APEX Accelerators (formerly PTAC) — Government Contracting Assistance
U.S. Department of Defense — Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP)
Free counseling & bid help
Free help winning gov contracts
APEX Accelerators are a nationwide network of centers that provide free, hands-on help to small businesses pursuing federal, state, and local government contracts. Funded by the Department of Defense Office of Small Business Programs (with state and local matching funds), the network was rebranded from Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) to APEX Accelerators effective November 7, 2022. About 95 centers operate across all 50 states and U.S. territories. Counselors provide free SAM.gov registration assistance, certification guidance (8(a), WOSB, SDVOSB, HUBZone), capability-statement development, bid and proposal review, contract-opportunity matching, and GSA Schedule guidance. Any U.S. small business interested in government contracting is eligible — no minimum revenue or prior contracts required. It is one of the largest federally funded business-assistance networks in the country.
- Funding type
- Program
- Level
- Federal
- Amount range
- Free counseling & bid help
- Realistic amount
- No grant. Realized value is expert procurement consulting at no cost (a private equivalent w…
- Deadline
- Rolling — request counseling anytime
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- in-kind
Who qualifies
- Any U.S. small business interested in pursuing government (federal, state, or local) contracts
- No minimum revenue required
- No prior contracts or certifications required
- Particularly useful for firms pursuing 8(a), WOSB, SDVOSB, HUBZone, or state MBE certifications
How to apply
-
1
Find your local APEX Accelerator
Use apexaccelerators.us to locate the center serving your state or region. Centers cover all 50 states and U.S. territories.
~1 hrs
-
2
Register and request a counseling session
Register with the center (free) and book an in-person or virtual appointment — typically scheduled within one to two weeks.
~1 hrs
-
3
Work with a counselor on readiness
Get help with SAM.gov registration, choosing NAICS codes, certification strategy (8(a)/WOSB/SDVOSB/HUBZone), and a capability statement.
~6 hrs
-
4
Pursue and bid opportunities
Use the center's bid-matching and proposal-review services to identify and respond to government solicitations, including GSA Schedule guidance.
~8 hrs
An APEX counselor is the cheapest mistake-insurance in government contracting — have them review your SAM.gov registration and capability statement before you certify or bid, because the same office can flag the NAICS and certification choices that actually have set-asides for your industry. Their bid-matching service will email you matching solicitations automatically, so you stop hunting manually on SAM.gov.
Deadline & timing
Always open. Find your local center at apexaccelerators.us and request a counseling session; most centers schedule in-person or virtual appointments within one to two weeks.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.