients](/market-intelligence/research-federal-contractors-and-grant-recipients)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/tpiUD12ei4dc9SKdealN" %}
[Find M\&A Targets and Buyers](/capital-markets/find-m-and-a-targets-and-buyers)
{% endcontent-ref %}
# Find M\&A Targets and Buyers
How to Find Aerospace, Defense, and Government Acquisition Targets and Potential Buyers
{% hint style="info" %}
Please note that to access some of the tools listed below, you must have a HigherGov [Leader](https://www.highergov.com/pricing/) subscription. If you are interested in learning more, please schedule a [demo](https://www.highergov.com/demo/).
{% endhint %}
## **Awardee Rankings** Tool
The Awardee Rankings tool allows you to find the awardees most active in certain categories of awards, which can be used to identify buyers or targets that are leaders in products/services categories, agencies, socio-economic types, etc. The Awardee Rankings tool is available by going to *Explore --> Analysis* in the sidebar and by selecting the Awardee Rankings tab.
Recommended filters to add include here are (but are not limited to):
* **Agency (Awarding)**
* **NAICS** or **PSC**
* **Set Aside** (select **No Set Aside Used** for Full & Open competition)
You will also likely want to limit the search to include only **Prime + Sub (Contracts)** under the Include dropdown (unless you also want to include Grant recipients). You may want to set the search to include the **Last 3 Years** under the Date dropdown to incorporate a wider data timeframe.
{% hint style="info" %}
Please note that the Awardee Ranking Tool only shows Parent awardees, so subsidiaries and acquired companies will typically not be included in the ranking.
{% endhint %}
## **Awardee Search**
You can also filter for potential buyers or targets that meet desired criteria by going to *Market Intelligence --> Awardees* in the sidebar or clicking [here](https://www.highergov.com/awardee/). Some of the common criteria for filtering for buyers or targets include:
* **NAICS**: Limit the search to contractors focused on the most relevant NAICS codes
* **Business Type**: Limit the search to contractors with the most relevant business types (with For-Profit Ownership being the most common)
* **Contract PY Obligations**: Limit the search to awardees with at least a certain level of prior year federal contract obligations (includes both prime and subcontracts)
{% hint style="info" %}
Note that the NAICS and Business Type filters are based on the NAICS codes and Business Types disclosed in the awardee's registration with the federal government and does not necessarily reflect their historical performance. For filtering based on actual historical performance, see the Awardee Ranking tool above.
{% endhint %}
## **Investors**
There are many active investors in the Aerospace, Defense, and Government sector. HigherGov actively tracks over 150 investors that focus on the sector or have a history of investing in the sector. Investors can be filtered on the Investor search page under *Capital Markets --> Investors* in the sidebar.
Another method for finding relevant investors is by searching for transactions with similar characteristics on the M\&A Transactions search page at *Capital Markets --> M\&A Transactions* in the sidebar and looking at the investors involved in those transactions.
To further analyze an investor, you can go to their Investor detail page to find additional detail such as fund size, minimum and maximum investment size, select historical transactions, as well as contact information.
## **Partners and Vehicles**
Two other common methods for finding potential targets or buyers is to look at the teaming partners or fellow contract vehicle holders of an existing known target / potential buyer.
* **Teaming Partners**: Teaming partners can be found on the Awardee detail page (if the Awardee has disclosed partners).
* **Vehicles**: A list of Vehicles held by an Awardee can be found on the Awardee detail page, with the other vehicle holders on the Vehicle detail page (you can also search for vehicles [here](https://www.highergov.com/vehicle/)). You can also filter for Awardees by Contract Vehicle by using the Vehicle filter on the [Awardee search page](https://www.highergov.com/awardee/).
## Related Pages
{% content-ref url="/pages/omsVicpjqBapaKzTFuey" %}
[Research Federal Contractors and Grant Recipients](/market-intelligence/research-federal-contractors-and-grant-recipients)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/dBRCowbqqx2JEZZpCyb4" %}
[Analyze M\&A Transactions and Trends](/capital-markets/analyze-m-and-a-transactions-and-trends)
{% endcontent-ref %}
# Federal Contract Hierarchies
Understanding the structure and relationships between federal awards
## Overview of Federal Contract Hierarchy
Federal contract awards can be very complex with multiple different "levels" of awards.
The below chart summarizes the hierarchy of federal contract awards. There are exceptions to the flow of awards here and not every type of potential contract is covered, but the vast majority of Federal awards will fall somewhere into this hierarchy.
In HigherGov, all Vehicle, IDV, Prime Award, and Sub Award pages will have an Award Hierarchy section that will show and link to the other relevant awards in the hierarchy.
## Vehicle Awards
[Vehicles](https://www.highergov.com/vehicle/) (often referred to as Multiple Award Vehicles or Master Vehicles) are contracting vehicles awarded to multiple Awardees (through IDVs). Depending on the year, approximately 30-40% of all money obligated by the federal government is made through task orders on Multiple Award Vehicles.
Multiple Award Vehicles are typically either:
(1) awarded by the government once every 5-10 years through open competition
(2) have occasional on-ramp periods (such as TSA eFAST)
(3) or are open to apply for at any time (such as the GSA Multiple Award Schedule)
The government will typically use Multiple Award Vehicles in situations where there are likely to be many (or at least a few) contractors best able to perform certain categories of work.
From the government's perspective, Vehicles greatly simplify the acquisition process as after the initial award it does not have to publicly post solicitations and can work with a smaller set of approved contractors. From a contractor's perspective, getting onto a Vehicle can be very valuable as it positions them to win work with more limited competition than open solicitations. However, vehicles can disadvantage qualified contractors that do not have access to them either directly or as a subcontractor.
## IDV Awards
[Indefinite Delivery Vehicles (IDV)](https://www.highergov.com/contract/) are awards given to an individual Awardee. They can be structured either as stand-alone Single Award IDVs or through Multiple Award Vehicles (as discussed above).
IDVs typically have a set length known as an Ordering Period, which is most commonly 5 years but can vary widely from a few months to over 20 years.
IDV Awards can be thought of as "hunting licenses" -- while money is rarely awarded directly through IDVs, they allow an Awardee to receive or compete for task orders specifically released under that vehicle.
