If you want to sell anything to the US federal government — software, consulting, a voice AI platform — there’s a paperwork gate before there’s a sales conversation. Nobody explains it well in one place, so here’s the short version, from the inside of doing it.
I registered Gravity PRO LLC (the company behind Optima Voice) as a federal contractor this year. Here’s what that actually involves.
Step 1: SAM.gov registration
SAM.gov (System for Award Management) is the front door. Every entity that wants to bid on, or get paid for, a federal contract has to be registered there — free, no third party required, despite what a dozen “SAM registration service” sites will try to sell you.
You’ll need: a UEI (Unique Entity Identifier, issued through SAM.gov itself), basic entity info (legal business name, address, banking details for payment), your NAICS codes (see below), and a point of contact who can be verified.
The registration itself is free. The verification step can take longer than people expect, so don’t leave it until you need it for a specific bid deadline.
Step 2: Pick your NAICS codes
NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) codes tell the government what your business does. They matter more than they sound like they should — they determine which small business size standards apply to you, and which set-aside contracts you’re even eligible to see.
We registered under NAICS 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services), which is broad enough to cover custom AI/software development work. Pick the code that actually matches your primary offering, not the most impressive-sounding one. Contracting officers check.
Step 3: Decide if GSA Schedule is worth it — yet
GSA Schedule (Multiple Award Schedule / MAS) is a pre-negotiated contract vehicle that lets agencies buy from you without running a full competitive procurement each time. It’s the fastest lane into repeat federal business — and also the slowest thing to get onto. The application asks for past performance references, financial documentation, and a fully worked-out pricing structure, and the review is not a quick process.
Our read: it’s worth pursuing, but it’s not the first move. It’s more valuable once you have a contract or two to point to as past performance.
Step 4: Respond to what’s already open
Before GSA Schedule, there’s SAM.gov’s own opportunity listings, and agency-specific RFIs (Requests for Information) — agencies publish these when they’re exploring a category before writing an actual solicitation. Responding to an RFI doesn’t win you a contract, but it puts you on record with the agency’s contracting office before the RFP exists, and it’s a far lower bar than a full proposal.
We responded to a VA RFI on this basis — not because we expected an immediate award, but because being visible early beats being invisible until the RFP drops.
Step 5: Look at non-dilutive funding
If you’re a small business doing genuine R&D, NSF SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grants are worth a serious look before you assume the only path into government is a direct contract. It’s federal money that doesn’t require you to have already won a procurement, and it doesn’t take equity. We’re preparing an application now.
What this adds up to
None of these steps individually gets you a contract. SAM.gov registration, the right NAICS code, an RFI response, an SBIR application — they’re the prerequisites that let you be in the room when a real opportunity shows up. Most small companies skip them because they’re unglamorous paperwork, not because they’re hard. That’s exactly why they’re worth doing early.
If you’re building in GovTech and want to compare notes on any of these steps, I’m happy to talk — reply or reach out directly.
Oleksii Kocherev
CEO, Gravity PRO LLC
Optima Voice — AI Voice Agents for Business & Government
Originally published on Medium.