SAM.gov Contract Notice Types Explained

Federal agencies publicize contract actions on SAM.gov under the rules in FAR Part 5. For most purchases above the simplified acquisition threshold, agencies must announce the requirement before issuing the solicitation and allow a minimum response time. Each notice carries a type, and CapitolBids shows that type on every notice page and lets you filter search by it.

At a glance

Sources sought

A sources sought notice is market research. The agency describes a requirement it may buy and asks capable businesses to identify themselves, often with questions about size, socioeconomic status and experience. Some agencies post requests for information (RFIs) under this type or as special notices. There is no contract to win yet, but responses can decide whether the purchase is set aside for small businesses under the rule of two. If the work fits you, send a short capability statement that answers every question asked.

Presolicitation

A presolicitation notice announces that a solicitation is coming. It usually gives the NAICS code, any set-aside, the place of performance and an expected release date, and may include a draft statement of work. Use the time to decide whether to bid, line up teaming partners or subcontractors, and send questions to the contracting officer named in the notice.

Combined synopsis/solicitation

For commercial products and services, agencies can combine the announcement and the solicitation in a single notice. Everything you need to respond is in the notice and its attachments, and the response period can be short. If one of these matches your business, read it the day it appears.

Solicitation

A solicitation is the request for proposals (RFP), request for quotations (RFQ) or invitation for bids (IFB). It sets out the work, the instructions for responding, the evaluation criteria and the deadline. Check for amendments, which are posted against the original notice, and submit exactly as the solicitation directs. Our guide to winning federal contracts covers how to read one.

Special notice

Special notices cover announcements that do not fit another type: industry days, pre-proposal conferences, draft requests for proposals, business opportunity events and policy notices. They are often an early sign of a future requirement and a chance to meet the buyer.

Justification (J&A)

When an agency awards a contract without full and open competition, FAR Part 6 generally requires a written justification, and many of these are published on SAM.gov, usually after award. A justification often explains why only one company can meet the need. It is rarely a chance to bid on that contract, but it tells you who the incumbent is and when the requirement might be competed in future. If you believe you could have met the need, the contracting office's small business specialist is a sensible first contact.

Award notice

An award notice announces who won. It typically includes the awardee, the award date, the contract number and an amount. Not every award gets an award notice, and the amount can be a base value, a total including options or a ceiling, so read it with care. Our guide to finding who won a federal contract explains how to follow an award through USAspending.gov.

Other notice types

You will occasionally see notices of intent to consolidate or bundle requirements, which agencies must publish before combining smaller requirements into one contract, and sale of surplus property notices, where the government is selling rather than buying.

How CapitolBids groups notices

Every notice keeps its SAM.gov type, and CapitolBids adds a status to make search simpler:

• Open: solicitations and combined synopsis/solicitations whose response deadline has not passed. Search shows these by default.
• Planning: active sources sought, presolicitation, special notices and justifications, the early signals of future work.
• Closed: notices past their deadline or archived without an award.
• Awarded: award notices and archived notices that record an award.