The most common types of IDVs are:
**Federal Supply Schedule (FSS)** GSA schedule IDV contracts awarded to specified vendors and part of the broader Multiple Award GSA Federal Supply Schedule. Federal Supply Schedules can generally be used by all agencies. FSSs are always associated with a Multiple Award Vehicle.
**Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC)** Administered by the GSA and designed to facilitate IT-related acquisitions across all federal agencies. GWACs are always associated with a Multiple Award Vehicle.
**Indefinite Delivery Contract (IDC)** Agency-specific IDVs used across different product and service categories. They are often referred to as Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts. IDC IDVs may be awarded to a single Awardee or may be associated with a Multiple Award Vehicle.
**Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA)** Allow the government to issue task orders (BPA calls) without extensive competition once the BPA is authorized. BPAs are typically used for repeat purchases. BPA IDVs may be awarded to a single Awardee or may be associated with a Multiple Award Vehicle.
**Basic Ordering Agreements (BOA)** Agreement where an agency orders from a supplier allowing multiple delivery dates over a set period. BOA's are often negotiated to benefit from predetermined pricing and are typically implemented when the government needs to regularly replenish supplies. BOA IDVs may be awarded to a single Awardee or may be associated with a Multiple Award Vehicle.
## Prime Awards
[Prime Awards](https://www.highergov.com/contract/#contract) are the level at which the government typically obligates funding to contractors. Prime awards have a set duration and potential value (though both are often amended). The government will often structure a Prime Award to include multiple Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) and Option Years (OYs) to allow the government to have greater control over the ultimate duration and tasks actually executed in an award.
Prime awards can be either awarded through an IDV (referred to as a Task Order) or awarded directly without an IDV (referred to as a Direct Award).
### Direct Awards
The two most common types of direct awards are:
**Definitive Contracts** Typically awarded for non-commoditized products or services
**Purchase Orders** Typically awarded for commodity products and services
Both types of awards can be either competed or awarded sole-source.
### Task Orders
Task Orders refer to contracts awarded to a single Awardee through an existing IDV. Task Orders have their own contract values and periods of performance that will usually differ from the IDV.
The two most common types of task orders are:
**Delivery Orders** Task orders awarded through Federal Supply Schedules, Government Wide Acquisition Contracts, Indefinite Delivery Contracts, or Basic Ordering Agreements.
**BPA Calls** Task orders issued through Blanket Purchase Agreements.
## Sub Awards
[Sub Awards](https://www.highergov.com/contract/#subcontract) are any award issued by a Prime Awardee through any type of Prime Award. There are many reasons why Prime Awardees will issue Sub Awards including to gain access to skills they do not have or to meet government requirements to subcontract work to small businesses.
The level of Sub Awards issued through a Prime Award can vary greatly -- from 0% of the award value to virtually 100% depending on the type of work and contract requirements. Prime Awardees are generally required to disclose any Sub Award that exceeds $30,000.
# Federal Contract Protests
Track federal government protests in HigherGov
GAO protests, formally known as U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) bid protests, are a legal process where businesses can challenge the process of awarding of federal government contracts before or after formal award.
Protests can potentially substantially delay the award and start of contracts and in some cases can result in a solicitation needing to be re-bid or result in a change in winner. On average, bid protests are resolved in 45 days, with a legal deadline of 100 days.
HigherGov maintains a list of [protests](https://www.highergov.com/protest/) and also indicates on a contract opportunity page if a protest has been filed. If when the GAO Protest is decided there is an associated GAO Decision (most common with Denied or Sustained protests), that will also be included on the related protest page.
{% hint style="info" %}
Learn more about when protests are likely to fail or succeed in our year-end bid [protest analysis](https://www.highergov.com/news/gao-protest-analysis-2022/).
{% endhint %}
### Protest Statuses
Protests can have one of the following statuses:
* **Open**: The GAO has not yet made a decision on the protest
* **Withdrawn**: The contractor withdrew its protest either because they decided not to proceed with the protest or because the agency took voluntarily corrective action to address the protested issue
* **Dismissed**: The GAO found that the protest had a technical or procedural flaw or the agency took voluntarily corrective action but the protest had not yet been withdrawn
* **Denied**: GAO did not find merit in the protest
* **Sustained**: GAO agreed with the protest argument and has issues=d a decision recommending the agency to take appropriate corrective action
# Analyze and Select NAICS and PSC Codes
How to discover and analyze the classification codes used most often by the federal government
### NAICS in Federal Contracting
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) NAICS is a six-digit code used to classify businesses by type of economic activity.
NAICS codes are used to classify federal contracts and contract opportunities. They are also used as the basis for the "size standards" on a contract that determine whether a contractor will be classified as a small business for a given contract.
When registering with the Federal government in SAM, businesses can indicate what NAICS codes their business falls under. While not required to win contracts, registering with these classifications can be important to help contracting officers identify potential contractor sources. For many businesses, they can also be an effective way to search for opportunities and perform market research.
### PSC in Federal Contracting
Product and Service Codes (PSC) (also sometimes referred to as Federal Supply Codes) are 4 character codes used to describe products, services, and research and development (R\&D) purchased by the federal government. In contrast to NAICS, which focuses on the "who" (type of business), PSC focuses on the "what" (type of product/service).
Most contracts and contract opportunities will have a PSC code assigned. As with NAICS, contractors have the opportunity to provide PSC codes in their Federal registration, which can help them be identified by government contracting officers performing marketing research.
While PSC codes typically receive less attention than NAICS codes, they are particularly important in certain markets such as with the Defense Logistics Agency where PSC codes are embedded into many product identifiers (NSNs). For some contractors in certain product or niche service areas, they can also be a more effective way to search for opportunities or perform market research as they are generally more granular than NAICS.
{% hint style="info" %}
NAICS and PSC are rarely used at State and Local agencies. However, HigherGov tags State and Local opportunities with NAICS and PSC codes based on their descriptions so that you can search for State and Local opportunities using these codes.
