The U.S. federal government spends over $700 billion every year buying goods and services from outside companies — everything from janitorial supplies and IT systems to fighter jets and medical research. This is called Government Contracting, or 'GovCon.' On top of that, state and local governments award hundreds of billions more. This industry never fully disappears in a recession, pays well, and has clear, learnable rules — which is exactly why it's such a good target for a career or a business.
Two doors into GovCon
- Door 1 — Work FOR the government as an employee (a 'Contracting Officer,' 'Contract Specialist,' 'Contracting Officer's Representative,' etc.) who manages how the government buys things.
- Door 2 — Work WITH the government as a contractor: either as an employee of a company that sells to the government (proposal writer, capture manager, program manager) or as the OWNER of a business that bids on and wins contracts.
This course trains you for both doors. Some modules are federal-employee focused, some are business/contractor focused, and most apply to both.
The key players you'll deal with
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Contracting Officer (CO/KO) | The only government person with legal authority to sign, modify, or terminate a contract. |
| Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) | Monitors day-to-day contractor performance on behalf of the CO. |
| Program/Project Manager (Government side) | Owns the mission need the contract is fulfilling. |
| Prime Contractor | The company that holds the contract directly with the government. |
| Subcontractor | A company that performs work under a prime contractor's contract. |
| Small Business Specialist / OSDBU | Government office that helps small businesses find opportunities. |
NOTE — Why this matters
Every rule in GovCon exists to keep spending fair, competitive, and accountable to taxpayers. Once you understand that principle, most of the confusing rules (FAR clauses, set-asides, protest rights) start to make sense — they're all guardrails against favoritism and waste.
The rulebook: FAR
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is the master rulebook for how the federal government buys things. Agencies also have their own supplements (e.g., DFARS for Defense, GSAR for GSA). You do not need to memorize the FAR — you need to know it exists, know how to look up a clause when a solicitation references it, and know the handful of core concepts covered in this course.