How do architects and engineers win federal contracts?

Under the Brooks Act, agencies announce A-E needs publicly, rank firms on qualifications (usually from SF 330 submissions), and then negotiate a fair and reasonable price with the top-ranked firm.

OASIS+ is a set of six GSA governmentwide IDIQ contracts for non-IT services, with domains such as Management and Advisory and Technical and Engineering. It has no ceiling and a 10-year ordering period, and it is not currently open to state and local governments.

Which GSA schedule SIN covers management consulting?

GSA MAS SIN 541611 covers management and financial consulting, acquisition and grants management support, and business program and project management services.

Does the Service Contract Act apply to consulting?

It applies to federal service contracts over $2,500 for service employees in covered job classes; check the contract's wage determination to see which workers are covered.

How long does it take to sell consulting services to government?

It depends on the size of the purchase and how it's bought. Small purchases under an agency's threshold, or buys through an existing cooperative contract, can move quickly. Purchases that need a formal bid or a new budget line usually take longer, often a full budget cycle.

Can KSG help us sell consulting services to government?

Yes. Kensington Sales Group provides outsourced SDRs who research target agencies, reach the right program owners and purchasing contacts, and book qualified meetings for your sales team. Book a 30-minute call to talk it through.

Selling Consulting Services to Government: A Vendor's Guide

Key takeaways

The federal government committed about $793 billion on contracts in FY2025, and professional support services remained the top services category for defense agencies.
Common ways agencies buy consulting services: GSA MAS SIN 541611, GSA MAS SIN 541330ENG Engineering Services, GSA OASIS+.
Rules to plan for: Brooks Act / qualifications-based selection (FAR 36.601-1), A-E selection and negotiation (FAR Subpart 36.6, SF 330), Service Contract Act.
A contract vehicle or vendor registration makes buying easier, but it doesn't create demand. The vendors that win reach program owners before budgets and bids are set.

Who buys consulting services in government

Purchases of consulting services happen across federal agencies, states, counties, cities, school districts and colleges, hospitals, tribal governments, special districts and public utilities. The people you'll deal with usually include:

Federal program managers and contracting officers
Agency chief financial officers and chief acquisition officers
State and local budget, finance and performance management offices
City managers and county administrators
Public works and transportation departments buying engineering and architect-engineer (A-E) services
University and hospital administration and strategy offices

The purchasing office runs the process, but the program owner who has the problem usually decides what gets bought. Reach both. See government buyer roles for how they work together.

The government consulting services market

The federal government committed about $793 billion on contracts in FY2025, and professional support services remained the top services category for defense agencies. (GAO, A Snapshot of Government-Wide Contracting for FY 2025 (interactive dashboard))

How agencies buy consulting services

Small purchases under an agency's threshold can often be made with a quote or a purchase card. Larger purchases need a formal bid or an existing contract. These are the contract vehicles agencies commonly use for consulting services:

Contract vehicle	What it is
GSA MAS SIN 541611	Management and Financial Consulting, Acquisition and Grants Management Support, and Business Program and Project Management Services.
GSA MAS SIN 541330ENG Engineering Services	Federal schedule SIN for non-IT engineering services, including construction management services as a subgroup.
GSA OASIS+	Six governmentwide IDIQ contracts for non-IT services with 13 domains (including Management and Advisory, Technical and Engineering, Business Administration and Financial Services), no ceiling, and a 10-year ordering period; federal use only for now.
OASIS+ fact sheet (domains and set-asides)	Lists the domains and the five small business set-aside pools (SB, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB) plus Unrestricted.

Thresholds differ by state and agency; see our state procurement thresholds. For which cooperatives cover which categories, see cooperative contracts by category.

Rules and requirements for selling consulting services

Requirement	What it means for you
Brooks Act / qualifications-based selection (FAR 36.601-1)	For architect-engineer services, the government must publicly announce the work and pick firms based on demonstrated competence and qualifications, then negotiate a fair and reasonable price, so you compete on qualifications, not a low bid.
A-E selection and negotiation (FAR Subpart 36.6, SF 330)	Agencies keep SF 330 qualifications files on A-E firms, negotiate first with the top-ranked firm and move to the next only if talks fail, and the designing firm generally cannot win the related construction contract.
Service Contract Act	If your federal service contract over $2,500 uses non-exempt service employees, you must pay at least the Department of Labor wage determination rates and fringe benefits.
E-Verify (FAR Subpart 22.18)	Federal contracts with the E-Verify clause require you to enroll in E-Verify, verify employees assigned to the contract, and flow the rule down to service subcontracts.

Requirements vary by agency and contract. Read each solicitation's terms, and check with the buyer when in doubt. This isn't legal advice.

Buying signals to watch

These events often mean an agency will buy consulting services soon:

A new law, audit finding or inspector general report that forces an agency to fix a process
Leadership change, such as a new agency head, city manager or superintendent
A new federal grant program that requires plans, studies or grant administration support
A budget item for a strategic plan, master plan, feasibility study or organizational assessment
A sources-sought notice or request for qualifications (RFQ/SF 330) on SAM.gov or a state portal

For more, see our guide to government buying signals and the contract expirations guide.

A sales process for selling consulting services

Register. Get into SAM.gov for federal work and each state or local vendor portal you'll sell into. Use our vendor registration checklist.
Pick your path to purchase. Decide which contract vehicles above fit your target buyers, and whether a reseller or partner already holds one.
Build the target list. Identify the agencies with the need, the budget and the buying authority, and the people who own the problem.
Start conversations early. Reach program owners while budgets and requirements are still being written, not after an RFP is posted.
Follow through to purchase. Help the buyer pick the method, whether a cooperative purchase, quote or formal bid. When a bid comes, use our RFP response guide.

How KSG helps you sell consulting services

Kensington Sales Group runs outbound sales development for companies selling to the public sector. Our SDRs research your target agencies, find the program owners and purchasing contacts, and book meetings for your sales team across Federal, SLED, K-12 and higher ed, healthcare, tribal, special district and utility markets. We also run bilingual English and Spanish outreach across the Western Hemisphere.

See how our outsourced SDR service works.

Sources

Checked November 2, 2026.

Selling consulting services to government.