Sources sought notice
Also called: Sources sought, SSN
Updated
What is Sources sought notice?
A sources sought notice is a market research announcement in which a federal agency asks companies to show their interest and capability for a requirement it is planning. It is not a solicitation and leads to no award, but responses help the agency decide how to buy, including whether to set the work aside for small businesses.
What a sources sought notice is
Agencies must do market research before they buy (FAR Part 10), and a sources sought notice posted on SAM.gov is one of the most common ways. It describes the planned requirement, sometimes with a draft work statement, a NAICS code and a size standard, and asks interested firms to respond by a date.
It is close to a request for information. Both are market research, and neither is an offer or a promise to buy. Agencies often use a sources sought notice specifically to find out whether enough qualified small businesses exist to justify a set-aside.
Why responding matters
A response is often the earliest chance to shape a requirement and to be on the contracting officer's list. If too few capable small businesses answer, the agency may compete the work on full and open terms instead of setting it aside. Responding also starts the relationship that a later capture plan builds on.
How to write a good response
Answer exactly what the notice asks, in its order, within its page limit. Show relevant past performance with contract numbers and scope, state your business size and socioeconomic status under the stated NAICS code, include your SAM UEI and CAGE code, and answer any questions about the approach. A generic capability statement attached alone usually is not enough.
Sources
Sources sought notice in ProposalWorkspace
ProposalWorkspace finds sources sought notices in the daily SAM.gov feed, and its pre-award lifecycle walks a sources sought or RFI from overview and analysis to a "prepare a response" gate, then carries everything into the final RFP when it is released, with nothing re-entered.
Sources sought notice: questions and answers
Do I have to respond to a sources sought notice to bid later?
Usually not; a sources sought notice is market research, not a prerequisite. But responding can influence whether the work is set aside and how the requirement is written.
What is the difference between a sources sought notice and an RFI?
Both are market research. A sources sought notice mainly asks who is capable and interested, often to decide on a set-aside; an RFI tends to ask broader questions about approaches, pricing or the draft requirement. Agencies use the terms loosely.
Is a sources sought response binding?
No. It is not an offer and the government cannot accept it to form a contract.
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