Introduction to the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) - Part 1
By Neil McDonnell, President, GovCon Chamber of Commerce
If you want to understand how to win government contracts, you need a clear picture of how the money actually moves inside federal agencies. One of the best tools for that is FPDS—the Federal Procurement Data System.
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👉 FPDS research is an essential part of our 7-Step Process for Government Contracting Success
Many people think FPDS is outdated or too complicated. I disagree.
FPDS is an advanced skill, and once you learn it, you can uncover buying patterns, contract activity, and spending behavior that drive real federal opportunities.
Anyone can master FPDS. And once your whole team can understand federal spending data, you stop guessing and start making data-driven decisions.
FPDS will show you:
- Who buys what you sell
- Which contracting offices issue the awards
- Which companies win the work
- What contract vehicles matter
- How contract modifications are handled
- Where future opportunities may exist
This is the foundation of predictable, repeatable success in the federal market.
What is FPDS?
FPDS stands for the Federal Procurement Data System, the government’s official record of federal purchasing. Think of FPDS as the federal government’s checkbook.
Inside FPDS, you can see:
- Awarded contracts
- Task orders and delivery orders
- Modifications
- Dollar obligations
- Agencies and buying offices
- Contract vehicles
- Historical spending patterns
This is the real buying activity that doesn’t always show up on SAM.gov. If you want to follow the money, start with FPDS.
What FPDS Includes (and Doesn’t Include)
FPDS Includes:
- Most unclassified purchases over $10,000
- Basic buyer and seller information
- Award dates and obligated amounts
- All modifications
- Contract vehicles
- Task orders and delivery orders
FPDS Does NOT Include:
- Performance Work Statements (PWS)
- Full scope or requirement documentation
- Technical details of the work
To get full contract requirement details, you must cross reference:
- SAM.gov
- The contracting office
- The program office
- FOIA requests
For market research, targeting, and teaming, the FPDS summary is exactly what you need.
Why FPDS Matters for Winning Government Contracts
FPDS is essential for three main reasons. It shows:
1. Who Buys What You Sell
Not broad categories. Not guesses. FPDS shows actual awards tied to your service or product.
2. How Agencies Buy
Departments don’t buy. Contracting offices buy. FPDS lets you trace the award all the way down to the exact buying office.
3. Who Wins the Contracts
FPDS reveals incumbent contractors, including top winners and small business awardees. This is how you find the right teaming partners and focus on buyers already spending money in your space.
If you want to win government contracts, FPDS is how you follow the money.
How I Use FPDS (Step-by-Step)
• watch the training replay above to follow the process
1. Start With the Easy Search
On fpds.gov, type a simple keyword:
- “SharePoint”
- “staffing”
- “cloud”
Then hit Enter. This brings you to the main results page.
2. Understand the Three Key Sections
A. Search Bar & Search Criteria Panel
This area shows the fields being searched, the terms you entered, and any filters you added.
Example:
- Description of Requirement = SharePoint
- Action Obligation > $100,000
- Contracting Agency = Department of the Army
B. Left Column: Departments → Contracting Agencies → Winners
1. Department Name
Shows large umbrella departments like DHS or DoD.
2. Contracting Agencies
These are the actual buyers:
- Army
- DLA
- Air Force
- FEMA
- CISA
- DHS HQ
3. Incumbent/Winner List
Shows the top 10 companies winning awards tied to your keyword.
Add filters such as:
- Socioeconomic Indicator = Small Business
Now you see which small businesses are winning in your space—ideal targets for teaming and subcontracting.
C. Center Section: Award Records
This is where the actual award data lives.
If you see 7,000 results, that’s too many. I recommend narrowing to around 200. For most small businesses, anything over 500 is too big to act on.
3. Sorting
Sorting helps you focus on what matters most. Common sorts include:
- Action Obligation – biggest awards first
- Date Signed – most recent awards first
- NAICS
- State
4. Exporting
Export your data only after you have narrowed your results.
My guidance:
- Reduce results to under 500 rows where possible
- Export as CSV (avoid PDF)
- Remember there is an informal limit around 5,000 rows
5. Contract Task Orders vs. Contract Vehicles
FPDS has three tabs at the top of the results page:
- Contract Task Orders
- Vehicles (ICD)
- Recovery
Most users never touch the Vehicles tab. But this is where you discover:
- Which contract vehicles exist for your services
- Who holds them
- What awards flow through them
- Which contracts are worth tracking
- Where teaming opportunities exist
Example
Searching “SharePoint” might show only one vehicle. Searching “staffing” can reveal many. By clicking “Award,” you can see deeper details and understand how agencies buy specialized services.