{% endhint %}
### How to Identify Your NAICS and PSC
### Code Search
HigherGov provides searches for both [NAICS](https://www.highergov.com/naics/) and [PSC](https://www.highergov.com/psc/) that can be used to find relevant codes. The NAICS and PSC pages will have additional detail on historical awards and contract opportunities that will help determine if a given code is appropriate.
If you have already identified either NAICS or PSC codes and are looking to identify the other code type, you can use the Crosswalk section on the identified code page to see the most common code paired with the other in federal contracts.
NAICS Crosswalk for PSC R425 Support Professional: Engineering / Technical
### Analyze Competitors
If you have close competitors that are government contractors, another method of identifying NAICS and PSC codes is to look at what codes they have registered for (located in the registration section on the [Awardee](https://www.highergov.com/awardee/) page) or what codes they have historically won contracts through, which can be easily analyzed on their Awardee page by going to the Federal Award Analysis section, selecting the Shares tab, and choosing the NAICS or PSC Category.
### Other Tools
The Naval Research Laboratory developed an excellent tool at that can be used to find relevant PSC codes by entering products or services that you offer.
# Customize Awardee Profile
HigherGov Offers Multiple Tools to Increase Your Visibility in the Government Market
More than 200K contractors and grant recipients, contracting officers, consultants, journalists, and investors use HigherGov every month to find partners, potential vendors, and to perform research. HigherGov offers several tools to help our subscribers promote their organizations on the platform.
## Customize Awardee Profile
{% hint style="info" %}
Profile customization is only available for companies that have active federal government registrations.
{% endhint %}
Customizing your awardee profile allows you to provide a capability statement and provide a preferred contact and express your teaming goals. Providing your capability statement also allows your profile to be included in our Capability Statement search in our [Partner Finder](https://www.highergov.com/partner-finder/) tool used by customers to find teaming partners.
To customize your Awardee profile, open your [HigherGov Account](https://www.highergov.com/account/), complete the information under the Customize Awardee Profile section, and select Highlight Profile. Once complete, select Update.
# Marketing Audit Tool
Maximize your visibility in the government market
{% hint style="info" %}
Access to the Marketing Audit Tool requires an active Starter or higher subscription
{% endhint %}
The HigherGov marketing audit tool analyzes your organization's federal marketing presence in 30+ dimensions to help teaming partners and government procurement officers find you for solicitations, sole source awards, micro-purchases, and subawards.
To generate a marketing audit, go to the [Marketing Tools](https://www.highergov.com/marketing-tools/) available in the gear icon at the top of the page and select the Generate Audit button. Once you select the button, we will begin an analysis of your federal marketing presence and email you within 7 days once the report is complete.
We analyze marketing presence in the following 6 categories:
* SAM Registration
* DSBS Registration
* Other Registrations
* Certifications
* Website
* Small Business Portals
For each of the 35+ criteria we analyze, we will indicate whether your organization is meeting best practices (as indicated with a blue checkmark) or indicate if there are potential improvements that can be made (indicated by an orange lightbulb).
# Marketing Booster
Raise the profile of your Organization
{% hint style="info" %}
Marketing Booster is only available for Leader plan subscribers
{% endhint %}
### Overview
HigherGov's Marketing Booster allows you to increase the visibility of your company to the broader government market. Increasing your visibility can help you to find partners, attract talent, and increase your profile in the market.
For subscribers that enable the feature, we will track notable contract or grant awards and other developments by your company for potential inclusion in our News and Insights to Lead coverage. You will also have the option of submitting press releases or other notable company developments to HigherGov.
Our news and analysis coverage is also often picked up by other government industry and broader news organizations.
To turn on Marketing Booster, go to your [Account](https://www.highergov.com/account/) page and select the toggle in the Marketing Booster section.
Within a couple of days of turning on the Marketing Booster, you can click on the **See Statistics** button to see the total number of views your organization has had in its Awardee profile, in the Partner Finder, and in News and Insights. Note that it may take a few days for the marketing statistics to populate (it will likely take longer for any reports to appear)
### News and Notable Events
Typical organization news and events that may be covered:
* Large or notable contract or grant wins
* Executive moves
* Notable technology or product releases
* Mergers or acquisitions
**Please note that HigherGov maintains editorial control over all content and does not guarantee the inclusion of any one news event or any total number of events in a given year.**
### Consulting and Advisory Companies
If your organization does not directly win government contracts or grants that would typically be covered, you may alternatively submit research or thought leadership for potential inclusion in our [Insights to Lead](https://www.highergov.com/news/).
To be included, submissions must be of high quality, provide original research or insights, and have minimal promotional language.
HigherGov reserves the right to accept or reject submissions at its own discretion.
# HigherGov API
Getting started with the powerful HigherGov API
### Access, Limits, and Pricing
All HigherGov subscriptions include access to the API and 10,000 records per month through the API. If you require more data, please [contact us](mailto:contact@highergov.com) with your use case for pricing.
### Endpoints
A list of available endpoints and fields is available in the OAS [documentation](https://www.highergov.com/api-external/docs/). The OAS Documentation can also generate sample API calls by pressing the Try It Out button under each endpoint, selecting the desired Parameters, and pressing Execute.
{% hint style="info" %}
**We also offer APIs customized to your needs. Please** [**contact** ](mailto:contact@highergov.com)**us if you are interested in learning more.**
{% endhint %}
### Creating Keys
API keys can be managed when signed in by selecting the gear icon in the upper right and selecting API or by clicking [here](https://www.highergov.com/api-management/). Only an account administrator will have access to create keys. To create an API key, select the Generate Key button. Note that the full key will only be available on this screen once so make sure to copy and securely save the key.
### Using the search\_id Parameter
For the Opportunity, Federal Contract, and Federal Grant endpoints, HigherGov provides a search\_id parameter that allows a HigherGov search to be easily converted into an API call. The search\_id parameter does not accept all search fields, please see the endpoint documentation for a list of supported fields.
#### Example
If you have the below search in [Federal Contract Opportunities](https://www.highergov.com/contract-opportunity/?searchID=2F6PPA1a7NAQ4C1OUh7XB):
You can take the searchID listed in the URL:
2F6PPA1a7NAQ4C1OUh7XB
and use that in your API call as the search\_id parameter:
2F6PPA1a7NAQ4C1OUh7XB\&captured\_date=2024-05-01\&page\_size=10\&source\_type=sam
#### Best Results
For best results with the search\_id filter in the Opportunity endpoint, we recommend also using the source\_type and captured\_date filters to limit your call to the most relevant data source(s) and most recent dates.
