Five federal programs—SBIR, DIU, AFWERX, xTech, and GSA Schedule—were designed for companies with zero government experience.
From the outside, selling to the federal government looks like breaking into a fortress. Dense regulations. Acronym-heavy processes. Multi-year timelines. Incumbents who seem to have permanent residency.
But here's what nobody tells first-timers: the government built specific programs to bring you in. Not as a favor—because they need what you have and their existing vendor pool can't always deliver it.
Five programs are worth knowing. Each one was designed for companies with zero government experience.
The Small Business Innovation Research program funds early-stage R&D through phased awards: Phase I (~$250K) validates feasibility, Phase II (~$1M) funds prototype development. Eleven federal agencies participate.
The key thing to understand: this isn't a traditional government contract. The application process is closer to writing a research proposal than a government bid. No prior contracting experience needed. No FAR compliance headaches. If you have novel technology and can write a compelling technical narrative, you're qualified.
The Defense Innovation Unit's Commercial Solutions Opening uses other transaction authority to prototype commercial technologies for DoD use cases. White paper submissions. No FAR compliance for the prototype phase. Timelines measured in months, not years.
DIU focuses on AI, autonomy, cyber, space, and human systems. If your commercial product has a defense application, this is the shortest distance between your demo and a DoD pilot.
The Air Force and Space Force innovation arms run Open Topics—rolling SBIR solicitations where you propose your own solution rather than responding to a rigid requirement. You define the problem. You define the approach. The government decides if it's worth funding.
For companies whose technology doesn't fit neatly into a predefined government category, Open Topics are the most flexible entry point available.
The Army's xTech competitions are exactly what they sound like—pitch events where companies present technology solutions to Army modernization priorities. Winners get prize money. More importantly, they get direct introductions to the program managers who fund follow-on work.
The real value isn't the prize. It's the relationship.
For companies already selling commercial products or services, a GSA Schedule contract puts you on a pre-approved list that any federal agency can buy from. The application process takes effort, but once you're on schedule, agencies can issue orders without running a full competitive procurement.
For commercial IT, professional services, and SaaS products, this is the most direct path to recurring federal revenue.
Early-stage tech? Start with SBIR or DIU. Mature commercial product? Go straight to GSA Schedule. The common thread: none of these require prior government experience. They were designed for companies exactly like yours.
Outrider helps companies identify which federal entry points match their capabilities—and surfaces the specific opportunities within each program that align with what they build.
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