How to read a SAM.gov contract notice
The notice types on SAM.gov (sources sought, presolicitation, solicitation, award), the fields that matter, and where to look in a solicitation before deciding to bid.
Notice types, in the order they usually come
- Sources sought or Request for Information (RFI): market research. The agency asks who can do the work; no contract is awarded from it, but answering can shape the requirement and the set-aside.
- Presolicitation: the agency announces a solicitation is coming, with a rough description and date.
- Solicitation, or combined synopsis/solicitation: the request for proposals or quotes, with the deadline and the documents. Commercial purchases often use the combined form.
- Special notice: industry days, draft documents and other announcements.
- Award notice: who won, for how much, and the contract number.
The fields that matter
- Response date: the deadline, with its time zone.
- Set-aside: who may compete (small business, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB, or none).
- NAICS code: the industry, and the size standard that decides whether you count as small.
- Product/service code (PSC): what is being bought.
- Place of performance: where the work is done.
- Contracting office and point of contact: who runs the purchase; questions go to them, in writing, before the question deadline.
- Attachments: the solicitation, statement or performance work statement, pricing sheets and amendments.
Inside a solicitation
In a formal request for proposals, the requirement is in the statement of work (SOW) or performance work statement (PWS), the instructions for what to submit are usually in Section L, and how proposals will be evaluated is in Section M. Read M first: it says what wins. Commercial and simplified purchases put the same things in a shorter form.
Watch for amendments: they can move the deadline, change the requirement or answer questions, and an offer usually has to acknowledge each one.
Before you decide to bid
- Who has the work now? A recompete usually has an incumbent; its contract history shows the value and how it was bought.
- Who usually wins this kind of work at this office?
- Do you meet the set-aside and the size standard?
- Can you meet the deadline with a compliant proposal?
On SpendQuery
Questions people ask
Should I answer a sources sought notice?
If the work fits you, it's usually worth it: it's short, it tells the agency you exist, and enough small-business answers can lead it to set the work aside.
What's the difference between a solicitation and a combined synopsis/solicitation?
A combined synopsis/solicitation puts the announcement and the request for quotes or proposals in one notice, which is common for commercial items and services; a solicitation is usually preceded by a separate presolicitation notice.
Where do I send questions about a notice?
To the contracting officer or contract specialist named on the notice, in writing, before the question deadline. Answers are usually published to everyone as an amendment.
More guides
Updated 2026-10-05. General information, not legal advice; the solicitation and the FAR govern each purchase.