### Downloading Opportunity Files
To download opportunity files, first make a call to the Opportunity endpoint. In the results, there will be a field called document\_path that will provide a path to call to the Document endpoint. Making this call to the Document endpoint will return information on all of the documents related to the opportunity including a set of download\_url paths that can be used to download files.
Please note that the provided download\_url will expire after 60 minutes, and if files are not downloaded within that timeframe, a new call will need to be made to the Document endpoint.
### Data Refresh Rate
Data is generally updated shortly after the underlying data source. Some examples are shown below.
| Endpoint | Data Update Frequency |
| -------------------- | --------------------- |
| **Opportunity** | 20 Minutes |
| **Federal Contract** | Daily |
| **Federal Grant** | Daily |
| **Awardee** | Daily |
### Code Examples
Below are a few code snippets to get started accessing the API.
{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Python" %}
import requests
import json
# Define the Endpoint and Key
endpoint = 'https://www.highergov.com/api-external/contract/'
api_key = 'your-api-key-here'
#Define Parameters
params = {
'api_key': api_key,
'last_modified_date': '2023-07-06',
'search_id': 'z9zi90apiU_Zyl3T2CUZa',
'page_number': '1',
}
#Call API
response = requests.get(endpoint, params=params)
#Convert Response to JSON
data = response.json()
#print(json.dumps(data, indent=4)) # Print the JSON
#Loop through results
for result in data.get('results'):
contract_award_id = result.get('award_id')
...
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="Javascript" %}
```
// Define the Endpoint and Key
const endpoint = 'https://www.highergov.com/api-external/contract/';
const api_key = 'your-api-key-here';
// Define Parameters
let params = {
'api_key': api_key,
'last_modified_date': '2023-07-06',
'search_id': 'z9zi90apiU_Zyl3T2CUZa',
'page_number': '1',
};
// Convert parameters to URL query string
let query = Object.keys(params).map(k => `${encodeURIComponent(k)}=${encodeURIComponent(params[k])}`).join('&');
// Call API
fetch(`${endpoint}?${query}`)
.then(response => response.json()) // Parse response as JSON
.then(data => {
// Loop through results
data.results.forEach(result => {
let contract_award_id = result.award_id;
console.log(contract_award_id);
});
});
```
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="PHP" %}
```
$api_key,
'last_modified_date' => '2023-07-06',
'search_id' => 'z9zi90apiU_Zyl3T2CUZa',
'page_number' => '1',
]);
// Initialize cURL
$ch = curl_init();
// Set the options
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $endpoint.'?'.$params);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, TRUE);
// Execute the cURL session
$response = curl_exec($ch);
// Close the cURL session
curl_close($ch);
// Convert the response into an associative array
$data = json_decode($response, true);
// Loop through each item in the 'results' array
foreach ($data['results'] as $result) {
$contract_award_id = $result['award_id'];
}
```
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}
# HigherGov MCP
### Overview
HigherGov’s MCP allows subscribers to access HigherGov's comprehensive federal and state and local data directly inside supported AI assistants and LLM tools for search, research, and analysis.
MCP stands for **Model Context Protocol**. It is a standard way for AI assistants to securely connect to external tools and data sources. With the HigherGov MCP, an LLM can search HigherGov opportunities, awards, contractors, documents, NSNs, and related records using natural language.
The HigherGov MCP is powered by the [**HigherGov API**](/import-and-export/highergov-api). Each subscription includes 10,000 records per month, which will be sufficient for the vast majority of use cases.
**HigherGov MCP endpoint:**
```
https://www.highergov.com/mcp/
```
***
## Creating a HigherGov API Key
API keys can be managed when signed in to HigherGov from the [API Management](https://www.highergov.com/api-management/) screen (requires Admin access).
Or navigate manually:
1. Sign in to HigherGov.
2. Select the **gear icon** in the upper-right corner.
3. Select **API**.
4. Click **Generate Key**.
5. Copy and securely save the key.
> Important: the full API key is only displayed once when it is created. Make sure to copy and securely store it before leaving the page.
***
## Authentication
The preferred authentication method is to send your HigherGov API key as a bearer token:
```
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_HIGHERGOV_API_KEY
```
Some MCP clients support custom headers directly. If your client does, use the bearer-token method above.
If your LLM does not support bearer tokens, you can also pass the api\_key as a parameter when setting the MCP endpoint.
```
https://www.highergov.com/mcp/?api_key=[api-key-here]
```
***
## Connecting to HigherGov MCP
> MCP support is changing quickly across LLM providers. The exact setup steps may change, so always check your LLM provider’s latest MCP or connector documentation.
At a high level, setup usually works like this:
1. Open your AI assistant’s **MCP**, **Connector**, **App**, or **Tools** settings.
2. Add a new remote MCP server.
3. Enter the HigherGov MCP endpoint:
```
https://www.highergov.com/mcp/
```
4\. Set authentication using your HigherGov API key:
```
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_HIGHERGOV_API_KEY
```
5. Save or scan tools.
6. Start asking questions naturally.
Example prompts:
```
Find active federal contract opportunities for cybersecurity services.
```
```
Find potential teaming partners for cybersecurity work.
```
```
Search recent federal contract awards for zero trust.
