Special Notices: Industry Days, RFIs and Announcements
0 special notices are open right now. Special notices cover industry days, requests for information (RFIs), draft requirements and other announcements. They are often the very first public sign of a contract an agency is planning.
Notice types
Latest special notices
No open notices of this type right now. New ones are added every day.
Why early signals matter for small businesses
By the time an RFP is released, the requirement is set and the deadline is often a few weeks away. Early signals give you months instead. You can answer the agency's market research, show that capable small businesses exist, ask questions, find teaming partners and prepare your proposal before competitors notice the contract.
It matters most for set-asides. Under the FAR “rule of two”, a contracting officer generally sets a contract aside for small businesses when at least two capable small businesses are expected to bid at a fair price. Sources sought responses are how the contracting officer finds out.
How to respond to a sources sought notice
- Check the NAICS code and size standard: make sure your business counts as small for that code.
- Answer every question in the notice, in the format and page limit it asks for.
- Give your company name, UEI, CAGE code, size and any certifications (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB).
- Show relevant past performance: similar work, its size and the customer.
- Attach a short capability statement and send it to the named contact before the response date.
Government contract forecasts
Beyond notices on SAM.gov, most federal agencies publish an annual procurement forecast listing contracts they plan to award. Many are collected in GSA's Acquisition Gateway procurement forecast. Combine the forecast with the early signals here and the agency's contract spending history to see what is coming and who wins that work today.
Early signal terms
- Sources sought notice
- Market research by an agency asking which businesses could do the work. Answering can help persuade the agency to set the contract aside for small businesses.
- Presolicitation notice
- An advance notice that an agency plans to issue a solicitation soon.
- RFI (Request for Information)
- Market research where an agency asks businesses for information about a planned requirement, such as approaches, capabilities or pricing structures. It is not a bid.
- Industry day
- An event where an agency briefs interested businesses on an upcoming contract and answers questions, often announced in a special notice.
- Solicitation
- A notice asking businesses to submit bids, quotes or proposals for a contract.
- Set-aside
- A contract reserved for small businesses, or for a group such as 8(a), HUBZone, women-owned or service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.
- Capability statement
- A one- or two-page summary of what your business does, its past performance and its codes, used to introduce your firm to agencies and prime contractors.
Guides for getting ahead of the RFP
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Frequently asked questions
- What is a special notice on SAM.gov?
- A special notice is a general announcement from an agency: an industry day, a request for information, a draft requirement, a business opportunity event or other news about upcoming contracts.
- What is an industry day?
- An event, in person or online, where an agency explains an upcoming contract to interested businesses and answers questions. It is a good place to meet the contracting team and possible teaming partners.
- Should a small business respond to a sources sought notice?
- Yes, if you can do the work. Under the FAR rule of two, a contracting officer generally sets a contract aside for small businesses when at least two capable small businesses are expected to bid at a fair price. Your response is the evidence that decides it.