Federal Government Resources

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Starting and Managing a Business

• U.S. Small Business Administration
  Resources for starting, funding, managing and growing a small business. 
• SBA Business Guide
  Step-by-step guidance for planning, launching and operating a business. 
• IRS Small Business and Self-Employed Center
  Federal tax information, forms, recordkeeping requirements and tools. 
• Apply for an Employer Identification Number
  Obtain an EIN directly from the IRS at no charge. 
• SBA Loans and Lender Match
  Explore SBA-backed financing and connect with participating lenders. 
• SCORE
  Free mentoring, workshops, webinars and business templates. 

Government Contracting

• SBA Federal Contracting Assistance
  Learn about federal contracting, set-aside programs and certifications. 
• SAM.gov Entity Registration
  Register to compete for federal contracts and receive a Unique Entity ID. Registration is free. 
• SAM.gov Contract Opportunities
  Search federal solicitations, notices and contracting opportunities. 
• APEX Accelerators
  Obtain assistance with registration, certifications, market research and contracting. 
• Dynamic Small Business Search
  Search the federal database of small businesses and potential contracting partners. 
• USAspending.gov
  Research agency spending, federal contract awards and award recipients. 
• Acquisition.gov
  Access the Federal Acquisition Regulation and related acquisition guidance. 
• Federal Procurement Data in SAM.gov
  Research federal contract awards and procurement history. 
• Federal Agency Directory
  Find official websites and contact information for federal agencies. 

Grants and Specialized Assistance

• Grants.gov
  Search federal grant programs. Businesses should carefully review eligibility because many grants are limited to governments, nonprofits, educational institutions or specialized programs. 
• Minority Business Development Agency
  Business-development resources and centers serving minority business enterprises. 
• SBA Women-Owned Small Business Program
  Certification and federal contracting information for eligible women-owned businesses. 
• SBA Veteran Contracting Assistance
  Federal certification and contracting resources for veteran-owned businesses. 
• SBA 8(a) Business Development Program
  Business-development and federal contracting assistance for eligible small businesses.