# SpendQuery > SpendQuery is a free search engine for US federal spending, contracts and FAR clauses, built on USAspending.gov and SAM.gov data. It answers questions about US government spending and contracting in plain English. Data: federal prime awards from USAspending.gov since FY2023 (contracts, grants, loans and direct payments; amounts are obligations, money committed), open SAM.gov contract notices, the FAR and DFARS, SBA rules, and state and city checkbooks and bids. Most sources refresh daily; every page shows its source and as-of date. Free, no sign-in. - [Ask a question](https://spendquery.com/): any spending question in plain English, answered with the query, the SQL and the caveats ## Look up a company - `/company?key=`: a company's federal obligations by fiscal year, its agencies, NAICS codes, largest awards, subcontracts and SAM.gov registration (UEI is the 12-character SAM.gov ID) - `/registration?uei=`: a business's public SAM.gov registration: name, address, NAICS codes, certifications, CAGE code - `/award?id=`: one award: what it's for, who got it, the money by year, every action, terms and subawards - [Vendor finder](https://spendquery.com/vendors): which companies win work by industry, product, agency or state - [Suppliers](https://spendquery.com/suppliers): who supplies a product or service to the government ## Federal contracts by agency or place - [Federal contracts](https://spendquery.com/federal-contracts): contract obligations nationally, by state and by agency - `/federal-contracts/`: a state's federal contracts: top contractors, agencies, industries and open bids (e.g. /federal-contracts/texas) - `/federal-contracts/agency/`: an agency's contracts: its contractors, what it buys, where, and open notices - `/agency?code=`: an agency's contracts, grants and other awards by year, recipient and place - `/place?code=`: federal money for work in a state or county, per resident and by agency - `/office?code=`: what one contracting office buys, from whom, and how competitive its contracts are - `/naics/`: who buys an industry's work and who wins it - `/government-contracts/`: contracts in a line of work (janitorial, HVAC, IT services…): buyers, winners, open bids, set-aside share - `/award-size/[/]`: how big contracts in an industry usually are (median and percentiles) - `/program?id=`: one grant or assistance program: money by year, states and recipients - `/topic?t=`: spending on a topic (cybersecurity, AI…): buyers, suppliers and contracts - [Open opportunities](https://spendquery.com/opportunities): open SAM.gov contract notices; each notice's brief is /brief?notice= - [Contracts ending soon](https://spendquery.com/recompetes): contracts ending in the next 12–24 months, with the incumbent ## FAR and DFARS clauses - [FAR and DFARS navigator](https://spendquery.com/far): every part and section of the FAR and DFARS - `/far/
`: one FAR or DFARS section or clause with a plain-English summary, when it applies and the official text link (e.g. /far/52.204-21) - [Search the rules](https://spendquery.com/documents): cited answers from the FAR, DFARS, SBA rules, Federal Register rules and executive orders - [Rule changes](https://spendquery.com/rules): proposed and final acquisition rules, comment deadlines and effective dates ## Set-asides and small business - [Set-asides](https://spendquery.com/set-asides): small-business set-aside programs and the money that goes through them - `/set-asides/<8a|hubzone|women-owned|veteran-owned|minority-owned>`: one program: who qualifies, the money, the agencies and the winners - `/set-asides//`: one program in one state - [Size standard checker](https://spendquery.com/tools/size-standard): the SBA size standard for a NAICS code - [NAICS finder](https://spendquery.com/tools/naics-finder): which NAICS codes fit a business - [Bid/no-bid check](https://spendquery.com/tools/bid-no-bid): whether a notice fits a business - [Capability statement builder](https://spendquery.com/tools/capability-statement): a one-page capability statement from a UEI's public records ## Guides - [How to find government contracts](https://spendquery.com/guides/how-to-find-government-contracts): Where federal, state and local governments post contract opportunities, how to search them, and how past awards point to the buyers for what you sell. - [What is a small business set-aside?](https://spendquery.com/guides/small-business-set-asides): How federal small-business set-asides work: the rule of two, total and partial set-asides, and the 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB and WOSB programs. - [How