Atlanta Public Schools—Roofing replacement — three campuses·~$1.5M–$2M·DBE encouraged·CLOSES JUL 15GDOT—Sidewalk & ADA ramp installation·~$400K–$650K·Small business set-aside·CLOSES JUN 30City of Alpharetta—Municipal facility interior renovation·~$250K–$400K·EBO/SBO eligible·CLOSES JUL 8U.S. GSA—Federal building HVAC modernization·~$1M–$1.4M·8(a) set-aside·CLOSES AUG 1MARTA—Station concrete repair & waterproofing·~$600K–$900K·DBE goal 18%·CLOSES JUL 22Fulton County—Parks restroom & shelter construction·~$300K–$500K·Local small business·CLOSES JUL 12Rolling Opportunities — Updated Weekly · Members Get The Links
Atlanta Public Schools—Roofing replacement — three campuses·~$1.5M–$2M·DBE encouraged·CLOSES JUL 15GDOT—Sidewalk & ADA ramp installation·~$400K–$650K·Small business set-aside·CLOSES JUN 30City of Alpharetta—Municipal facility interior renovation·~$250K–$400K·EBO/SBO eligible·CLOSES JUL 8U.S. GSA—Federal building HVAC modernization·~$1M–$1.4M·8(a) set-aside·CLOSES AUG 1MARTA—Station concrete repair & waterproofing·~$600K–$900K·DBE goal 18%·CLOSES JUL 22Fulton County—Parks restroom & shelter construction·~$300K–$500K·Local small business·CLOSES JUL 12Rolling Opportunities — Updated Weekly · Members Get The Links
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Hidden Opportunities

The work most contractors never hear about.

3 pieces in this section

Did you knowThe U.S. federal government spends over $200 billion a year on construction — and 25% of that is set-aside for qualifying businesses.Did you knowThe Prompt Payment Act requires federal agencies to pay contractors within 30 days. Interest accrues automatically after that.Did you knowEvery state issues its own DBE certification. Some honor reciprocity. Most don't.Did you knowSection 3 has been federal law since 1968. Most people who qualify have never heard of it.Did you knowInvoice factoring doesn't appear on a credit report. It's not a loan.Did you knowThe SBA runs a bond guarantee program for contractors who can't get bonded conventionally. Most applicants never apply.
Did you knowThe U.S. federal government spends over $200 billion a year on construction — and 25% of that is set-aside for qualifying businesses.Did you knowThe Prompt Payment Act requires federal agencies to pay contractors within 30 days. Interest accrues automatically after that.Did you knowEvery state issues its own DBE certification. Some honor reciprocity. Most don't.Did you knowSection 3 has been federal law since 1968. Most people who qualify have never heard of it.Did you knowInvoice factoring doesn't appear on a credit report. It's not a loan.Did you knowThe SBA runs a bond guarantee program for contractors who can't get bonded conventionally. Most applicants never apply.
07

The Federal Set-Aside Programs Most Contractors Never Claim

The federal government sets aside hundreds of billions of dollars in contracts every year for businesses that qualify for specific designations. Women-owned, economically disadvantaged, service-disabled veteran-owned, HUBZone-located, minority-owned, 8(a)-certified — each of these is a separate program with its own application, its own benefits, and its own pool of contracts.

Most contractors who qualify for one or more of these designations never apply, because the application process is intimidating and the benefits are abstract until you're inside the system.

Here's the math: a contractor who certifies into the right set-aside program isn't competing with every contractor in America. They're competing only with other certified contractors — sometimes only a handful of them. The same contractor who couldn't win an open contract can win a set-aside contract worth ten times more.

Want to know which set-aside you qualify for and what the application actually requires? Members get the breakdown for each program.
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08

Section 3: The HUD Program That Hires Where You Live

Whenever the Department of Housing and Urban Development funds a project — public housing renovation, community development, infrastructure in lower-income neighborhoods — federal law requires the project to direct hiring and contracting toward people who live in those neighborhoods.

That program is called Section 3. It's been federal law since 1968. Most people who qualify have never heard of it.

If a person or business meets the income threshold or lives in the designated geography, they can self-certify as a Section 3 worker or Section 3 business. Once certified, they appear on lists that contractors and agencies are required to consider first when hiring.

The certification is free. The benefits compound over years.

Want to know how to self-certify, find Section 3 contracts in your area, and stack the qualification with other set-asides? Members get the path.
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09

The Local Contracts Nobody's Looking At

Every city, county, school district, water authority, and transit agency in America buys construction services. Most do it through a procurement website most contractors have never visited.

The federal SAM.gov website gets the attention because the dollar amounts are big. But the federal contracts are also fiercely competitive — every contractor in the country can see them.

Local procurement portals have far less competition. The contracts are smaller. The competition is local. The wins are more frequent. Many small contractors build their entire business on local contracts and never bid a single federal job.

Most new contractors don't know their own city's procurement portal exists.

Want to know which local portals to monitor in your region — and how to filter the noise to find the right contracts every week? Members get the playbook.
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