APEX Accelerators: free help, and what to bring
If you're new to government contracting, the single best free resource most people never use is a real person: an advisor at your local APEX Accelerator. This page explains what that is, how to find yours, and — since a first appointment goes a lot better when you're prepared — what to actually bring.
What an APEX Accelerator is
APEX Accelerators are a nationwide network of centers (see the current count and locator at apexaccelerators.us) formerly known as Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) — renamed in 2022 under a Department of Defense–SBA agreement, and still funded in large part through a DoD cooperative agreement. The help is free: registration, certifications, finding and pursuing contracts, subcontracts and even grants, and reviewing your bids and solicitations before you submit. Their mission is explicitly aimed at businesses just starting out in federal contracting — not only established primes.
How to find yours
Use the official locator at apexaccelerators.us, or SAM.gov's own "Find your local APEX Accelerator" link. Never pay anyone claiming to be one — the real service is free, direct from a federally-funded center.
What to bring to your first appointment
An advisor can help with a lot more if you walk in with the basics already in hand, rather than starting from zero together. A checklist:
- Your SAM.gov registration status — active, in progress, or not started, and your UEI if you have one.
- Your NAICS codes — the ones that actually describe what you do. If you're not sure which apply, that's a fair thing to ask about.
- A capability statement draft — even a rough one. Capstat builds one from your company profile for free, and you can bring the PDF.
- Where you stand on certifications — WOSB, HUBZone, SDVOSB, 8(a), or none yet. See our certification & bonding timeline guide for what each one actually unlocks and realistically takes.
- A few real opportunities you're considering — not hypothetical ones. If you've started a Litdesk account, your matched notices are exactly what to bring up.
- Specific questions — "am I eligible for this set-aside," "is this solicitation worth my time," "what's missing from my bid" get much better answers than "how does this all work."
Where this fits next to Federal MVP Suite
These aren't competing with each other. An APEX advisor gives you free, personalized judgment — the kind of "should I actually bid on this" call software can't make for you. Federal MVP Suite does the daily, repetitive work an advisor doesn't have time to do by hand: scanning SAM.gov every day, scoring opportunities against your NAICS codes, pricing against real GSA-awarded rates, and building the proposal document itself. Bring what this tool generates to your APEX appointment, and bring what your advisor tells you back here.