FedSubK Feature: Navigating Federal Contract Opportunities Notices
Updated: May 4, 2024
Federal agencies use various types of contract opportunities notices throughout the acquisition cycle. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 5, Publicizing Contract Actions, provides the guidelines and methods for these announcements. Each has a distinct purpose and place to maintain transparency, ensure a level playing field for potential contractors, and standardize and streamline the procurement process.
There are two types of notices the Government uses to collect information for the purposes of market research.
Request for Information (RFI). This notice is one of the first steps in the federal acquisition cycle for larger or more complex acquisitions, or when the Government has no purchase history that compares its current need. RFIs are a form of market research (as required in FAR Part 10). They are used to gather market intelligence, obtain information from industry experts, and refine the Government’s requirements before issuing a formal solicitation. RFIs are also used to inform the Government’s acquisition strategy decision-making process.
Responses to RFIs are usually in the form of an email or questionnaire in which the entity provides basic information about their business and other market or industry information on a specific question or set of questions the Government has about a product or service. RFIs do not commit the Government to any future contract and responses should not contain proprietary or confidential information such as trade secrets or pricing.
RFIs are publicized in the System for Award Management (SAM) but are not expressly titled as such under the types of notices for which businesses can search in SAM Contract Opportunities. The most effective way to find RFIs in SAM is to use the Contract Opportunities advanced search function for an exact keyword search on “Request for Information”. This search may also pull in Sources Sought Notices.
Sources Sought Notice. A Sources Sought Notice is an early-stage market research tool in the federal acquisition cycle. It summarizes the Government’s requirements enough that businesses can determine interest and eligibility. It is used on a wide variety of acquisitions in terms of dollar value and complexity. The purpose is typically to test the interest and availability of qualified businesses in the market, but are used primarily to determine the number and types of interested small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs), or businesses in specific socioeconomic categories (i.e. 8(a) Program participants, Historically Underutilized Business Zone small businesses (HUBZone SBs), Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs), Economically- Disadvantaged WOSBs (EDWOSBs), and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs)) in the market. Sources sought notices help agencies gauge the potential level of competition in each socioeconomic category and identify possible full or partial set-aside opportunities and their viability to avoid one-offer/ no-offer situations.
The Government typically requires a specific format for response to a sources sought notice and will limit the response to only the information requested within a specified page-length. Think of a response to a sources sought notice as a quiz on how well you follow instructions for a proposal submission later; because the Government also looks at them that way. Do not submit marketing materials or capabilities statements as your response to a sources sought synopsis unless the Government expressly requests that information. Follow the instructions in the notice to the letter.
Neither RFIs nor Sources Sought Notices commit the Government to solicit or award the requirements summarized. They also do not constitute an offer or proposal to the Government for performance of the work under which the Government is required to act.
Are RFIs and Sources Sought Notices a Mandatory Notice for Each Contract Action?
No. They are not required notices. The extent of market research completed using each will vary, depending on such factors as urgency, estimated dollar value, complexity, and the Government's history of same/similar purchases. Solicitations may be issued without an RFI or Sources Sought Notice being published.
Once the acquisition strategy has been determined and approved, there is a mandatory notice that signals the public that a proposed Federal contract opportunity is forthcoming.
Pre-Solicitation Notice. A Pre-Solicitation Notice is the first notice used in the solicitation phase of the acquisition lifecycle. A pre-solicitation notice is required before a Contracting Officer can issue any resulting solicitation. It is published in SAM.gov at least 15 calendar days prior to the release of the formal solicitation. This notice provides a high-level overview of the upcoming procurement, including key requirements, deadlines, and contact information. Interested businesses can use this notice to determine their structure to perform the work (prime, prime/sub, joint venture, or teaming arrangement) and begin preparing for release of the formal solicitation. There is no action required from potential contractors in response to a pre-solicitation notice.
After the Pre-Solicitation Notice is issued, the solicitation will be announced by one of the following methods:
Request for Quote (RFQ). A Request for Quote (RFQ) is used to announce a contract opportunity when the Government’s needs are relatively straightforward and well-defined. RFQs are used for actions valued over the micropurchase threshold (see FAR 2.101) and less than or equal to the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT), presently $250,000 (with some exceptions). RFQs solicit price quotes from interested eligible sources for the delivery of products or services. RFQs streamline the acquisition process and typically require less time for entities to prepare a response (i.e., quote) back to the Government.
An RFQ response time is determined by the Contracting Officer as a length of time that will afford potential offerors a reasonable opportunity to respond. Entities interested in providing a quote must follow the Government’s instructions to submit their quote before the date and time set for receipt.
