As of 2024USASpending.gov
Detailed Answer
Federal contract sizes vary dramatically based on contract type, agency, and industry:
**General statistics (approximate):**
- Median contract: ~$150,000
- Mean contract: ~$1-5 million (skewed by large contracts)
- Over 90% of actions under SAT ($250,000)
- Top 100 contracts account for huge portion of total spend
**By contract type:**
- Micro-purchases: Under $10,000
- Simplified acquisitions: $10,000-$250,000
- Standard contracts: $250,000-$10 million
- Major programs: $10 million-$1 billion+
- Mega contracts: $1 billion+ (relatively few, high dollar)
**By industry (typical ranges):**
- IT services: $500K-$50M typical
- Professional services: $200K-$10M typical
- Construction: Wide range, $100K-$500M
- Healthcare: $500K-$100M
- Defense systems: $10M-$100B+
**By small business set-aside:**
- Small business contracts average smaller
- Many fall in $100K-$5M range
- 8(a) contracts often $500K-$10M
- HUBZone contracts typically under $5M
**Entry-level opportunities:**
- Target contracts matching your capacity
- Start with smaller awards to build past performance
- Subcontracting on larger contracts
- Simplified acquisition opportunities
**Finding right-sized opportunities:**
- Filter SAM.gov by estimated value
- Focus on what you can realistically perform
- Build toward larger contracts over time
- Consider agency patterns in your market
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