# How to find government contracts beyond your usual keywords

Find relevant federal and SLED work in G2X by learning the buyer's terminology and improving the searches you already run.

Canonical article: https://g2x.com/blog/find-government-contracts-beyond-keywords

Complete article, source links and data tables: https://g2x.com/blog/find-government-contracts-beyond-keywords/article.md

The article is public. Linked G2X tools and records retain their account and plan requirements.

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## For agents

Improve a federal or SLED opportunity search using real buyer language

- The user's target market or requirement and authorized company evidence.

- A G2X account for the supported free manual research path; separately authorized Lumen access for the suggested document-analysis prompt.

1. **Define the work and market** Ask what the business actually delivers, where it can perform and whether the research covers federal or SLED buyers. Start with the user's current search and one relevant requirement. Use G2X federal opportunities or /app/opportunities/sled for state, local and education work. Avoid adding filters before understanding the market. [Open in G2X](https://g2x.com/app/opportunities/sam)

2. **Extract the buyer's words** Read the original notice, scope and relevant attachments. Record useful service phrases, tasks, NAICS or PSC values and the source passages that support them. The article's FY26R3141022 example has a September 17, 2026 version, NAICS 561720 and janitorial/custodial terminology. Treat it as a vocabulary example, not an assured open opportunity or a verified G2X result. Recheck the latest notice before acting on a deadline. [Open in G2X](https://g2x.com/docs/find-work/read-a-sam-opportunity)

3. **Compare separate searches** Try candidate phrases separately while holding the relevant territory or buyer filters constant. Record which actual requirements are useful and why. Do not assume Boolean operators, wildcards, automatic synonyms or specific results. Add classification or agency filters only when they help the reader's task. Preserve real G2X result links and original source links. [Open in G2X](https://g2x.com/docs/find-work/filter-sam-opportunities)

4. **Apply the same reasoning in SLED** Start in G2X SLED and compare the terms used by relevant state, local or education buyers. Inspect the returned record and issuing buyer's documents. Do not assume federal classification coverage or identical vocabulary across jurisdictions. Keep searches within the service territory the user supplied. [Open in G2X](https://g2x.com/docs/find-work/find-state-and-local-work)

5. **Use Lumen to compare documents** For an authorized Lumen task, upload permitted statements of work and capability documents. Suggested prompt: Extract the phrases these buyers use for work we can perform. Cite the source passage for each term, explain its scope, and distinguish explicit requirements from suggested search vocabulary. Identify delivery conditions our evidence does not address. Follow up: Which terms are likely to introduce unrelated work, and why? Review the passages before using the terms. The free manual path is to read the documents and test the searches directly. [Open in G2X](https://g2x.com/docs/lumen/ask-lumen)

6. **Keep the useful searches** Return the searches with their rationale and the most relevant actual records. With the user's instruction, retain a productive search as a Saved View. A Saved View is a search to rerun, not an email alert. Recommend reading and qualifying the best requirement next; do not claim a bid decision or a successful Lumen execution from this suggested workflow. [Open in G2X](https://g2x.com/docs/workflows/saved-searches)

Expected result: A small set of explained searches, each with a source passage, service scope, relevant geography or buyer filters and actual returned opportunity links when available. Include the next requirement worth reading and any unresolved fit question.

### Free access

G2X Community Edition is free forever, with no credit card. Check its current features and daily allowances on the Community Edition page before relying on a specific one. Lumen is not part of Community Edition. Follow the user's instructions before creating or changing saved views, CRM records or pursuits.

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