```
***
### Claude
Claude supports custom connectors using remote MCP servers. In Claude, custom connectors can be added from **Settings → Connectors**, where users can enter the remote MCP server URL. Team and Enterprise administrators may also manage custom connectors through admin connector settings. ([claude.com](https://claude.com/docs/connectors/custom/remote-mcp))
Use:
```
https://www.highergov.com/mcp/
```
Authentication:
```
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_HIGHERGOV_API_KEY
```
General steps:
1. Open Claude.
2. Go to **Settings → Connectors**.
3. Select **Add custom connector**.
4. Enter the HigherGov MCP URL.
5. Add authentication if supported by your Claude plan/client.
6. Enable the connector in a chat.
Claude allows connectors to be enabled or disabled per conversation from the chat interface. ([claude.com](https://claude.com/docs/connectors/custom/remote-mcp))
***
### OpenAI / ChatGPT
OpenAI supports remote MCP servers through ChatGPT apps/connectors and through the OpenAI API. Remote MCP servers are servers available over the public internet that implement MCP. ([platform.openai.com](https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/tools-remote-mcp))
For ChatGPT, custom MCP apps are managed through **Developer Mode** for eligible workspaces. OpenAI’s current help documentation describes availability for ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, and Edu workspaces, with admins or authorized developers able to create and test custom MCP apps. ([help.openai.com](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12584461-developer-mode-apps-and-full-mcp-connectors-in-chatgpt-beta))
Use:
```
https://www.highergov.com/mcp/
```
Authentication:
```
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_HIGHERGOV_API_KEY
```
General steps:
1. Confirm your workspace supports custom MCP apps/connectors.
2. Enable Developer Mode if required.
3. Create a new custom app/connector.
4. Provide the HigherGov MCP endpoint.
5. Configure authentication using your HigherGov API key.
6. Scan tools.
7. Test the app in a new chat.
8. Publish or enable it for your workspace if desired.
For API usage, configure HigherGov as a remote MCP server using the HigherGov MCP endpoint and bearer authorization. OpenAI’s Responses API supports remote MCP servers using a `server_url`, and authorization may be supplied depending on the server. ([platform.openai.com](https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/tools-remote-mcp))
Example shape:
```json
{
"tools": [
{
"type": "mcp",
"server_label": "highergov",
"server_url": "https://www.highergov.com/mcp/",
"authorization": "Bearer YOUR_HIGHERGOV_API_KEY"
}
]
}
```
***
### Gemini
Gemini CLI supports MCP servers through `settings.json` or the `gemini mcp add` command. Gemini CLI supports stdio, SSE, and Streamable HTTP transports; for HigherGov, use the HTTP transport. ([github.com](https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/blob/main/docs/tools/mcp-server.md))
Use:
```
https://www.highergov.com/mcp/
```
#### Add with CLI command
```bash
gemini mcp add \
--transport http \
--header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_HIGHERGOV_API_KEY" \
highergov \
https://www.highergov.com/mcp/
```
Verify the connection:
```bash
gemini mcp list
```
Gemini CLI also provides an `/mcp` command inside the CLI to show configured servers, connection status, available tools, and discovery status. ([github.com](https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/blob/main/docs/tools/mcp-server.md))
#### Or configure `settings.json`
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"highergov": {
"httpUrl": "https://www.highergov.com/mcp/",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_HIGHERGOV_API_KEY"
},
"timeout": 30000
}
}
}
```
***
## MCP Tools and Common Use Cases
The HigherGov MCP exposes tools that let your AI assistant search HigherGov data and retrieve supporting records.
You do not need to know the tool names to use the MCP. In most cases, you can ask questions naturally and the LLM will choose the appropriate tool.
***
### Opportunity Search
**Tool:** `search_opportunities`
Use this to find and identify relevant opportunities, including:
* Federal contract opportunities
* State and local contact opportunities
* Federal grant opportunities
* DIBBS opportunities
* Federal forecasts
* SLED forecasts
Common use cases:
* Find active opportunities that match your products or services.
* Identify opportunities by market, NAICS, customer, or topic.
* Search federal and state/local opportunities together.
* Forecast upcoming opportunities using federal forecasts and SLED forecasts.
* Use a saved HigherGov search to monitor opportunities.
* Find relevant opportunities and then retrieve the solicitation documents.
Example prompts:
```
Find active federal contract opportunities for custodial services.
```
```
Search active federal and state/local opportunities for physical security or surveillance.
```
```
Find active federal opportunities under NAICS 541512 related to zero trust.
```
```
Search federal forecasts related to IT modernization.
```
```
Find upcoming SLED forecast opportunities for construction services.
```
***
### Opportunity Documents
**Tool:** `get_opportunity_documents`
Use this to retrieve documents and extracted text for an opportunity.
Common use cases:
* Summarize solicitation documents.
* Extract requirements from an RFP or RFQ.
* Review attachments for due dates, submission instructions, evaluation criteria, or scope.
* Pull document text for an opportunity found through opportunity search.
Example prompts:
```
Find active opportunities for janitorial services and summarize the documents for the top result.
```
```
Get the documents for this opportunity and summarize the scope of work.
```
```
Review the solicitation documents and identify submission requirements.
```
***
### Awards Research
**Tools:**
* `search_federal_contracts`
* `search_federal_idvs`
* `search_federal_grants`
* `search_federal_subcontracts`
* `search_federal_subgrants`
Use these tools to research historical awards, spending, recipients, contract vehicles, and subcontract/subgrant activity.
Common use cases:
* Research prior federal contract awards in a market.
* Find likely incumbents or competitors.
* Search IDVs, GWACs, BPAs, IDIQs, and other federal contract vehicles.
* Research federal grant awards by topic, recipient, or program.
* Analyze subcontract or subgrant activity involving a company.
* Understand historical buying patterns before pursuing an opportunity.
Example prompts:
```
Search federal contract awards for zero trust under NAICS 541512.
```
```
Find federal contracts awarded to this UEI.
```
```
Search IDVs involving cloud migration.
```
```
Search federal grant awards related to workforce development.
```
```
Find subcontract awards involving this company.
```
***
### Contractor and Partner Research
**Tools:**
* `search_awardees`
* `get_awardee_detail`
Use these tools to find and research companies, including potential teaming partners.
Common use cases:
* Find potential partners for an opportunity or market.
* Identify contractors by capability, NAICS, UEI, or CAGE.
* Find a company’s UEI or CAGE code.
* Review contractor profiles, registrations, NAICS codes, PSC codes, business types, and capabilities.
* Research agency experience, vehicles, and subcontract relationships.
* Compare potential partners or competitors.
Example prompts:
```
Find potential teaming partners for cybersecurity work.
```
```
Find small business partners with experience in physical security.
```
```
Find the UEI and CAGE code for Leidos.
```
```
Get the detailed profile for this UEI.