Request for Proposals (RFP). A Request for Proposal (RFP) is a comprehensive solicitation document used for complex acquisitions. It outlines detailed requirements, evaluation criteria, and allows entities to submit proposals that may include technical qualifications, experience, key personnel, past performance, and price/cost elements, among others. RFPs are used over the SAT and can be lengthy in terms of the description of the scope and/or instructions to offerors in the preparation of proposals.
The minimum RFP response time is 30 calendar days or more, as determined by the Contracting Officer. The more complex the proposal, the longer the response time. Entities interested in providing an offer must follow the Government’s instructions to submit their proposal before the date and time set for receipt. The receipt, handling, and evaluation of offers is governed by FAR Part 15, Contract by Negotiation.
NOTE: Draft RFPs may be issued as a form of market research for the purposes of getting industry comment on the Governments requirements, planned acquisition strategy, pricing structure, terms and conditions, and/or compliance requirements. Agencies are not required to issue draft RFPs. They are most often used on highly-visible and highly-complex services contracts either at the agency level or Governmentwide where new or innovative methods for the solicitation, evaluation of offers, or performance of the work are proposed. Responses to draft RFPs are considered by the Government and may be used to finalize the RFP for formal solicitation.
Invitation for Bid (IFB). An Invitation for Bid (IFB) is a notice that requests a sealed bid from interested entities and is used typically for straightforward, low-complexity procurements, most often for supplies, materials, and general construction activities where the Government is most interested in obtaining the lowest price. IFBs are not used when the Government may need to negotiate terms and conditions, scope, level of effort, or price with contractors prior to award; RFPs are used in that case.
The minimum IFB response time is 30 calendar days. Entities interested in providing a bid must follow the Government’s instructions to submit their bid documents before the date and time set for receipt. FAR Subpart 6.4 and FAR Part 14, Sealed Bidding, governs the handling, public opening, and announcement of winning bids.
IFBs are publicized in the System for Award Management (SAM) but are not expressly titled as such under the types of notices for which businesses can search in SAM Contract Opportunities. The most effective way to find IFBs in SAM is to use the Contract Opportunities advanced search function for an exact keyword search on “Invitation for Bid”.
FAR Subpart 12.603 also outlines a streamlined notice and solicitation process for commercial products and commercial services.
Combined Synopsis/Solicitation (CSS). The Combined Synopsis/Solicitation (CSS) involves combining in a single notice the solicitation notice (RFQ, RFP, IFB) and the solicitation itself. A CSS must identify itself as a CSS in the language of the announcement to ensure clarity to interested parties so it is understood no further written solicitation will be issued. The CSS includes information about the contract requirements, evaluation criteria, and submission instructions in a single notice. Again, it is important to remember that no other written solicitation documents will be issued after issuance of a CSS.
CSS notices are typically announced for 30 days but that timeframe can be significantly shorter at the discretion of the Contracting Officer. The CCS will provide any notice of a set-aside and the associated NAICS code and small business size standard applicable to the action. CSS instructions will indicate if the entity response is classified as a bid, quote, or offer. Failure to follow instructions may render a response ineligible for further consideration, depending on that classification.
Federal buyers must formally announce the contract awards to the public when the total value is over the micropurchase threshold.
Award Notice. An Award Notice is issued after the contract has been awarded to the selected vendor. It provides information about the successful bidder, contract terms, and other pertinent details. These notices inform unsuccessful bidders and the public of the contract award, promoting transparency in the federal procurement process. They can be used by entities looking for subcontracting opportunities within a specific industry or with a specific agency.
There are other types of notices that may be of interest to entities, depending on their industry. These notices also serve specific purposes and can be searched in SAM Contract Opportunities.
Justification and Approval (J&A) Notice (aka “Justification” in SAM Notice Types). A Justification and Approval (J&A) document is not a solicitation but a required notice that must be made to the public when an agency intends to award a contract without full and open competition. This document explains the reasons for the non-competitive procurement, such as sole-source awards or emergencies. The use of these notices ensure transparency and accountability when contracts are awarded without competition.
Special Notices. Special Notices are used by the Government to–
● Transmit Government interest in potential Research & Development (R&D) programs whenever market research does not produce enough concerns to obtain adequate competition.
● Establish a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) or before changing an FFRDC’s basic purpose and mission (see FAR Part 35).
● Advertise business fairs, prebid or preproposal conferences, and meetings.
● Provide long-range procurement estimates.
● Notify industry of the availability of draft solicitations or draft specifications for review.
