Editorial standards
Last updated October 31, 2026
Sources
- We cite a source for every factual claim, preferring primary sources: the government system or document where the fact originates.
- Figures from our own analysis carry the date of the data and a methodology note saying how they were produced.
- We link to the free government source for a record whenever one exists.
What the records can and cannot show
We keep three things apart, in data and in wording:
- Reported subcontract awards: first-tier subcontracts a prime contractor reported under federal transparency rules. These are records.
- Inferred relationships: conclusions drawn from records, such as two companies appearing on the same contract. We label these as inferences.
- Bidding intentions: who plans to bid, or with whom, is almost never in public records. We do not report it unless a company has said so publicly, and we name where.
No fabrication
We do not invent or composite people, quotes, interviews, statistics, award records or market activity. We do not use anonymous sources. When something cannot be verified, we say so or leave it out.
Use of AI
Our research is drafted with AI assistance, and articles are credited to the publication rather than to a person. Every factual claim is checked against its cited source before publication, and the publisher is responsible for what we publish. AI is never used to generate quotes, interviews, data or images presented as real.
Commercial relationship with FedSub
This publication is owned by the company that operates FedSub (see ownership). When an article mentions FedSub, a sentence under the byline says the same company owns both. We do not rank or compare FedSub against other tools as if we were independent, and an article must be useful to a reader who never uses FedSub.
Corrections and updates
We correct errors promptly and say what changed, with the date, at the end of the article. Material updates are dated in the byline. See the corrections policy.