```
```
Find companies with primary NAICS 541611 and federal health agency experience.
```
***
### NSN / DIBBS Research
**Tool:** `search_nsn`
Use this to search NATO Stock Number and DIBBS-related data.
Common use cases:
* Look up an NSN.
* Find suppliers by CAGE code.
* Search by part number.
* Review recent supplier and award history for an NSN.
Example prompts:
```
Look up NSN 6505013306269.
```
```
Find NSNs associated with CAGE 95403.
```
```
Search for this part number and summarize suppliers.
```
# Task Order Integration
Import Task Order Opportunities from eBuy, Symphony, and More into Your Opportunity Search and Pipelines
{% hint style="info" %}
Task Order integration requires a Standard or Leader plan subscription. If you would like to upgrade or learn more, please [contact us](mailto:contact@highergov.com).
{% endhint %}
HigherGov enables you to automatically import your company's eBuy and Symphony opportunities into your HigherGov account. You can also set up automatic email forwarding (or manually forward) task order opportunities delivered via email to HigherGov to add those opportunities to your account.
Opportunities that have been imported will appear in your Contract Opportunity search results and can be added as pursuits to pipelines and appear in Saved Search and Daily Opportunity alerts.
To add integrations, select the gear icon in the upper right-hand of the page when signed in and select Integrations. Detailed instructions for setting up each integration are available on the page.
Please allow 1-2 business days for data to start syncing after you initially set it up. Afterward, opportunities will be synced overnight for eBuy and Symphony and within 5 minutes for email task orders.
If you have any questions, please [contact us](mailto:contact@highergov.com).
# Zapier Integration
Quickly and easily add HigherGov opportunities as pursuits in your CRM using Zapier
{% hint style="info" %}
Zapier integration requires a HigherGov Standard or Leader plan subscription. If you would like to upgrade or learn more, please [contact us](mailto:contact@highergov.com).
{% endhint %}
### Prerequisites
**Zapier Account**: If you do not already have a Zapier account, you can create one [here](https://zapier.com/sign-up). Many users may be able to connect HigherGov to their CRM using a free Zapier account. If you expect to send more than 100 opportunities per month to your CRM (or are using Zapier for other tasks), you may require a [paid plan](https://zapier.com/pricing). Pricing for a Zapier account is separate from a HigherGov subscription.
**CRMs Supported by Zapier**: A list of applications supported by Zapier is available [here](https://zapier.com/apps). The most popular integrations on HigherGov include [HubSpot](https://www.hubspot.com/), [Salesforce](https://www.salesforce.com/), [Dynamics 365](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-365), [Monday.com](https://monday.com/), [Pipedrive](https://www.pipedrive.com/), [SugarCRM](https://www.sugarcrm.com/), [Zoho](https://www.zoho.com/crm/), and [ClickUp](https://clickup.com/), but any [CRM](https://zapier.com/apps/categories/sales-crm) that supports creating "pursuits", "deals", or "opportunities" should be able to ingest HigherGov opportunities.
### **Creating a Zapier Pipeline in HigherGov**
{% hint style="info" %}
To create a Zapier Pipeline you must have an active HigherGov subscription and be signed in as an Admin.
{% endhint %}
Select the gear icon in the upper right of the platform and select Zapier or click [here](https://www.highergov.com/zapier/).
Click the Create Pipeline button.
Give your pipeline a name and select the CRM you are linking to. If your CRM is not listed you can type in the name and press enter.
Securely save your Secret Key as it will only be available on this screen once.
### **Configuring Zapier**
To connect HigherGov to your CRM with Zapier, you will need to create a Zap. Detailed instructions on creating a Zap are available [here](https://help.zapier.com/hc/en-us/articles/8496309697421-Create-Zaps#h_01H91E3WYAFDT8KEE45ST76WKW). A list of available templates is available [here](https://zapier.com/apps/highergov/integrations#zap-template-list).
HigherGov provides one Trigger called the Pursuit Added Trigger that sends key information on the opportunity to your linked CRM. As part of creating your Zap and authenticating with HigherGov, you will provide the Secret Key you created above.
### **Adding Pursuits to Your Zapier Pipeline**
Once you have set up your Zap you can add pursuits to your Pipeline.
#### Find Opportunities
HigherGov has many tools to help identify potential opportunities. See the below topics for more details on some of the available ways to identify opportunities.
{% content-ref url="/pages/QuZ3CK6NaK9FChKi93a1" %}
[Federal Contracts](/find-opportunities/federal-contracts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/VZHsmYyp0xFhHXiPYutH" %}
[Federal Grants](/find-opportunities/federal-grants)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/cfqC4gAk3MQVoeYVvvvz" %}
[State and Local Contracts](/find-opportunities/state-and-local-contracts)
{% endcontent-ref %}
#### Adding Pursuit Automatically
You can automatically create new pursuits from Federal Contract Opportunity, State and Local Contract Opportunity, Forecast Opportunity, DIBBS Opportunity, Grant Opportunity, IDV Award, Prime Contract Award, and Prime Grant Award pages by selecting the Pipeline dropdown in the upper right of the relevant page and then selecting the Zapier pipeline you previously created.
You will receive a message shortly after adding, indicating that the Pursuit has been successfully sent to Zapier using the Pipeline you selected or you will receive an error.
## Zapier API Endpoints
{% hint style="info" %}
The below covers the technical endpoints used to support the Zapier integration. Documentation on the main HigherGov API endpoints is available [here](/import-and-export/highergov-api).
{% endhint %}
### Base URL
The base URL for our Zapier endpoints is `https://www.highergov.com/zapier` this will be referred to as `{{BASE_URL}}`.
### Authentication
This is the endpoint that Zapier calls when a user is attempting to log into Zapier.
Location:
`{{BASE_URL}}/auth/`.
Sample Request**:**
```
const options = {
url: '{{BASE_URL}/auth/',
method: 'POST',
headers: {
'Content-Type': 'application/json',
'Accept': 'application/json',
'X-API-KEY': api_key,
},
};
return z.request(options)
.then((response) => {
response.throwForStatus();
const results = response.json;
return results;
})
```
Successful Response (201):
`{"status": "success", "message": "API Key Validated", "subscription_name": "AcmeCo Pipeline"}`
### Subscribe
This is the endpoint that Zapier calls when a user is attempting to subscribe to a Zapier webhook.