Federal contract opportunities notices play a crucial role in the acquisition lifecycle, ensuring transparency, competition, and efficiency in the procurement process. By understanding the various types of notices and their purposes, Government agencies and businesses can navigate the complex world of Federal contracting more effectively. Whether it's an early-stage Request for Information (RFI) or a comprehensive Request for Proposals (RFP), each notice serves a unique function, contributing to the successful acquisition of products and services by the Federal government.
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FedSubK Feature: Be Seen! Why Your SBS Profile is So Important
UPDATED November 2025 to incorporate changes from the SBA Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) to the new SBA Small Business Search (SBS)
I’ve posted on LinkedIn a lot recently about ways to be seen as a little fish in the big pond that is the Federal marketplace. Every GovCon consultant has a take on the best entry points with agencies. My take is there is only one place small businesses MUST put their best foot forward to be quickly and easily seen by Federal buyers for potential opportunities and influence small business set-asides.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) Small Business Search (SBS) is THE PLACE you must be on your A-game.
The Small Business Search (SBS) is a database in which SBA houses information on the current pool of certificated small businesses. Presently, small businesses that do not have certifications or are self-certified, may also create a profile in this database. The SBS is used by contracting officers, small business specialists, large prime contractors, and other small businesses looking for teaming partners to find small businesses that can help meet Federal requirements and identify businesses that can help the Government (or a prime contractor) meet its small business goals. SBS is one of the first--and often only--sources used in market research by agencies to determine the numbers of small businesses able to provide products or services by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code.
You can see why this might be an important place to pay attention to, eh?
Businesses have forgotten about the SBS in the last few years because SAM.gov no longer sends small business registrants directly to SBS at the end of their registration to complete the profile like it used to. I HUGE bummer. Businesses now must wait for their SAM.gov registration to be activated, then they can establish an SBA SBS account, claim their entity record, and fill in their company profile in the SBS system. Federal buyers are looking for detailed information from SBS to use as part of their market research efforts.
SBS isn’t only for market research.
Even more importantly, the SBS shows Federal buyers the status of any pending certification applications for the purpose of determining whether you are eligible to compete for a set-aside action. For example, an Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) can still submit an offer for an WOSB set-aside even with a pending application for certification showing in the SBS. Contracting Officers often use SBS as a source to confirm the socioeconomic certification status and 8(a) program participation along with SAM.gov.
While MySBA Certifications automatically sends socioeconomic certification status to SAM.gov and updates the requisite reps and certs to reflect the correct socioeconomic status, recently it has taken weeks for that migration to occur. WOSBs and EDWOSBs have reported not seeing their correct socioeconomic status reflected in their SAM entity record.
Businesses should always check their SAM entity record to ensure that the proper status is shown within a reasonable time after receipt of an active certification status; usually within 14 business days. If the record is not accurately reflected, you can contact answerdesk@sba.gov or the SBA socioeconomic program under which your business was certified for assistance. If a Contracting Officer says that your SAM record does not reflect the status claimed, ask the Contracting Officer to check SBS for the more accurate information because of these delays.
So now let’s talk about BEING SEEN in SBS and walk through each part of the registration.
Understanding how to maximize the fields in SBS is how you can make the best possible first impression so that Federal buyers want to learn more about YOU!
The Key Words
Often businesses pluck these from thin air and over-generalized based on what they think the Government wants to see. Key words need to reflect and incorporate aspects of your primary NAICS, secondary NAICS, and what you can provide under those NAICS. If you use key words that don’t reflect your primary NAICS, you’ll leave the Government scratching their head about you. They won’t understand the message you’re sending about your company. Be consistent and specific with key words while tying into your NAICS codes in order to leave the best impression. You have 500 characters -- use them wisely.
The Website
Be sure that you include the URL for any website you have. Make it be more than a landing page. It needs to tell your story. It needs to include information about your company, what you sell, past customers, and products or solutions you provide. And most of all, it must be polished. Scrub your site hard for formatting, typos, grammatical errors, etc. Acquisition personnel using the SBS will often quickly click on the site to see just how polished it is. When it looks good, they get the impression you know your stuff and pay attention to details.
The Capabilities Narrative
This is the written equivalent of your elevator pitch. This section should include all the things you’d include in that two-minute speech. Hit hard on what your company specialized in and its core product or service areas. Show the business’s focus and avoid being all over the map by overpromising on the breadth of work the business performs.
Near the end of the capabilities narrative, list any socioeconomic certifications Why not lead with it? Because that certification is only part of your business, and it alone does not get you interest from the Contracting Officer. End with that information so the Contracting Officer can easily see it in a quick query and get your business into their market research counts.
