APEX Accelerators: Free Government Contracting Help Near You

An APEX Accelerator is a local counseling center that helps businesses sell to federal, state and local governments, usually at no cost, from SAM.gov registration to finding bids and preparing proposals. APEX Accelerators were called Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) until 2022, and the Department of War (the Department of Defense) pays part of their cost. You find yours with the locator at apexaccelerators.us, by address, ZIP code or county.

What is an APEX Accelerator?

Congress created the program in 1985 as the Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP), to expand the number of businesses able to compete for government contracts. Its local offices were called Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, or PTACs. On November 7, 2022, the Defense Department renamed the program APEX and the centers APEX Accelerators. If an older guide tells you to call your PTAC, it means your APEX Accelerator.

As of September 2026, the program is run by the Department of War's Office of Industrial Base Growth. (Department of War is a second name for the Department of Defense, authorized by an executive order in September 2025.) After the 2022 rename, it sat under the Defense Department's Office of Small Business Programs.

The centers themselves are local. Each one is run by a nonprofit, government or tribal organization under a cooperative agreement with the Department of War, which funds part of the cost. The program's website describes them as offering "no-cost guidance and support services."

How big is it? In the program year from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, 92 APEX Accelerators served 26,232 new business clients and held 6,284 training events, according to the Defense Department. As of September 2026, the program's website says there are more than 300 offices nationwide.

Who can use an APEX Accelerator?

You don't need to be a defense contractor, or even registered yet. APEX Accelerators help with contracts at the Defense Department, other federal agencies, and state and local governments, and with subcontracts under government prime contractors. The program's funding rules let centers serve large and small businesses, including subcontractors at any tier. Its main focus is companies new to government contracting.

What does an APEX Accelerator help with?

The program's website lists these services:

• Suitability assessment. Whether your business is ready for government work, and how to position it.
• Registration. Getting registered in the databases the government uses, starting with SAM.gov. The Small Business Administration (SBA) adds that counselors can check if you qualify for small business certifications.
• Bid matching. Setting up daily notices of contract opportunities you're eligible to bid on.
• Market research. Finding the agencies that buy what you sell. SBA says counselors can also help you research past contract opportunities.
• Proposals. Help with solicitation packages, specifications and drawings, and understanding pricing.
• Networking. Events where you meet buying officers, prime contractors and other businesses.
• Contract support. After you win, help with some performance issues and audits.

The Federal Service Desk, the official help desk for SAM.gov, sends people to the same place: U.S. businesses that need help getting a federal contract should contact an APEX Accelerator.

Capability statements and marketing

The program also lists guidance on marketing to government buyers. In practice, that includes your capability statement, the one-page summary agencies and prime contractors ask for. Several accelerators publish their own capability statement advice, and a counselor can review your draft before you send it.

Cybersecurity and CMMC

The program lists help with meeting cybersecurity requirements. If you handle defense information, those can include the NIST SP 800-171 security controls and the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), and the program's site notes that each request for proposal explains the level required. One success story on the site describes the Colorado APEX Accelerator helping a company meet NIST 800-171 and prepare for CMMC. If you're aiming at defense work, ask your counselor about this early.

What an APEX Accelerator won't do

Knowing the limits saves you a wasted meeting.

• They won't do the work for you. The program says APEX Accelerators provide advisory support and education, but "they do not perform work on behalf of a company." A counselor can review your proposal and explain each SAM.gov section. You write the proposal, enter the data and sign.
• They can't promise a contract. The agency's contracting officer decides who wins. A counselor can improve your odds, not guarantee them.
• They aren't your lawyer or accountant. Their guidance isn't legal or tax advice. Bring those questions to a professional.
• Not everything is free. The Defense Department's funding notice for the centers says "most of the assistance they provide is free," and it lets centers charge fees for some services. Ask about any cost before you book a service or sign up for a class or conference.

How to find an APEX Accelerator near you

Each center serves a set territory, often defined by county. So the office assigned to you may not be the one closest to your door. Here's how to find it:

1. Go to apexaccelerators.us. It's the program's official site even though it doesn't end in .gov. The Federal Service Desk links to it.
2. Use the map on the home page. Enter your business address, city or ZIP code in the search box, and it shows the location that serves you.
3. Or use the text lookup. If you'd rather not use the map, the site's state-and-county lookup lets you pick your state, then your county.
4. Check the Native American accelerators, if they fit. If you're a Native American business, or you want to sell to tribal governments, the site has a separate map of Native American APEX Accelerators.
5. Contact the center. Call, email or use its website to ask for a first counseling appointment. Ask whether they meet in person, by phone or by video.

Centers are run by different local organizations, so their websites and names vary. Many include the state name, such as the Ohio APEX Accelerator. If the locator sends you somewhere with an unfamiliar name, that's normal.

How to prepare for your first meeting

A first meeting goes further when you bring the basics. Use this checklist:

For the opportunity list, you can search open notices in FedReady's free search by keyword, NAICS code, state and set-aside, then bring the notice numbers to the meeting. SAM.gov's Contract Opportunities search works too. Either way, a short list of real notices gives your counselor something concrete to react to.

Don't know your codes yet? Read how to choose NAICS codes first, or ask your counselor to walk through them with you.

One rule to keep: don't give anyone your Login.gov password, including a counselor. The Federal Service Desk says each person should have their own account and should never share their sign-in details, even with the help desk.

APEX Accelerator vs. SBDC and other free help

APEX Accelerators aren't the only free help. SBA funds a network of resource partners, and every agency has a small business office. Here's how they compare:

SBDC vs. APEX Accelerator

Use an APEX Accelerator for anything specific to government contracts: registration, finding bids, certifications and proposals. Use a Small Business Development Center for the business behind the bid, like a business plan, cash flow or financing. SBA describes SBDC advising as covering access to capital, planning, financial management, marketing and more. Many owners use both.

SCORE, Women's Business Centers and VBOCs

SCORE mentors are volunteers who give advice at no cost by email, phone and video. Women's Business Centers offer "free, to low-cost" counseling and training, per SBA. SBA lists 31 organizations serving as Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs), which run workshops, training, counseling and mentoring. If you're a veteran, see SDVOSB and veteran-owned business contracts. You can find any of these with SBA's local assistance search by ZIP code.

Agency small business offices

Every agency with buying authority has a small business office, often called the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU). At the Defense Department, it's the Office of Small Business Programs. These offices help you learn what their agency buys. Contact one once you know which agencies are your best fit, and your APEX counselor can help you work that out.

Do you need a paid consultant or registration service?

Not to get started. SAM.gov says it plainly: "SAM.gov is FREE to use." There's no charge to get a Unique Entity ID (UEI), register or renew. An APEX Accelerator can walk you through registering on SAM.gov at no cost.

Paid registration services are legal, but they can't hold the Entity Administrator role for your business. Scammers also send official-looking letters and emails demanding registration, renewal or "certification" fees that don't exist.

Some businesses do hire consultants later, for large or complex proposals. That's a business decision, not a requirement. Start with free help, and you'll know what you'd be paying for if you ever need more.

Next steps

Find your center at apexaccelerators.us and book a first meeting this week. While you wait, start registering on SAM.gov and learn how to find government contracts so you arrive with a short list. When you're ready to bid, how to win your first federal contract lays out a 90-day plan.

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Rules and thresholds change, so confirm details on SAM.gov and the official agency sites linked above before you act. FedReady is an independent company and is not affiliated with any government agency.