Micro-Purchases: How to Win Small Government Contracts Under $15,000

The micro-purchase threshold is $15,000 as of September 2026: federal buyers can make most purchases at or below that amount without competing quotes, often by paying with a government purchase card. The limit is lower for construction ($2,000) and for services covered by the Service Contract Act ($2,500). Micro-purchases are rarely posted on SAM.gov, so a small business wins them by being easy to find, easy to buy from and easy to pay.

What is the micro-purchase threshold in 2026?

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) sets the micro-purchase threshold as the dollar limit for the government's simplest purchases. As of September 2026, it's $15,000 for most purchases. The codified FAR and the FAR overhaul text agencies have adopted use the same numbers.

The exceptions matter if you sell services or construction:

• Construction covered by the Davis-Bacon wage rules: $2,000.
• Services covered by the Service Contract Act, such as cleaning or grounds work: $2,500. Above that, a wage determination usually applies.
• Emergencies: when the head of an agency decides a purchase supports a contingency operation, a declared emergency or major disaster, or a few other listed situations, the threshold is $25,000 inside the United States and $40,000 outside it.

Why you still see "$10,000" and "$250,000"

A FAR inflation adjustment took effect October 1, 2025. It raised the micro-purchase threshold from $10,000 to $15,000 and the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT) from $250,000 to $350,000. Many older articles, and searches for "government contracts under 10000," still use the old numbers. They're out of date.

Federal purchase thresholds at a glance

How do micro-purchases work?

Micro-purchases are built for speed. Here's what the rules say, in both FAR texts:

• No competing quotes required. A micro-purchase "may be awarded without soliciting competitive quotations" if the buyer considers the price reasonable.
• Buyers spread the work. To the extent practicable, buyers are told to distribute micro-purchases equitably among qualified suppliers. That's an opening for a new vendor.
• The card comes first. The codified FAR calls the government purchase card "the preferred method to purchase and to pay for micro-purchases." The overhaul text lists it first among the main methods, next to purchase orders.
• No contract clauses. Micro-purchases don't require written provisions or clauses, so the paperwork is light.
• Your buyer may not be a contracting officer. Agencies are encouraged to delegate micro-purchase authority, often to employees "who will be using the supplies or services being purchased." Your buyer might be an office manager, a lab supervisor or a maintenance chief with a card.
• Card limits vary. GSA tells agencies they "are not required to designate purchase limits at the maximum micro-purchase limits," so some cardholders can spend less than $15,000 per purchase.
• No splitting. Buyers can't break a larger requirement into smaller purchases just to stay under a threshold. Don't offer to run a $30,000 order as three card charges. It puts the buyer in a bad spot and can cost you the customer.

Why you won't find micro-purchases on SAM.gov

The FAR doesn't require public notice for buys of $20,000 or less, so micro-purchases are generally never advertised. They're mostly invisible afterward too. Under the overhaul text, agencies don't report purchase card buys below the micro-purchase threshold to the Federal Procurement Data System unless their own procedures say to. So you usually can't look up who won them in award data either.

That's the main difference between micro-purchases and the rest of federal contracting. Nobody posts a notice you can answer. The buyer thinks of a supplier, checks that the price is reasonable, and pays.

Do you need SAM.gov registration for micro-purchases?

Sometimes, no. Both FAR texts exempt micro-purchases where the government purchase card is both how the buyer purchases and how they pay. The codified FAR spells out that this doesn't cover using the card "for payment only," such as paying a purchase order with it.

For most other federal sales, you must be registered in SAM.gov when you submit an offer or quote and at award. There are a few other exceptions, such as some micro-purchases that aren't paid by electronic funds transfer, classified work, and some emergency and overseas contracts. They're narrow, and a buyer decides which method to use, not you.

A practical approach: you can take card orders before you register. But if you want to quote on anything posted on SAM.gov, or you want buyers to find you in the Small Business Administration's (SBA's) search, register on SAM.gov. It's free, and you should plan on at least 10 business days after you submit.

What happens between $15,000 and $350,000?

Above the micro-purchase threshold and up to the simplified acquisition threshold, agencies use simplified procedures. These are the small government contracts most new contractors bid on first.

Generally reserved for small businesses

Both FAR texts say buys in this range must be set aside for small businesses when the rule of two is met. That's when the contracting officer reasonably expects offers from at least two responsible small businesses that are competitive on price, quality and delivery. Micro-purchases themselves aren't set aside: those rules start above $15,000. Our guide to set-aside contracts explains the programs.

