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Sources Sought Notices

The earliest signal in federal contracting. A Sources Sought notice means an agency is researching the market before writing its solicitation — and the small businesses that respond shape whether the contract gets set aside at all.

269 active notices. Updated daily from SAM.gov.

How to respond — with a free templatearrow_forward
Active (269)Closed (441)
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
NEWDisabled Veteran-Owned

Lockout Tagout Procedures

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
$100K – $500KUpdated Jul 13
Offers due Jul 27 · in 13 days
U.S. Department of Defense
NEWSmall Business

Fire Alarms Repair Services

U.S. Department of Defense
$100K – $500K📍 Kapolei, HIUpdated Jul 13
Offers due Jul 29 · in 16 days
U.S. Department of Justice
Small Business

Medical Bed Rental and Repair for a Federal Prison

U.S. Department of Justice
$100K – $500K📍 North CarolinaUpdated Jul 13
Offers due Jul 28 · in 14 days
U.S. Department of Defense
Small Business

Dental Chair Arms and Equipment

U.S. Department of Defense
$100K – $500K📍 Augusta, MEUpdated Jul 13
Offers due Jul 31 · in 18 days
U.S. Department of Defense
Small Business

Utility Terrain Vehicles

U.S. Department of Defense
$100K – $500K📍 Tyndall AFB, FLUpdated Jul 13
Offers due Jul 17 · in 3 days
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Small Business

George Washington & Jefferson National Forest Maintenance

U.S. Department of Agriculture
$25K – $100K📍 Edinburg, VAUpdated Jul 13
Offers due Jul 28 · in 14 days
U.S. Department of Defense
Small Business

Altitude Chambers Support

U.S. Department of Defense
$100K – $500K📍 Wright Patterson AFB, OHUpdated Jul 13
Offers due Aug 13 · in 30 days
U.S. Department of Defense
Small Business

Packing Assembly

U.S. Department of Defense
$100K – $500K📍 New Cumberland, PAUpdated Jul 13
Offers due Aug 31 · in 49 days
U.S. Department of Defense
Small Business

Aneroid Barometer

U.S. Department of Defense
$5K – $50K📍 Richmond, VAUpdated Jul 13
Offers due Jul 28 · in 15 days
U.S. Department of Defense
Small Business

Cat Attachments

U.S. Department of Defense
$100K – $500K📍 Yigo, GUUpdated Jul 13
Offers due Jul 31 · in 17 days
U.S. Department of Defense
Small Business

Guam Lodging Inquiry

U.S. Department of Defense
$5K – $50K📍 GuamUpdated Jul 12
Offers due Jul 27 · in 13 days
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Small Business

Automated Endoscope Leak Testers for VA Hospitals

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
$100K – $500K📍 Topeka, KSUpdated Jul 12
Offers due Jul 22 · in 8 days
U.S. Department of Defense
Small Business

BDA System Upgrade and Preventative Maintenance

U.S. Department of Defense
$34M📍 Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HIUpdated Jul 10
Offers due Jul 16 · in 2 days
U.S. Department of Defense
Small Business

Protestant Religious Education Coordinator

U.S. Department of Defense
$13M📍 Schofield Barracks, HIUpdated Jul 10
Offers due Jul 24 · in 10 days
U.S. Department of Defense
Small Business

Levee Materials

U.S. Department of Defense
$5K – $50K📍 Hamilton, WAUpdated Jul 10
Offers due Jul 17 · in 4 days
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Sources Sought — common questions

What is a Sources Sought notice?expand_more

It's market research, not a solicitation. Before an agency writes an RFP, it posts a Sources Sought notice asking 'who can do this work?' Businesses respond with a short capabilities statement — there is no bid, no pricing, and no award at this stage.

Why respond if there's nothing to win yet?expand_more

Because responses drive the set-aside decision. If enough capable small businesses respond, the Rule of Two pushes the contracting officer to reserve the eventual contract for small business — possibly for your certification specifically. Responding also puts your firm on the agency's radar before the RFP is written.

How long do I have to respond?expand_more

Response windows are typically two to four weeks from posting, and they're firm. Each notice lists its own response deadline and submission instructions — read the notice itself, since formats vary by agency.

What should a response include?expand_more

A concise capabilities statement: your company profile (UEI, CAGE, size status, certifications, NAICS codes), a point-by-point answer to what the notice asks, and two or three directly relevant past performances. It's market research, not a proposal — a few strong pages beat a long one.

Set-Aside Pro is an independent publication, not affiliated with the SBA or SAM.gov. Each notice's own text controls what a response must include — read it before submitting.