to read a SAM.gov contract notice](https://spendquery.com/guides/how-to-read-a-sam-gov-notice): SAM.gov notice types (sources sought, presolicitation, solicitation, award), the fields that matter, and what to read in a solicitation before you bid. - [How to register in SAM.gov](https://spendquery.com/guides/how-to-register-in-sam-gov): What SAM.gov registration is, what you need before you start, the Unique Entity ID and CAGE code, and keeping the registration active. - [NAICS codes and small-business size standards](https://spendquery.com/guides/naics-codes-and-size-standards): What NAICS codes are, how they decide whether you count as small for a federal contract, and how to pick the codes for your business. - [Federal contract types, explained](https://spendquery.com/guides/federal-contract-types): Firm-fixed-price, cost-reimbursement and time-and-materials contracts, IDIQs, BPAs, GSA Schedules and GWACs: what each means for the contractor. - [How to market your business to government buyers](https://spendquery.com/guides/how-to-market-to-government-buyers): Find the agencies and offices that buy what you sell, reach them before the solicitation, and use small-business offices, primes and capability statements. - [Sole-source contracts for small businesses](https://spendquery.com/guides/sole-source-contracts-for-small-businesses): When an agency can award a contract to one small business without competition: the 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB and WOSB sole-source rules and what they require. - [Joint ventures and the SBA Mentor-Protégé Program](https://spendquery.com/guides/joint-ventures-and-mentor-protege): How small businesses team up for bigger federal contracts: joint ventures, the SBA Mentor-Protégé Program, and teaming as prime and subcontractor. - [Size protests and certificates of competency](https://spendquery.com/guides/size-protests-and-certificates-of-competency): What happens when a small business's size or status is challenged after an award, and how SBA's Certificate of Competency protects small businesses. - [How to decide whether to bid on a government contract](https://spendquery.com/guides/bid-no-bid-decision): A practical bid/no-bid check for small contractors: eligibility, fit, the incumbent and competition, time and price, and when to answer an RFI instead. - [How to find federal grants](https://spendquery.com/guides/how-to-find-federal-grants): Where federal grants are posted, who can apply, the registration you need, and how past awards show your chances before you write an application. - [The federal fiscal year-end spending rush](https://spendquery.com/guides/federal-fiscal-year-end-spending): Why federal agencies award so many contracts in September, how appropriations drive it, and how contractors prepare for the busiest buying season. - [What are the easiest government contracts to get?](https://spendquery.com/guides/easiest-government-contracts-to-get): Where companies won their first federal contract in FY2026: the agencies, lines of work and set-asides, and the rules that make small buys easier to win. - [FY2026 federal contract spending: which agencies grew and shrank](https://spendquery.com/guides/fy2026-federal-contract-spending): FY2026 federal contract obligations against FY2025 by agency: Homeland Security nearly tripled, USAID fell by three quarters, civilian agencies rose. - [Government contract lists: open bids, awards and small business](https://spendquery.com/guides/government-contracts-lists): Where to find lists of government contracts: open bids, contracts already awarded, small-business contracts and contracts ending soon, at every level. - [Who buys janitorial services from the federal government](https://spendquery.com/guides/who-buys-janitorial-services): In FY2025 agencies obligated $2.11 billion on janitorial contracts (NAICS 561720): Defense bought 58%, small businesses got 32%, 1,551 companies won. - [How government contractors get paid: timing, invoices and factoring](https://spendquery.com/guides/how-government-contractors-get-paid): When federal payments arrive under the Prompt Payment Act, how to invoice so payment isn't delayed, how factoring works, and why award value isn't profit. - [How to respond to RFIs and sources-sought notices](https://spendquery.com/guides/how-to-respond-to-rfis-and-sources-sought): An RFI or sources-sought notice is market research, not a solicitation: what agencies use your answer for, what to include, and how it shapes a set-aside. - [How to start a government contracting business from