State, Local, and Education(SLED)
A collective term for state governments, local governments, and educational institutions as a distinct government contracting market segment.
Overview
State, Local, and Education (SLED) refers to the government contracting market beyond the federal government — state agencies, cities, counties, school districts, and universities. The SLED market represents hundreds of billions in annual procurement. While each entity has its own procurement rules, they share common characteristics that differentiate them from federal buying.
Why It Matters in GovCon
SLED offers a vast market with different dynamics than federal — smaller individual deals but high volume, varying procurement processes, and opportunities for regional and national vendors. Many contractors pursue both federal and SLED business. Cooperative purchasing (e.g., through GSA or NASPO) allows SLED entities to leverage federal contracts.
Key Details
- Diversity: 50 states, thousands of local governments, and tens of thousands of school districts and higher-ed institutions.
- Procurement Rules: Each state has its own procurement code; local rules vary.
- Cooperative Purchasing: GSA MAS, NASPO ValuePoint, and other cooperatives enable streamlined SLED buying.
- Bid Portals: States and localities use various systems (e.g., BidNet, Periscope, state-specific portals).
- Set-Asides: Many states have their own small business, DBE, and veteran preference programs.
How GovCon Data Can Help
GovCon Data tracks SLED opportunities alongside federal solicitations, giving you a unified view of government contracting across all levels. Filter by state, entity type, and set-aside to build your SLED pipeline.
Related Terms
- General Services Administration (GSA)
- Cooperative Purchasing
- Set-Aside
- Request for Proposal (RFP)
More Acquisition Terms
A payment method where the government transfers funds electronically to contractor bank accounts.
A 1994 law that simplified federal procurement by raising thresholds, reducing paperwork, and promoting commercial item acquisition.
The predecessor to SAM.gov; the legacy system where federal solicitations were posted (replaced by beta.SAM.gov).
A formal review gate in the acquisition process where senior leadership decides whether a program may proceed to the next phase, requires changes, or should be terminated.
Written narrative responses that describe a candidate or contractor capability in specific areas, historically used in federal hiring and some proposal evaluations.
Goods and services used to maintain, repair, and operate facilities and equipment — a major category of government procurement.
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