Since the founding of our nation, the government has procured products and services from private businesses. Organized federal government contracting began in 1798 with contracts to provide rations for outposts in the west. In 1808 the first procurement law still in existence was passed requiring that no government agent benefit from a contract. It wasn't until World War II and the expansion of the military during the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration that government procurement expanded rapidly and consistently.

In 1953, President Eisenhower issued Executive Order 10479 created the President's Committee on Government Contracts. This committee was charged with compliance issues and expanding opportunities in federal government contracting until it was dissolved in 1961.

The National Association of Government Contractors was started in 1957 by a coalition of small business owners in response to the growing government procurement industry and a desire to build upon the focus on government contracting created by the President's Committee on Government Contracts. As contracting expanded, smaller companies needed a voice in the process that NAGC was developed to provide. NAGC has grown from that small coalition to one of the largest, most powerful voices for small contractors on Capitol Hill. Since its founding, NAGC has developed from an advocacy organization into an association providing advocacy, education, business development and services to member companies.