Short answer: A machine shop or parts manufacturer looks for DLA work on DIBBS, by National Stock Number and Federal Supply Class. SAM.gov is where you register the company and where you catch the buys that are not DLA spare parts. Quote the solicitations whose drawing, material, approved-source rule, and delivery you can meet. The award happens on DIBBS or SAM.gov, not in a research tool.
Two places, two kinds of work
DLA posts spare-parts requests for quotation on the DLA Internet Bid Board System. Each line is tied to an NSN. A lot of that parts work is easiest to catch on DIBBS, and a saved SAM.gov search will not show it. SAM.gov Contract Opportunities is the government-wide board: larger buys, services, sources-sought notices, and the solicitations agencies post there.
The comparison, including which screen to open first, is DIBBS vs SAM.gov. Where the notices are posted is federal contracting opportunities. The registration path that has to happen before either one will take a quote is how to register for DIBBS: SAM.gov, then the CAGE code, then the DIBBS Super User.
What to line up before you search
Write down four lists. They are the whole filter.
- NAICS codes for the work you do. Machine shops often start with 332710. Use the code that matches the work, then check the federal size standard for that NAICS code before you treat a set-aside as one you can bid. The set-aside labels on a notice are explained in set-aside codes. A machine-shop pass at those labels is in small business set-asides for machine shops.
- Federal Supply Classes for what you can make or source. The first four digits of an NSN are the FSC. How those digits sit on the rest of the number is in NIIN vs NSN.
- NSNs you already machine, stock, or can source from an approved manufacturer. Search those exact numbers. See search DIBBS by NSN and NSN lookup by part number.
- The certifications the drawing requires. A higher-level quality clause, a Qualified Products List, export control, or CMMC text is a gate, not a footnote. Export-controlled data on a DLA buy needs a current Joint Certification Program certification. See JCP certification.
Read the RFQ before you price the part
The DIBBS results line shows an NSN, a name, a quantity, and a return date. The quote is priced from the PDF.
- Who may supply it. The AMSC letter says whether the data is open, whether the item is commercial, or whether only listed sources can be awarded. Start with the AMSC decoder and approved source on DIBBS.
- How it must be packed and marked. Section B carries the MIL-STD-2073 codes or ASTM D3951, then MIL-STD-129 marking. Use the packaging code decoder. Packaging is a real cost, and an exception to it blocks an automated award.
- When it can be awarded. Fast Auto Evaluation buys, and items with documented urgency, can be awarded before the return date. See Fast Auto Evaluation.
- Which bid type to send. Exact compliance is “bid without exception.” Remarks, an alternate product, or a packaging exception takes the quote out of automated evaluation. See bid without exception.
A one-page pass before you submit is the DIBBS bid checklist. The section-by-section read is how to read a DLA RFQ.
Work that never shows up as a DIBBS RFQ
Primes post subcontract notices for parts and machining on their own supplier pages. Those are not DLA solicitations, and they are not all on SAM.gov. How to find them, and what to send, is subcontract notices and how to find federal subcontracting opportunities.
Past awards tell you which NSNs actually buy, and at what price. Use the procurement-history table on the RFQ, and the walk-through in how to price a DLA quote. Items DLA solicited and received no quote on are covered in the DLA no-bid list. An open no-bid item is worth a look only when you can meet the drawing and the delivery.
A weekly rhythm for a small shop
- Register once. Keep SAM.gov active, and keep the DIBBS award email current. Awards go to that primary address.
- Each business day, scan DIBBS for your NSNs and your narrow FSCs. Skip the class-wide firehose if you only make a handful of parts.
- Open the PDF on anything inside your delivery window. Confirm AMSC, packaging, inspection, and first article.
- Quote on DIBBS the same day when the buy is Fast Auto or the return date is inside a week.
- Once a week, check SAM.gov for sources-sought and solicitations in your NAICS, and check the primes you want as a subcontractor.
The longer version of steps one through three is how to find government contracts to bid on.
Where FedOpp fits
Start with Ask CCO, FedOpp's AI Chief Contracting Officer: ask whether your shop can make and win a given RFQ, and it answers from your Match Profile, the FAR, the DFARS and that solicitation.
FedOpp is built for this shop: DIBBS RFQs, SAM.gov notices, subcontract notices, the DLA no-bid list, and DLA urgent buys, scored against the NSNs, FSCs, and certifications on your Match Profile. The AI contracting bot and Contract Reader brief the solicitation. The AI contracting bot is not a contracting officer and does not contact the buyer. The batch quote file is in DLA’s format so you can upload it yourself. Read what an AI contracting bot is. FedOpp does not submit bids. The DIBBS-only plan is $55 a month. The full toolkit is $199 a month after a 7-day free trial. The product page is government contracting software for small business.
Frequently asked questions
Where does a machine shop find government contracts?
DLA spare-parts RFQs are on DIBBS, searched by NSN and Federal Supply Class. Other federal solicitations are on SAM.gov. Primes post some machining work as subcontract notices on their own sites.
Do I need a GSA schedule to sell parts to DLA?
No. A DIBBS quote is a response to that RFQ. You need an active SAM.gov registration, a CAGE code, and a DIBBS account. A schedule contract is a different vehicle.
What NAICS code does a machine shop use?
Many shops use 332710, Machine Shops. Use the code that describes the work you will perform, and check the federal size standard for that NAICS code before you bid a set-aside.
Can a small manufacturer win DLA parts work?
Yes, when the RFQ matches what you can make or source, the AMSC lets you quote, and you meet packaging, delivery, and any quality clause. Set-asides apply when the solicitation cites them.
Last verified 2026-10-22 · Author FedOpp
Sources
Practical notes, not legal advice. The solicitation controls.