Winning a federal contract and getting paid for it are not the same event, and the gap between them is where a lot of new contractors lose time they did not expect to lose. There is a specific system you invoice through, it is usually not the one you registered in to bid, and getting into it is a task with its own timeline.
1 · Find out which system your agency actually uses
The Department of Defense generally invoices through a system called PIEE, which absorbed the older WAWF, so you may still hear both names used interchangeably. Many civilian agencies use a system called IPP, and some run something specific to that agency instead. Which one applies to you depends on the agency and sometimes the specific contract, so treat the award document, or a direct question to your contracting officer, as the real answer rather than a general rule.
2 · Register in that system before you need to invoice
These invoicing systems are separate from SAM.gov, and being registered in SAM does not automatically get you set up in them. Start this in the first few days after award, not when your first invoice is already due. Setup can take time on its own, and a contract you cannot yet invoice against is money sitting still for no reason.
3 · Understand what actually starts the clock
The Prompt Payment Act generally requires the government to pay a proper invoice within about 30 days, with interest owed if it runs late. The key word is proper. The clock starts when your invoice is accepted as complete and correct, not the moment you hit submit. An invoice sent back for a fixable error resets the wait, so getting the format and details right the first time is worth the extra care.
4 · Know the two most common holds
Two issues account for most invoicing delays. The first is a missing acceptance: someone on the government side has to confirm the goods or services were actually received before payment can move, and if that confirmation has not happened, your invoice waits regardless of how correct it is. The second is routing to the wrong receiving official, where an invoice sits unseen because it landed with someone who was never going to act on it. Confirm who your receiving official is at the start of the contract, not after a payment goes quiet.
5 · Follow up like it is routine, not a confrontation
Most delays are administrative, not disputes about whether you are owed the money. Check your invoice status in the system directly, and if something looks stuck, contact the receiving official or the contracting officer's representative directly rather than waiting it out. Consistent, polite follow up is a normal part of doing business here, not a red flag.
Everything past this point, delivering the work, invoicing correctly, and getting paid on time, happens outside anything Quarry does. Quarry's job ends at helping you find and evaluate the notice. Administering the contract you win is yours from day one.