Business Idea
Define what the business will provide, who it will serve, and where its products or services may fit within the government marketplace.
Practical training for government employees, contractors, entrepreneurs, and businesses — turning government requirements, procedures, contracting concepts, and workplace responsibilities into knowledge you can put to work.
Government work and government contracting require different knowledge. Choose the path that matches what you need to do.
Practical training for employees, supervisors, managers, contractors, and professionals working under government requirements, procedures, and workplace responsibilities.
Explore Workforce Training →Learn the pathway from establishing a business through registration, contracting readiness, opportunity research, solicitations, bidding, and contract administration.
Start Your Contracting Path →Government contracting is not just about finding a bid. Businesses first need to understand how they are structured, identified, registered, prepared to compete, and ready to perform.
Define what the business will provide, who it will serve, and where its products or services may fit within the government marketplace.
Understand business structure, licensing, and the formation choices that may apply to the business.
Consider how the business name, brand, and other intellectual-property assets fit into the company's longer-term strategy.
Determine how the products or services offered by the business need to be identified and described for the markets it intends to pursue.
Learn the federal entity-registration process and the identifiers businesses encounter when preparing to pursue federal contracting opportunities.
Learn how to research opportunities, understand solicitation requirements, and prepare to compete for government work.
Winning work is not the end of the process. Contractors must understand their responsibilities after an award and throughout contract performance.
Business structure, location, products or services, contracting goals, and the opportunity being pursued can affect which requirements apply.
WE TEACH THE PATHWAY. WE ALSO TEACH THE BRANCHES.™GovClass™ Academy turns each stage of the pathway into practical instruction you can understand, check, and put into practice.
Explore GovClass™ Courses →Older government-contracting books, videos, checklists, and training materials may tell businesses to obtain a DUNS Number. That terminology reflects the former federal identification system.
The federal government previously used the DUNS Number as the unique identifier for entities doing business with the federal government.
The federal government now uses the Unique Entity ID generated through SAM.gov as its authoritative entity identifier.
Understanding the old terminology matters because government contractors may still encounter older documents, training materials, conversations, and business records that reference DUNS.
Registration and identification are part of contracting readiness, not the entire process. Businesses must still understand the requirements of the opportunities they intend to pursue.
GovClass™ organizes government contracting education around seven stages — from developing the business foundation through competing for opportunities and performing government contracts.
Begin by understanding the government marketplace and identifying where a business, product, or service may fit.
Learn how business structure, formation, and licensing considerations fit into government contracting readiness.
Understand the role of business names, brands, trademarks, and intellectual-property considerations as a business grows.
Learn to define and describe what the business provides and understand product-identification concepts that may apply to the markets it intends to pursue.
Understand the federal entity-registration process and the identifiers businesses encounter when preparing to pursue federal contracting opportunities.
Develop the knowledge needed to research opportunities, understand solicitation requirements, and prepare to compete for government work.
Continue beyond award into contract administration, performance responsibilities, documentation, and compliance.
The Starter Series introduces learners to the complete Government Contractor Pathway™ by providing one foundation course for each stage.
Start with a foundation course or continue deeper into a specific stage of the Government Contractor Pathway™.
Explore Available Courses →“GovClass™ turns government requirements, procedures, contracting concepts, and workplace responsibilities into practical knowledge you can put to work.”
