# Government Buyer Outreach Screen (free sample) *By PaperChaseWebb Inc. · 2026-11-03* The buyer channel map and the eight stop questions. The full kit adds the gift and meal rules with common cases, pipeline metrics for long federal cycles, the contact log checker with 27 tests, and agent rules with an owner approval step. --- # Buyer Channel Map Where agencies look for small businesses. The order is not a ranking of how often each one is used. Have the item in the right column ready before you work the channel. | # | Channel | How buyers use it | Have ready | Source | |---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | SAM.gov entity registration | Required to receive most awards; market research starts here | Active registration, accurate NAICS codes, reps and certs current | FAR 4.1102; sam.gov | | 2 | SBA small business search (search.certifications.sba.gov) | Contracting staff search by NAICS, status and keywords to find set-aside candidates | A complete profile with keywords written the way a buyer searches | FAR 19.202-2; sba.gov | | 3 | Contract Opportunities on SAM.gov | Sources sought, RFIs, presolicitations and solicitations over $25,000 are posted here | Saved searches by NAICS and agency; a capability statement to attach | FAR 5.101(a)(1), 5.201 | | 4 | Sources sought and RFI responses | Market research that can decide whether a buy is set aside for small business | A short, specific response to every question asked, on time | FAR 15.201(c), (e); Part 10 | | 5 | Agency small business specialist and OSDBU | Contracting officers are told to contact them to find small firms | A one-page capability statement and a two-line intro tied to that agency's mission | FAR 19.202-2(a) | | 6 | Industry days, small business conferences, presolicitation conferences | Early exchange of information, open to all interested firms | Questions in writing; notes shared with your team the same day | FAR 15.201(c)(1), (8) | | 7 | APEX Accelerators | Free counseling; they know the local buying offices | Your target agency list and NAICS codes | apexaccelerators.us | ## Skip or deprioritize - Cold email sequences to program staff. They rarely reply and cannot award anything. - Paid "access" to officials or lists of personal emails. - Social media DMs to contracting staff about an open notice. ## Before a solicitation is out vs after - **Before:** early exchanges are encouraged. Talk capabilities with program staff, the small business specialist and at industry days (FAR 15.201(a), (c)). - **After release:** the contracting officer is the focal point for every exchange about that buy (FAR 15.201(f)). Questions go in writing, through the channel the solicitation names. --- # Outreach Screen: eight stop questions Answer each one for every planned contact. One **yes** to a stop question means you do not send it. | # | Stop question | Why | Rule | |---|---|---|---| | S01 | Is a solicitation out, and is this contact someone other than the contracting officer about that buy? | After release, the contracting officer is the focal point | FAR 15.201(f) | | S02 | Are you asking for anyone else's pricing, proposal details, or how the evaluation is going? | That is contractor bid or proposal information or source selection information | FAR 3.104-3(b), 3.104-4 | | S03 | Would this mention a job, consulting work or future employment to an official on a live buy? | The official must report the contact and step away from the buy | FAR 3.104-3(c) | | S04 | Is anything of value offered in cash, a bank gift card, travel or lodging? | Never inside the $20 exception | 5 CFR 2635.204(a); FAR 3.101-2 | | S05 | Is the gift or meal worth more than $20 on this occasion? | Over the per occasion limit | 5 CFR 2635.204(a) | | S06 | Would this push gifts to the same person past $50 this calendar year? | Over the yearly limit from one source | 5 CFR 2635.204(a) | | S07 | Is the person an evaluator on the buy? | Evaluation questions go to the contracting officer only | FAR 15.201(f) | | S08 | Is there no dated owner yes before the planned date? | A person approves and sends every contact | House rule | ## Warnings (send only after a second look) - W01 any gift while a solicitation is open, even one inside the limits (5 CFR 2635.201(b) lets employees decline anything that looks bad) - W02 early capability talk with program staff; keep it general and copy the contracting officer if the notice names one - W03 the planned date has passed; log what happened or reschedule ## Who counts as a "prohibited source" Any person or firm that does business or seeks to do business with the employee's agency (5 CFR 2635.203(d)). If you are chasing contracts at that agency, assume you are one. --- ## In the full kit ($19) - README.md - 01-buyer-channel-map.md - 02-outreach-screen.md - 03-gifts-meals-and-events.md - 04-pipeline-metrics.md - contacts.csv - outreach_screen.py - tests/test_outreach_screen.py - AGENTS.md - SOURCES.md - Agent rules for Grok Bot, Claude Code, Codex and Hermes, with the owner approval step > Not legal advice. Check the live FAR, eCFR and the solicitation itself. --- © 2026 PaperChaseWebb Inc. · paperchasewebb.ai · mgmt@paperchasewebb.com