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GuideMarch 25, 2026

The Startup Guide to Cooperative Contracts and Scaling Into Government Procurement

Breaking into government procurement is difficult for early-stage companies. Winning just one competitively awarded cooperative contract can help a startup break into the public sector, as it can be reused by many government buyers.

The Startup Guide to Cooperative Contracts and Scaling Into Government Procurement

One contract can unlock access to many entities, and what it does in turn is create inbound interest, and it also establishes that market credibility for you. So, over time, that contract becomes a trusted signal … when referrals start compounding, that really shortens the future sales cycle for you.” – Anthony Jamison, Co-Founder & CEO, CivStart

Government is a massive market, but one of the hardest for startups to sell into.

With 90,000+ state and local government entities, fragmented rules, and slow procurement cycles, many early-stage companies struggle to turn interest into real customers.

This guide, developed in collaboration with Civic Marketplace, explains how cooperative contracts can become a scalable go-to-market strategy for startups selling into government, helping startups unlock access to multiple buyers through a single contract.

This guide is designed for:

  • Govtech startup leaders entering government markets
  • Startups already working with public entities but struggling to scale
  • Companies exploring cooperative contracts for the first time

Download the guide to learn:

  • Why RFPs rarely work as a go-to-market strategy
  • How cooperative contracts streamline procurement
  • How to use cooperative contracts as a growth strategy
  • Why government entities use cooperative contracts
  • How to select and win the best cooperative contracts
  • What startup leaders need to know about pricing, compliance, and credibility
  • How to market cooperative contracts after they’ve been awarded

Discover how to turn your first government contract into a repeatable growth engine for the public sector.
 

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The Startup Guide to Cooperative Contracts and Scaling Into Government Procurement