Lastly, identify any government contract vehicle or GSA Schedule your company may hold. If you can catch their eye that you have an existing GSA Schedule or your business participates in the 8(a) program, you’ll get counted and likely get a look in terms of the Contracting Officer wanting to know more. If they need to meet a socioeconomic goal, they can see quickly. You’re helping the Contracting Officer do their job. They LOVE that! (And made another great first impression!)
SBS now also includes a field to add a link to your online capabilities statement. Use it!
“Extras” You Should Never Skip
Performance History
I cannot say this enough…if you history doing work for any Government or quasi-Government entity at any level -- Federal, State, or Local level -- list them! Don’t play the “they’ll see that when I propose” game. Showing performance history—even if it is minimal or commercial and not Government--helps. How? It proves the viability of the business and the size and types of projects you’ve completed. Those goes a long way to determining eligibility of the business based on performance on same / similar work of a same / similar dollar value (“Rule of Two” stuff – you can read more about that here).
Review Your Profile
Go out to the SBS site and use the filters for your NAICS, business name, geographic location, and business types. Make sure your show up and see how your profile measures up to your competitors. Look at their records and see what they included that you haven’t. Use the good ideas of others, but don’t plagiarize. Contracting Officers will see that and that won’t look good for either of you.
Keep Evolving
Your SBS isn’t something that you can just set and forget either. Make reviewing your profile in SBS something you do when you renew your SAM.gov registration every year. If something major changes in your business focus, NAICS, or socioeconomic status, make associated changes in SBS.
What GovCon doesn't always talk about -- The SBS Influence
When doing market research and trying to determine if an acquisition should be set-aside for small businesses, the Government is not only counting about the numbers of small businesses that claim they can do the work under a NAICS code in SBS. They are analyzing your SBS profile to see if your business could be one of the "... two or more responsible small business concerns that are competitive in terms of fair market prices, quality, and delivery" and they have “…a reasonable expectation of obtaining an offer…” from you. (There’s that pesky “Rule of Two” again.)
In other words, based on what they see, could you submit a proposal likely to win? And how does a Contracting Officer determine that? Simply put... the your answers to everything we just covered.
Completing your profile helps tip the market research scales toward a small businesses set-aside and possibly a specific socioeconomic set-aside. If you're all over the map in your SBS narrative, the Government will not consider you viable eligible contractor towards that “Rule of Two” and could possible choose to go another way with their acquisition strategy, away from a small business set-aside. Or worse, they set it aside but remember your name from the market research as one of the businesses that didn’t make their initial market analysis cut.
Influence where you can! SBS is the place where you have a lot of influence!
Have I convinced you to get out there and create or update your SBS profile yet?
While the system is no longer got the word "Dynamic" in the title, don't forget its meaning. Life is dynamic, business is dynamic, and your SBS profile should still be dynamic, too. Get it completed ASAP. You can’t afford not to.
Remember again, SBS IS WHERE FEDERAL BUYERS GO TO FIND SMALL BUSINESSES and where other small businesses go to find teaming partners and subcontractors.
Get out there, GET NOTICED, BE SEEN, and STAY DYNAMIC!
(former title: FedSubK Feature: Be A Dynamic Small Business!)
Ask for the Meet and Greet. Make the Phone Calls.
I sat in on a session yesterday where another GovCon was talking about watching SAM for opportunities. But if you are doing that, you are going to be too late, unfortunately. Small businesses must start ahead of any opportunity announcement and connect with agency personnel early, before the opportunity is announced in order to be known and help shape future acquisition strategies. It got me thinking about my days as a Branch Chief and Chief of Contracting and the small businesses I know that are still flourishing today.
One particular company stands out. They were a new 8(a) firm that asked for a meet and greet. They had no federal work but showed a level of understanding about our mission that made an impression. While our acquisition strategies were in place already for the end of FY run of award, I told them I'd keep them in mind new projects crossed my desk. Every month, without fail, I would get a call or a quick drop in chat from this 8(a) to say hello and briefly inquiry about any possible upcoming projects. During one of the in-person chats about a year after our first meeting, our chief estimator popped his head in my office quickly to apologize for a few late government estimates. He said he was going crazy with end of FY and lack of staff. The 8(a) took the opportunity and said, "We can help with that." While it wasn't ideally the work the 8(a) was looking for, that simple pivot and flexibility, along with the relationship building done to that point, led to a small 8(a) sole source contract for cost estimating support. It was their first federal contract. That small contract quickly turned into a much larger 8(a) sole source contract for the same work that reached its max capacity 18 months earlier than anticipated. That led to 8(a) contracts for environmental the work the company ideally wanted, then graduation from the 8(a) program, and successfully competing on SB set-asides throughout the region and getting their own (successful) GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract.