Location:
`{{BASE_URL}}/pipeline/subscribe/`.
Sample Request**:**
```
const options = {
url: '{{BASE_URL}/pipeline/subscribe/',
method: 'POST',
headers: {
'Content-Type': 'application/json',
'Accept': 'application/json',
'X-API-KEY': api_key,
},
},
body: JSON.stringify({
target_url: bundle.targetUrl
}),
};
return z.request(options)
.then((response) => {
response.throwForStatus();
const results = response.json;
return results;
})
```
Successful Response (201):
`{"status": "success", "message": "New subscription created"}`
### Unsubscribe
This is the endpoint that Zapier calls when a user is attempting to unsubscribe from a Zapier webhook.
Location:
`{{BASE_URL}}/pipeline/unsubscribe/`.
Sample Request**:**
```
const options = {
url: '{{BASE_URL}/pipeline/unsubscribe/',
method: 'POST',
headers: {
'Content-Type': 'application/json',
'Accept': 'application/json',
'X-API-KEY': api_key,
},
};
return z.request(options)
.then((response) => {
response.throwForStatus();
const results = response.json;
return results;
})
```
Successful Response (201):
`{"status": "success", "message": "Subscription cancelled"}`
### Perform List
Returns sample data.
Location:
`{{BASE_URL}}/perform/`
Sample Request**:**
```
const options = {
url: '{{BASE_URL}/perform/',
method: 'Get',
headers: {
'Content-Type': 'application/json',
'Accept': 'application/json',
},
};
return z.request(options)
.then((response) => {
response.throwForStatus();
const results = response.json;
return results;
})
```
Successful Response (201):
```
{
"title": "string",
"description_text": "string",
"source_id": "string",
"source_id_version": "string",
"captured_date": "string",
"posted_date": "string",
"due_date": "string",
"agency": {
"agency_key": "string",
"agency_name": "string",
"agency_abbreviation": "string",
"agency_type": "string",
"path": "string"
},
"naics_code": {
"naics_code": "string"
},
"psc_code": {
"psc_code": "string"
},
"primary_contact_email": {
"contact_title": "string",
"contact_name": "string",
"contact_first_name": "string",
"contact_last_name": "string",
"contact_email": "string",
"contact_phone": "string"
},
"secondary_contact_email": {
"contact_title": "string",
"contact_name": "string",
"contact_first_name": "string",
"contact_last_name": "string",
"contact_email": "string",
"contact_phone": "string"
},
"set_aside": "string",
"opp_key": "string",
"version_key": "string",
"source_type": "string",
"unweighted_value": "string",
"current_datetime": "string",
"user_email": "string",
"path": "string"
}
```
# FOIA Service
How to quickly and anonymously submit FOIA requests
### Why Submit a FOIA Request
The 1967 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides a legal mechanism for requesting unreleased information and documents controlled by the United States government. FOIA requests are a method that sophisticated government contractors use to learn more about existing contracts or grants to better position themselves for future opportunities.
HigherGov makes it easy for anyone to quickly and easily obtain information through a FOIA request. When you submit a FOIA request through HigherGov, we request:
1. **Statement of Work:** Typically includes required and optional tasks and a schedule of deliverables for an existing contract. Note that pricing details may be redacted by the government prior to release.
2. **Bidders Lists:** See who submitted a bid or application for a contract or grant.
3. **Winning Proposal (State and Local Only)**: The proposal submitted by the winning contractor. Note that per Federal regulations, the winning proposal will not be disclosed for Federal FOIA requests. Winning proposals are often disclosable in State and Local markets, though availability will vary based on jurisdiction.
{% hint style="info" %}
In order to submit a FOIA request, you must have an annual HigherGov subscription.
{% endhint %}
### Benefits of the HigherGov FOIA Service
There are many benefits to submitting FOIA requests through HigherGov:
1. **Fast and Easy**: We do all the work to identify and coordinate with the proper government agency and use our experience to get the most information possible as quickly as possible so you can focus on other aspects of business development.
2. **Anonymous**: When you submit a FOIA request through HigherGov, we make the request in our own name, which prevents competitors or teaming members from determining that you are the one who made the request.
3. **Don't Annoy Your Customer**: Since HigherGov is the entity making the request, you reduce the risk of annoying your agency customer with the FOIA request.
4. **HigherGov Records Search**: As part of our FOIA service, HigherGov conducts a separate search of public records and our private FOIA library to see if we can unearth any other information or documents that may be useful.
## Process of Submitting a Request Through HigherGov
### Finding an Existing Contract or Grant
**Starting Request from Detail Page**: All IDV, Prime Contract, and Grant pages have a button in the upper right-hand corner that allows you to quickly start a request from that page. 
**Starting Request from FOIA Page:** Alternatively, you can start the search from the FOIA tool by going to *Tools --> FOIA* in the sidebar, selecting **Contract**, **IDV**, or **Grant** and entering the award ID.
If you are having a difficult time finding the contract or grant that you would like to make a request for, please do not hesitate to contact us in the chat.
### Submitting a request
The only information required to submit a FOIA request is the Award ID, which we can use to find all of the information necessary to submit the FOIA request. You can optionally submit the following additional information:
* **Include**: Indicate the information you would like us to request as part of the FOIA request
* **Budget**: While most FOIA requests have government costs between $0-100, we recommend setting a budget of $100. See Timeframe and Costs below for more details.
* **Comments**: If there is any additional information you would like us to know about your request, please include it here.
### Request Timeframe
Under the law, all federal agencies are required to respond to a FOIA request within 20 business days, unless there are "unusual circumstances." While we work with agencies to get information as fast as possible, we recommend submitting a FOIA request as early as possible to ensure that you receive the documentation in a timely manner. Typically response times vary from 1-6 months depending on the agency, but in some cases can take as long as a year.
### Fees
HigherGov charges a flat fee of $50 for making a FOIA request (for Standard and Leader subscribers, see waivers section below). In addition, the federal government charges fees for searching for documents, typically at a rate of $25-75 per hour.
