Guide
How to research a federal recompete in 10 minutes
When a federal contract is about to end, the public record already tells you most of what you need to decide whether to go after it. You don't need a paid tool. Here's the 10-minute routine I use, with the Garner, NC cleaning contract from this week's recompete post as the example.
1. Open the award on USAspending.gov
Every listing on Veteran Rebids has a "Public record" link that opens the award on USAspending.gov. You can also search USAspending.gov for the award ID, like 36C24625P1093.
2. Read the three dates
The Dates box near the top has three dates:
- Start date: when the current contract began.
- Current end date: when it ends if the agency does nothing more.
- Potential end date: when it ends if every option is used.
If the current and potential end dates are the same, no options are left. The agency has to buy the work again, extend it some other way, or let it end. If the potential end date is later, the agency can simply use the next option, so treat it as one to watch rather than a sure re-bid.
3. Check the money
The Award Amounts box shows:
- Current award amount: the value of the work so far, including options already used.
- Potential award amount: the value if every option is used.
- Obligated amount: the money actually committed so far. It can lag far behind, so don't use it to size the job.
Divide the current award amount by the years of work for a rough yearly value. Garner comes to about $600,000 a year.
4. Scan the transaction history
Click View Transaction History. Each row is a change to the contract. Rows marked EXERCISE AN OPTION show when the agency renewed it, and how much each year cost. In Garner, the option year was used in June 2026 for $600,270.
5. Open the competition details
Scroll to Additional Information, click Expand All, and find Competition Details:
- Solicitation ID: last time's solicitation number. You'll need it on SAM.gov in step 7.
- Number of offers received: how many companies bid. Garner had 23.
- Set-aside type: who was allowed to bid, like a service-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside.
- Extent competed and solicitation procedures: how it was bought, for example simplified acquisition or full and open competition.
6. Note the office, the place and the wage rules
- Awarding office, under Agency Details, is the contracting office that will most likely run the next buy.
- Place of performance tells you where the work is.
- Subject to Labor Standards: YES, under Legislative Mandates, means Service Contract Act wage rates apply, so you'll price your labor from a wage determination.
7. Find last time's notices on SAM.gov
On SAM.gov, search Contract Opportunities for the solicitation ID. In the filters on the left, tick Inactive under Status as well as Active, because old notices are inactive. You'll usually find the presolicitation or sources-sought notice, the solicitation with its attachments and amendments, and the award notice.
Read the old performance work statement. It's the best preview of what the next one will ask for. The posting dates also show you the agency's timeline. In Garner, the first notice came out about 12 weeks before the work started.
8. Make sure you hear about the next notice
With a free SAM.gov account, you can save a search for the office and your NAICS code (561720 is janitorial, 561730 is landscaping) and get an email when something new posts. Veteran Rebids also matches new SAM.gov notices to the contracts on its list and points them out in the weekly email.
What the record can't tell you
- Dates move. Agencies extend contracts, add short bridge contracts, combine work or cancel it.
- A set-aside last time doesn't guarantee one next time.
- The record won't tell you whether the agency is happy with the current company.
For help with pricing or a proposal, your local APEX Accelerator gives free one-on-one help. More options are on the free help pages.