Ask for the meet and greet. Make the phone calls. This former CO is here to tell you that acquisition personnel and SB Specialists EXPECT to hear from businesses. Large businesses aren't shy about calling (trust me). They may not be able to tell you much, but the relationship building and continual reminder that you know what they are looking for and can fill a niche--even when it's not your first choice of work--is KEY.
Small businesses must start ahead of any opportunity announcement and connect with agency personnel early, before the opportunity is announced in order to be known and help shape future acquisition strategies.
FedSubK Feature: What is Buying In?
"Buying in". Do you know what that is? Let's illustrate it with a little story...
Once upon a time an agency leader🤴 was looking around at things to make 🌟efficient.🌟 They got the idea that every agency should have the same widgets🔅 their agency had.
The agency leader🤴 called up a widget company👩🔧 and said, "We are interested in your widgets. 🔅What kind of discount can you give us?"
The widget company👩🔧 offers a discount 📉 because they know this agency🤴 not only buys for themselves but may buy for other agencies🫅🤴👸 where a highly trusted widget competitor👨🔧 presently has the work.
The widget company👩🔧 was "buying in" -- offering unrealistic discounts📉 that made the price unrealistically low not only for the current effort but also to influence the purchasing decisions on future buys. Then prices usually up 📈 again over time.
Depending on when "buying in" happens there could also be questions related to compliance with the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) and possible other violations.
This is why agency announcements that management has made a deal for "$1 a license" and other such management interference is of concern. 🚨 Management plays the numbers game. I'm not saying numbers aren't important, but let's just say... there is a real reason why management typically does not hold contract signature authority. 😬😉
The Government is supposed to keep things fair and do its due diligence. But it's falling for the oldest trick in the book.
Risk, intent, compliance with statutory requirements, misunderstanding of requirements, and comparable market pricing must be evaluated when the Contracting Officer has reason to believe a proposed price is unrealistically low price. But are they?
If a contract isn't in place, there there is still a need to follow appropriate competition rules before a handshake deal. If a contract is already in place, there are things to consider when new discounts appear to be unrealistic including the risk of continued performance, depending on the type of product or service being purchased.
The Government gets a quick win to lock in a low rate, saving some money now. That's called the short game. Government buyers getting blurry-eyed over unbelieveably low prices and don't do the long-term analysis.
But I'll bet you a dollar the company is playing the long game. They are watching and waiting, getting to know your needs and asking loads of questions. "When do you use my widget most?" "Who buys the most widgets?" "When do you typically buy widgets?" And then as fast as they dropped the price, they raise it again on you when you can't afford to make a change -- like at an end of fiscal year. That's how they get locked in and receive perpetual contracts.
BTW...the fairy tale above is a true story. I've had new politicals and new leadership / commanders trot companies into my office saying "Company ABC here says they want to sell us "widgets" at a huge discount compared to what we're paying or others are paying now."
Well...okay then.
As a Contracting Officer, whether I could even begin to entertain that idea depends on several things. It's not an automatic "yes". You could replace "widgets" with just about any product or service and it's probably happened to a Contracting Officer somewhere. Especially as new Administrations come into Government.
The stories in the news that made me think -- "Huh, are they buying in?" are the Axios story "Anthropic wants to sell Claude to the Government for $1". (https://www.axios.com/pro/tech-policy/2025/08/05/ai-anthropic-government-sale-dollar) and FedScoop story "Federal agencies can buy ChatGPT for $1 through GSA deal" (https://fedscoop.com/openai-chatgpt-enterprise-federal-government-gsa-deal-general-services-administration-anthropic/).
My husband (also a retired Contracting Officer) and I look at each other often during the news now and, based on the reported discount or price alone, we know that company is likely "buying in". That's based on our combined 72 years of Fed experience and our Contracting Officer "Spidey sense" from having been around the block a few times. But these deals just the most recent in a series of deals GSA is making with companies since the new Administration came to town. OneGov is the program GSA is, in my former Contracting Officer opinion, using to tout savings under for the press releases. But it may come back later to be a big mistake. I hope I'm wrong.
Program/Project Managers and Contracting Officers AND the competition to these companies...LEARN about it and WATCH for it. It's on the rise.
(And don't get me started on having to argue with new politicals, leadership, and commanders about why I can't terminate a current contract and then turn around and give the same work to another contractor at their unrealistic lower price.🙄😱 That's a topic for another time.)
The practice of "buying in" is becoming more common now. Learn about it and how to spot it.