When submitting a FOIA request, HigherGov allows you to set a Budget to expedite your request. If you do not set a budget, we will try to get an estimate from the federal agency and seek your approval before continuing with the request, which may extend the timeframe.
{% hint style="info" %}
While most FOIA requests cost less, we strongly recommend setting a budget of at least $100 for your request to prevent any delays.
{% endhint %}
### Fee Waivers
HigherGov will waive its fee for a limited number of FOIA requests per subscription year, depending on the subscription plan:
* Starter: 0
* Standard: 3
* Leader: 10
The total number of waivers remaining on your account will appear beneath the HigherGov Fee section on the FOIA Request page.
# Single Sign-On
{% hint style="info" %}
Single Sign-On requires a Standard or Leader plan subscription. If you would like to upgrade or learn more, please [contact us](mailto:contact@highergov.com).
{% endhint %}
Single Sign-On improves security and convenience by letting users access HigherGov with their organization-managed credentials while centralizing authentication, access control, and user offboarding.
HigherGov supports secure Single Sign-On using:
* Microsoft Azure / Entra ID
* Okta
SSO is configured for your organization using a secure, single-tenant setup. Your identity provider administrator controls which users or groups are allowed to access HigherGov.
### How to Request SSO Setup
1. Go to your Account Settings page:
2. In the Single Sign-On Setup section, select either Azure or Okta.
3. Follow the displayed instructions and send the requested setup values to:
[sso@highergov.com](https://platform.openai.com/chat/edit?mode=chat\&models=gpt-5.5)
### After You Send the Information
Once we receive the required SSO details, the HigherGov team will complete the configuration on our side and follow up with you when SSO has been enabled for your account within 24 hours.
# Data Sources
HigherGov is the most comprehensive source of U.S. government data
HigherGov aggregates and enriches data from hundreds of thousands of sources including public data and proprietary analysis not available anywhere else–providing complete visibility into the government market. If you have any questions about our data that are not addressed below, please [contact us](mailto:contact@highergov.com).
## Public Data Sources
#### Federal
HigherGov covers opportunities from all public federal sources, including SAM.GOV, GRANTS.GOV, DIBBS, PIIE, NECO, SBIR.GOV, JCCS, NIH Bid Boards, and others. HigherGov also tracks upcoming recompetes and expected acquisitions on major contracting vehicles. We also track agency forecasts from more than 70 agency sources, such as APFS (for DHS), Acquisition Gateway (for GSA), and LRAFs/LRAEs (dozens of Department of Defense agencies).
Major data sources for award and awardee data include FPDS, FSRS, USASpending, DSBS, GSA Advantage, and others. We also collect supplemental data from hundreds of additional sources, including Labor Rate disclosures, DoD Budget details, agency grant programs, and more.
Please see the Public Records Requests and Human and AI Analysts sections below for more details on other Federal data sources.
#### State and Local
HigherGov tracks opportunities for more than 60,000 agencies in all 50 states, territories, and Washington D.C. Our coverage includes the entire SLED market, including State, Local, and Education agencies, as well as public utilities, hospital systems, and other public and quasi-public organizations.
State and local agencies post opportunities to statewide sites in select states (Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts), third-party vendor portals, their own websites, and physical newspapers.
HigherGov also tracks city, county, and school board meetings, inter-agency grant flows, and expiring contracts to forecast hundreds of thousands of shapable opportunities annually before they are publicly released.
## Public Records Requests (Quasi-Public)
Every year HigherGov submits thousands of public records requests to obtain critical market intelligence that is not otherwise publicly available. This data is integrated throughout HigherGov to provide our users with insights not available to other contractors.
Examples of data obtained by public records requests include historical award documents, contract-level labor rate data, and state and local award purchase orders.
HigherGov subscribers can also anonymously submit their own public records requests through HigherGov. Learn more about our [FOIA Service](/more/foia-service).
## Human and AI Analysts
#### Human Analysis
HigherGov's analysts develop proprietary datasets, such as our M\&A and Capital Markets data (available to Leader Plan subscribers), and produce dozens of research reports every year on critical topics. Our analysts can also support subscribers with custom data requests and with contracting officer outreach.
#### AI Analysis
HigherGov also uses AI to enhance government data, filling in missing data, extracting insights from deep inside documents, and creating insights between records. Examples of AI-supported data include finding incumbents and likely bidders for contract and grant opportunities and our analysis of board meeting minutes.
## Task Orders
Standard and Leader Plan subscribers can integrate live task-order opportunities for vehicles where they hold a prime position. We support most major contract vehicles with the most popular being GSA eBuy (Multiple Award Schedule, OASIS+, Others).
More information on Task Order integration is available [here](/import-and-export/task-order-integration).
# FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
## What do the Export Limits Mean?
Export limits apply only on a per-search basis. HigherGov has no monthly or team limits on the total number of records you can export. For example, if your plan has an export limit of 20,000 records, you can export up to 20,000 records per search, as many times as you like.
Please see our [pricing plans](https://www.highergov.com/pricing/) for our current download limits.
## What are Your Data Sources?
Please see an explanation of primary data sources [here](/more/data-sources).
## How Often is Data Updated?
Data from major sources is updated every 15 minutes. Certain data sources may be updated less frequently, depending on government agency availability (for example, many agencies release acquisition forecasts only once a quarter).
## Who are your subscribers?
HigherGov supports everyone from companies entering the government market for the first time to a large percentage of the top 100 largest government contractors. In total, our users were awarded over $200 billion in government awards in 2025. We also support industry consultants, non-profits, government agencies, leaders, and investors in the government market.
## Does HigherGov Offer Single Sign-On (SSO)?
Yes, SSO is available for Standard and Leader Plan subscribers. If you'd like to set up SSO for your organization, please contact us.
## What if I Have a Custom Research Request?
While the vast majority of research use cases can be completed in our platform, if you have a unique or niche need, our analysts would be happy to discuss. Please [contact us](mailto:contact@highergov.com) if you have any questions.
## Do You Accept Payment Methods Besides Credit Cards?
We also accept payment through ACH or wire transfer. Please [contact us](mailto:contact@highergov.com), if you require assistance.