scratch](https://spendquery.com/guides/how-to-start-a-government-contracting-business): Before your first bid: a legal structure, an EIN and bank account, SAM.gov registration, NAICS codes, insurance and bonding, working capital and free help. - [Subcontracting on federal contracts: finding and vetting subs](https://spendquery.com/guides/subcontracting-on-federal-contracts): How much of a set-aside you can subcontract, where to find subs, the wage and payment rules that flow down, and how to vet a subcontractor before you sign. - [Who won federal IT support contracts in your state](https://spendquery.com/guides/who-won-federal-it-contracts-in-your-state): Agencies obligated $70.9 billion on IT services contracts in FY2025, 69% in Virginia, Maryland and DC. How to see who won federal IT work in any state. - [A free tool to ask government spending questions in plain English](https://spendquery.com/guides/ask-government-spending-questions-in-plain-english): Ask about federal contracts, grants, open bids and state and city spending in plain English, free and with no sign-up, with the query behind every number. - [How to find federal bids your small business qualifies for](https://spendquery.com/guides/find-federal-solicitations-you-qualify-for): Qualifying for a federal bid comes down to the notice's NAICS code and set-aside: how to check both, rank what's left by fit, and decide what to bid. - [How to find which federal agencies buy your product or service](https://spendquery.com/guides/which-agencies-buy-your-product-or-service): Start from your codes, rank the agencies and offices that spent on that work, then find what's open. Worked example: office furniture, $212M from Defense. - [Free tools to search state and local government contracts](https://spendquery.com/guides/free-state-and-local-government-bid-search): No free tool covers every state and city bid. What to combine: SpendQuery's state and local search, state portals, city bid platforms and checkbooks. - [How to understand the FAR without reading all of it](https://spendquery.com/guides/understand-the-far-without-reading-it-all): The FAR has 51 parts and 3,399 sections: which parts to read first, how to find the section you need, and plain-English guides cited to the text. - [Supplier databases in government buying: how to get listed](https://spendquery.com/guides/supplier-database): Where government buyers look for vendors (SAM.gov, SBA's Small Business Search, primes' supplier portals, state vendor lists) and how to be found in each. - [What is a CAGE code?](https://spendquery.com/guides/what-is-a-cage-code): A CAGE code is a five-character ID the Defense Logistics Agency assigns to businesses that work with the federal government. How to get one, how to look one up, and how it differs from a UEI. - [How do I get a UEI number?](https://spendquery.com/guides/how-to-get-a-uei-number): The Unique Entity ID (UEI) is the free 12-character ID SAM.gov assigns to every business that works with the federal government. How to get one, with or without full registration. - [What is a capability statement?](https://spendquery.com/guides/what-is-a-capability-statement): A capability statement is a one-page summary of what a business does for government buyers: core competencies, past performance, differentiators and company data. What goes in it and when it's used. - [Government contracting certifications: which ones you need](https://spendquery.com/guides/government-contracting-certifications): Every certification a business meets in government contracting: what SAM.gov asks you to say yourself, the SBA programs (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, EDWOSB, SDVOSB, VOSB), CMMC and clearances, and state and local MBE, WBE and DBE. ## Data access (MCP server) - [MCP connector and data API](https://spendquery.com/developers): a free, read-only remote MCP server at https://api.spendquery.com/mcp (no sign-in; tools get_catalog, run_plan, search_codes, search_recipients, browse_codes, get_notice, size_standard, naics_finder, vehicle_match, search_local_bids, sbir_awards, search_far, get_far_section) ## About - [About SpendQuery](https://spendquery.com/about): who runs it, who it's for, contact - [What is SpendQuery?](https://spendquery.com/what-is-spendquery): a short fact sheet - [Sources and limits](https://spendquery.com/sources): every dataset, its coverage and refresh schedule - [Data accuracy](https://spendquery.com/accuracy): totals compared with USAspending.gov - [Methods](https://spendquery.com/methods): how answers and AI summaries are made - [Feed](https://spendquery.com/feed.xml): new guides and features (RSS)