What are the easiest government contracts to get?

Where companies actually won their first federal contract in fiscal year 2026: the agencies, the lines of work and the set-asides, with the rules that make small purchases easier to win.

The short answer

No contract is easy, but some are far easier to win as a newcomer: small purchases that agencies must reserve for small businesses, local service and repair work where a nearby company has the edge, and the agencies and lines of work where thousands of companies won their first contract last year. In fiscal year 2026 (October 2025 to September 2026) more than 7,000 companies won their first federal contract of $10,000 or more, by SpendQuery's count of USAspending.gov records.

Small purchases are reserved for small businesses

Purchases above the micro-purchase threshold ($15,000) and up to the simplified acquisition threshold ($350,000) are generally reserved for small businesses when two or more are expected to offer a fair price (FAR 19.502-2). They are bought under simplified procedures with shorter solicitations and faster decisions, which is why most first wins are small. Purchases under $15,000 are often made with a government purchase card, with no solicitation at all: being known to the local office matters there.

The agencies where most first wins happened

Companies winning their first federal contract in fiscal year 2026, by the agency that awarded it:

Department of Defense: 2,332 companies
Department of the Interior: 1,111
Department of Agriculture: 887
Department of Veterans Affairs: 704
Department of Homeland Security: 596
Department of State: 566

The lines of work where most first wins happened

By industry (NAICS code), the most first-time winners in fiscal year 2026 were in research and development (328 companies; it is the field SBIR and STTR awards fund), other professional and technical services (314) and support activities for forestry (253: wildland fire crews, tree planting and similar field work). Then came the building trades and local services:

Plumbing, heating and air conditioning: 219 companies
Commercial and institutional building construction: 212
Hotels and motels: 199 (lodging bought by agencies)
Landscaping: 137
Electrical: 132
Commercial and industrial equipment repair: 124
Other computer-related services: 120
Engineering services: 111
Janitorial services: 96
Professional and management training: 89

Set-asides help, and most first wins still had none

Of the companies with a first win in fiscal year 2026, 2,956 won it on a contract set aside for small businesses, 188 on a service-disabled veteran-owned set-aside, 72 through the 8(a) program, 25 on a women-owned set-aside and 5 on a HUBZone set-aside. Another 3,867 won a contract with no set-aside at all, often small local purchases. A company can appear in more than one group.

Certifications narrow the competition, but they don't replace the basics: an active SAM.gov registration, the right NAICS codes, and offers that answer exactly what the solicitation asks.

Other ways in

Subcontract to a prime contractor that already holds the work; the primes listed on SpendQuery's industry pages are the companies to approach.
Look at contracts ending soon in your line of work: the follow-on is often solicited 6 to 12 months ahead, and you can prepare before the notice appears.
For research-driven companies, SBIR and STTR awards are reserved for small businesses and don't require past federal work.

How these numbers were counted

A first win is a company's first contract of $10,000 or more in SpendQuery's data, which starts with fiscal year 2023, counted by parent company; a new joint venture counts as a new company. The Department of Defense publishes its contracts about 90 days late, so its fiscal 2026 count will still rise.

On SpendQuery

Official sources

Questions people ask

What is the easiest government contract to get?

Small purchases between $15,000 and $350,000, which are generally reserved for small businesses, and local service, repair and construction work where being nearby helps. In fiscal year 2026 the most first-time winners were in research and development, professional services, forestry support, the building trades, landscaping and janitorial work.

Can a new business win a government contract?

Yes. More than 7,000 companies won their first federal contract of $10,000 or more in fiscal year 2026. Register in SAM.gov first, then start with small purchases, set-asides you qualify for, or subcontracts.

Do I need a certification to win a small business set-aside?

For a total small business set-aside you only need to be small under the NAICS code's size standard and say so in SAM.gov. The 8(a), HUBZone, women-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned programs need their own certification.

More guides

Updated 2026-10-18. General information, not legal advice; the solicitation and the FAR govern each purchase.