5 Tier-2 Subcontractors in IT Services You've Never Heard Of (That Will Actually Give You a Chance)
Why Tier 2 Beats Tier 1 for Small Businesses
When most new GovCon companies think "subcontracting," they think of the biggest names: Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen Hamilton, SAIC, Leidos. These are Tier 1 primes — companies with billions in federal contracts and thousands of small businesses emailing their SBLOs every week. Your email lands in a pile of hundreds. You might hear back in 3 months. You might never hear back at all.
Tier 2 subcontractors are different. These are mid-size firms that hold federal contracts in the $10M-$500M range. They need small business partners just as much as the big primes do — they have the same subcontracting plan requirements — but they get a fraction of the inbound interest. That means your email actually gets read. Your phone call actually gets returned. And when they need someone with your NAICS code and certifications, they remember you because you weren't one of 500 emails that month.
5 IT Services Firms Worth Contacting
These companies all operate in NAICS 541511/541512/541519 (Computer Programming, Systems Design, and IT Services) and actively subcontract with small businesses on federal contracts. Every contact listed below is their Small Business Liaison Officer — the person whose job is to find partners like you.
1. ABS Group Consulting
NAICS: 541512 (Computer Systems Design), 541611, 541330, 541690
SBLO: Ruta Haile — rhaile@absconsulting.com
ABS Group operates across management consulting, engineering, and IT systems design for DHS and other federal agencies. Their multi-NAICS footprint means they need subcontractors across multiple disciplines. If you do systems design work with a security clearance, this is a warm lead.
2. Salient CRGT
NAICS: 541512 (Computer Systems Design)
SBLO: Debra Vanderhoof — Debra.Vanderhoof@salientcrgt.com
Salient (now part of Altamira) focuses on data analytics, cloud, and systems design for defense and intelligence agencies. They specialize in exactly the kind of digital transformation work the federal government is spending billions on right now. A focused 541512 shop that needs niche subcontractors.
3. CGI Federal
NAICS: 541512, 541511, 541519, 541513, 541618, 541330
SBLO: Tyler Brooks — tyler.brooks-craft@cgifederal.com
CGI Federal is the U.S. arm of the Canadian IT giant. They hold major contracts across DHS, DoD, and civilian agencies. With six IT-related NAICS codes, they subcontract across the full spectrum of IT services. They're big enough to have real contract volume but not so big that your email disappears into a corporate black hole.
4. Maximus Federal
NAICS: 541511, 541512, 541513, 541519
SBLO: Abeer Bhatia — abeerbhatia@maximus.com
Maximus runs large federal health IT and citizen services programs for HHS, CMS, and the VA. If your expertise is in health IT, data management, or citizen-facing digital services, Maximus is actively managing contracts that need small business subcontractor participation. Four IT NAICS codes means broad subcontracting needs.
5. AArete
NAICS: 541519, 541511, 541611
SBLO: Lynn Jenkins — ljenkins@aarete.com — 312-288-5114
AArete is a consulting firm that blends IT services with management consulting for DHS. They have both email and phone contact for their SBLO — which is rare and means they're genuinely accessible. If you do custom programming or consulting with a homeland security angle, call Lynn directly. A phone conversation beats 50 cold emails.
How to Reach Out
Don't send a generic email. For each company above:
- Research their current federal contracts on USASpending.gov
- Reference a specific contract or agency they work with
- State your NAICS code, certifications, and relevant past performance in 2 sentences
- Ask for 15 minutes to discuss potential teaming on upcoming requirements
Tier 2 SBLOs respond because they need you. They have the same small business subcontracting goals as the big primes, but fewer companies are reaching out to them. That's your advantage.