With a contracting budget of roughly $600 billion per year, the U.S. government is the world’s largest consumer of goods and services. The bulk of these contracts go to large, prime contractors. However, the federal government reserves substantial contracting funds for qualified small businesses, and in some cases requires larger companies to seek them out for partnerships.

This guide answers key questions about:

• The importance of partnering with small businesses
• Why and how the federal government is supporting small businesses
• How to leverage available opportunities.