This page provides how-to instructions for delving into United States Department of Defense (U.S. DoD) contracting data to identify who in the U.S. DoD buys your products and services. This will help you understand how your offerings align with U.S. DoD mission requirements and budget priorities.
The U.S. DoD is a massive organization with multiple agencies, commands, and procurement offices, each with specific needs and purchasing authorities.
Identifying the right buyers will help your business target your marketing, business development, and proposal writing efforts.
U.S. contract data to explore
Look for early buying signals
Every federal agency, including the U.S. DoD, publishes acquisition forecasts, pre-solicitation activities, and formal ways to engage with your buyer before the formal solicitation process even starts.
See who has bought your product or service in the past
After the solicitation is issued and the contract is awarded, the data about the contracts that have been awarded. This gives you the buyers you need to start building relationships with before the next buying cycle starts over again.
The 208 data fields in U.S. federal contract data tell a story of who buys what you do (your future customers), where the work will likely be done (your competitors), when the current contract is complete (when a new solicitation is likely to happen), and much more.
Position your offering for the next buying cycle
If you know when a contract expires, you can start working 6, 12, or 18 months before the next solicitation. By building relationships, you can gain insight into how the buying requirements are evolving and build relationships with all the players in the U.S. DoD buying process.
Using SAM.gov Standard Reports to find procurement history
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Log in to SAM.gov
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Select Data Bank
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Select Contract Data under Show Reports For
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Select Standard Report type.
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Under Standard Reports, select Procurement History for Market Research.
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Select Date Range
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Enter your Product Service Code (PSC). You can also further filter by adding Description of Requirement, Organization, and Contracting Office Region.
The report will give you an overview of the contracts awarded, the requirements description and total dollars for awarded contracts that match your search criteria. Note that U.S. DoD report data that are funded by U.S. DoD are delayed 90 days for non-U.S. DoD users.
Using Awarded Contracts in SAM.gov
Here is another way to look at past contracting branches, departments and program offices:
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Log in to SAM.gov
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Select Search
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Select Contracting Domains.
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You can refine your search by entering specific Keyword, selecting Federal Organizations, Dates, Place of performance, and Contract awardee. The system will automatically update search results as you add/remove filters.
The list will provide the Departments, Subtiers, and Offices that have purchased products and services using the search criteria provided.
Using SAM.gov to find past Solicitations
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Log in to SAM.gov
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Select Search
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Select Contracting Domains
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Select Contract Opportunities
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Select Solicitation as Notice Type
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Select Inactive for Status
This will provide a list of past solicitations (i.e. RFPs, RFQs, etc.) that match your criteria.
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Select a Solicitation title and the system will provide information like Primary Point of Contact and Document Attachments that will often include the original solicitation
Find agency Recurring Procurement Forecasts
Agency Recurring Procurement Forecasts provide insights into U.S. DoD and other federal agencies’ anticipated procurement needs. These forecasts help businesses identify upcoming opportunities, align their capabilities with government requirements, and strategically plan for bids and proposals.
Each federal agency publishes procurement forecasts to improve transparency and help companies navigate government contracting. These forecasts typically outline expected contract opportunities, funding estimates, acquisition strategies, and key points of contact. While not guaranteeing future contracts, they are valuable planning tools for companies seeking government procurement.
Here is where you can find these forecasts: Agency Recurring Procurement Forecasts | Acquisition.GOV.
Here are other ways to find agencies that will buy your products
Next step: Assess price and performance requirements for U.S. DoD