Requests for quotations, not proposals

Most of these buys use a request for quotations (RFQ). Under the overhaul text agencies have adopted for commercial buys:

• Agencies "normally" post RFQs on SAM.gov.
• At or below the SAT, a contracting officer may instead ask suppliers directly. Then they must solicit at least three sources, include two that weren't asked last time whenever practicable, and post a notice on SAM.gov if the buy is over $20,000, unless an exception applies.
• A quote isn't a contract. The purchase order is the government's offer, and a contract forms when you accept it in writing or substantially perform the order.

The codified FAR includes a line that favors nearby firms. When a simplified buy isn't posted on SAM.gov, competition "ordinarily can be obtained by soliciting quotations or offers from sources within the local trade area."

Where to find small RFQs

On SAM.gov, many small RFQs are posted as "Combined Synopsis/Solicitation" notices, which tell you "This announcement constitutes the only solicitation." On September 28, 2026, FedReady's free search of SAM.gov data showed 1,489 open combined synopsis/solicitation notices, 660 of them set aside for small businesses. Not all of them are small, so check the quantities and scope before you quote. How to read a government solicitation walks you through one.

How does a small business win micro-purchase orders?

With no public notice, buyers pick suppliers they already know or can find fast. Your job is to be that supplier.

1. Accept the government purchase card

Government purchase cards are issued through GSA SmartPay, a General Services Administration (GSA) program. GSA says merchants that already accept Visa or Mastercard "are already set up to accept GSA SmartPay cards/accounts." The cards are typically marked "Purchase."

On taxes, GSA says all SmartPay purchase cards "should be exempt from state sales tax," but exemptions vary by state. Check GSA's SmartTax state pages or ask your accountant before you change how you charge tax.

The card isn't only for micro-purchases. The codified FAR lets agencies use it to pay for orders and contracts when the contractor agrees to accept it. Put "Accepts government purchase card" on your quotes, your website and your capability statement.

2. Be findable in SBA's Small Business Search

SBA's Small Business Search (SBS) replaced the Dynamic Small Business Search. SBA tells contracting officers they're required to use it as part of market research, and your SAM.gov registration fills in your profile. SBA advises making it a comprehensive profile, so describe exactly what you sell in the words a buyer would search for.

3. Get known at nearby federal offices

Many federal sites, such as military bases, VA medical centers, national parks and agency field offices, have people who can buy some things locally. Find the contracting office or small business specialist for the ones near you. Send a one-page capability statement, and ask how they buy what you sell and whether they use the card for it.

Each agency with buying power has an Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) that can point you to the right people. A free APEX Accelerator can help you find local buyers too.

4. Make buying from you fast

Cardholders are busy employees, not procurement specialists. Publish clear prices, answer quote requests the same day, and send a clean receipt with the item, quantity and price. A reasonable price that's easy to check is what lets a buyer skip competing quotes.

5. Treat GSA Advantage as a later step

GSA Advantage is GSA's "online shopping and ordering system," and GSA Schedule holders' catalogs go on it after award. Getting a Schedule usually takes two years of relevant experience, and GSA says award can take up to 12 months. For most first-year businesses, it's a later step. See whether a GSA Schedule is worth it.

What should you realistically expect?

Micro-purchases are a real market, but set your expectations:

• The dollars are small. Outside emergencies, each order is $15,000 at most, and often much less. Service Contract Act work tops out at $2,500 as a micro-purchase.
• Nothing is guaranteed. Buyers rotate suppliers when practical, and they can buy from anyone with a reasonable price, large or small.
• There's no list to work from. You can't search for micro-purchases the way you search SAM.gov, so this is relationship work.
• They usually won't build formal past performance. The FAR requires CPARS ratings for most contracts above the SAT, not for small card buys. A happy customer can still be a reference.
• Card costs are yours. GSA says the card fees you've negotiated with your bank also apply to government purchases, so price with them in mind.

The upside is real too. A few card orders teach you how an agency buys, introduce you to the people who later send out RFQs, and give you government customers to name on your next quote.

Next steps

Start with how to find government contracts to set up searches for the RFQs above $15,000. Then follow how to win your first federal contract for a 90-day plan that pairs card sales with your first bids.

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.