You cannot win government contracts without understanding contract vehicles. FPDS shows you the acquisition paths agencies rely on.
FPDS is not optional. If you want to win government contracts, you must learn to read the spending data behind the federal market.
FPDS helps you –
- See exactly who buys what you sell
- Find the real buyers inside agencies
- Identify the incumbents
- Spot true teaming opportunities
- Base decisions on data—not assumptions
To learn more, watch my previous training: 'How to Use FPDS to Follow the Money! Discover Government Contracting Priorities.'
See you in the next session.
— Neil
FAQ: FPDS for Government Contractors
1. What is FPDS used for in government contracting?
FPDS shows what federal agencies buy, which contracting offices issue the awards, and who wins the contracts. It is essential for understanding how to win government contracts and planning your federal sales strategy.
2. How is FPDS different from USAspending.gov?
USAspending.gov searches across broader federal datasets and is useful for high-level views of spending. FPDS allows field-level searches, such as searching inside the Description of Requirement field, and gives you direct access to the raw contracting data that many subscription tools are built on.
3. How is FPDS different from SAM.gov?
SAM.gov focuses on registration, upcoming opportunities, and public notices. FPDS shows award history, modifications, and contract vehicles, which are critical if you want to understand what agencies have actually bought and which companies have already won the work.
4. How is FPDS different from GSA eLibrary?
GSA eLibrary lists GSA Schedule contract holders and their offerings. FPDS shows actual federal spending activity across all agencies and contract types, not just GSA Schedules, which makes it far more complete for market research and targeting.
5. How current and accurate is FPDS data?
FPDS is updated as contracting officers enter awards and corrections. Because USAspending.gov frequently refreshes from FPDS, FPDS is generally closer to the source and more up-to-date. While there can be corrections and adjustments over time, it remains the authoritative baseline for award and obligation data.
6. Does FPDS show detailed scopes or Performance Work Statements (PWS) documents?
No. FPDS contains summary-level information about contracts and task orders, including agencies, contractors, dates, and obligated amounts. It does not provide full Performance Work Statements or complete requirement packages. For those, you need SAM.gov, direct contact with the contracting or program office, or a FOIA request.
7. Does FPDS include Performance Work Statements (PWS), full scope or requirement documentation, or technical details of the work?
FPDS does not include full scope or requirement documentation, nor does it contain technical details of the work. It primarily reports on contracts and modifications, focusing on financial and performance data rather than detailed project specifications.
8. How do I find which agencies buy what I sell?
Use the FPDS Easy Search bar with a keyword tied to your services. Then refine your results using filters such as Description of Requirement, Contracting Agency, Action Obligation, and Socioeconomic Indicator. The left panel will show the agencies and contracting offices doing the buying, and the center panel lists all matching awards.
9. How do I find incumbent contractors in FPDS?
Use the Incumbent/Winner list on the left side of the FPDS results page. It shows the top companies that have won awards related to your search. You can also apply filters, such as Small Business or other socioeconomic indicators, to focus on incumbents that align with your teaming goals.
10. How do I use FPDS to identify upcoming recompetes?
Look at the award record for Date Signed and the Period of Performance dates, then review the pattern of modifications and funding over time. By examining the award history tied to the same contract number, you can estimate when a contract may be approaching the end of its lifecycle and prepare for a potential recompete.
11. What should I export from FPDS?
Export your results only after you have narrowed your dataset. Aim for a few hundred records at most. Export as CSV rather than PDF so you can sort, filter, and analyze the data in your own spreadsheets or tools.
About the Author: Neil McDonnell
Neil McDonnell is the President of the GovCon Chamber and founder of CallPlan.ai. A leading federal sales expert and experienced technology government contractor, Neil has delivered nearly 700 daily LinkedIn Live federal sales trainings since 2018. He is widely recognized as a trusted voice for small business government contractors committed to building repeatable, predictable results in the federal market. Neil teaches small businesses how to build relationships, make effective cold calls, and use SAM.gov and FPDS strategically to create a repeatable, evidence-based federal contracting process.
