This project consists of a Tableau story that helps to identify contracting opportunities for small businesses. The data used in this project comes from the GSA Subcontracting Directory for Small Businesses, which provides detailed information on federal contracts awarded to large prime contractors who are legally required to subcontract portions of their work to small businesses. This dataset includes contract values, agency details, vendor locations, and subcontracting plan types. For small businesses looking to enter the federal marketplace, this visualization is a valuable resource—it helps identify potential prime contractors to partner with, high-value industries, and geographic regions with strong subcontracting activity. By analyzing this information, small business owners can make more informed decisions about where to focus their outreach, which agencies to target, and how to align their services with federal demand.
The dashboard allows users to:
- Explore federal contract activity across time, geography, and industry
- Identify which agencies and vendors offer the most subcontracting opportunities
- Track subcontract plan types (Commercial, Individual, Comprehensive, etc.)
- Find high-potential cities and states for business development
Click here to view the Interactive Dashboard on Tableau Public
- Dataset: Subcontracting Directory for Small Businesses
- Published by: U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)
- Access Level: Public, CC0 License
- Update Frequency: Periodically (latest data downloaded from Data.gov)
This dataset includes detailed contract records such as:
- Contract value and dates
- Contracting and funding agencies
- Vendor information
- NAICS and product/service codes
- Subcontract plan types
Subcontract plan codes:
C– Commercial Subcontracting PlanE– Individual Subcontracting PlanF– No Plan / Failure to SubmitG– Comprehensive Subcontracting Plan (Test Program)
This dashboard is particularly valuable for:
- Small business owners exploring federal subcontracting opportunities
- Business development teams targeting large prime contractors
- Policymakers and economic analysts assessing subcontractor access by geography or industry
- Nonprofits and consultants supporting disadvantaged or underrepresented businesses
- Map of subcontracting opportunities by state and city
- Top prime contractors with active subcontracting plans
- Contract value trends over time
- Subcontract plan distribution
- Industry breakdown by NAICS code
- Tableau Public
- Excel (data cleaning)
- Data.gov (source platform)