A Better Way Than Searching SAM.gov by Hand
SAM.gov has the data and it is free, which is exactly why most contractors start there. The problem is not access. It is that the site buries one relevant AI services RFP under a hundred listings for janitorial supplies and water bottles, and there is no score telling you which of the survivors is worth a proposal. Doing that pass every week is a part-time job nobody wants. GovCon Intel runs the pass for you.
| Searching by hand | GovCon Intel | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | $29/mo, free public feed |
| Your time each week | An hour or more of scrolling | Read one email |
| Results ordered by fit | No, just whatever matched the keyword | Yes, scored by NAICS and contract type |
| Noise removed | You filter it yourself | Sole-source and off-target dropped first |
| Easy to forget | Yes, and a missed week is a missed bid | It arrives every Monday on its own |
When doing it by hand is the right call
If you only chase a narrow slice of work, already have a tight saved search, and genuinely enjoy reading SAM.gov, there is no reason to pay anyone. The data is public and the site is the official source. Some people want full control over every filter and would rather not trust a score they did not set. That is a fair preference, and the free route is right for them.
When GovCon Intel fits better
If the weekly scan keeps slipping because you are busy delivering work, or the unscored list wastes an hour you would rather spend writing the proposal, the trade tips. GovCon Intel reads the same SAM.gov data, scores each opportunity by NAICS code and contract type, removes the awards you cannot win, and sends a short ranked brief every Monday. You see the agency, deadline, set-aside, and a direct link. Look at the free feed first and decide for yourself.
FAQ
Is SAM.gov free?
Yes. SAM.gov is the official government source and searching it costs nothing. GovCon Intel does not replace it; it reads the same live data and does the weekly filtering and scoring pass for you so you stop doing it by hand.
Why not just save a SAM.gov search and check it weekly?
You can, and for some firms that is enough. The catch is that a keyword filter still returns a long undifferentiated list, and nothing ranks an AI services RFP above a near-duplicate you cannot win. GovCon Intel scores by NAICS code and contract type and drops sole-source awards, so the short list you read is already ordered by fit.
What does GovCon Intel actually add over the raw site?
Three things: it runs the search every week without you remembering to, it scores and ranks the results instead of dumping them, and it removes the noise that makes a manual scroll painful. The output is a short ranked brief with agency, deadline, set-aside, and a direct SAM.gov link.
Can I try it before paying?
Yes. The free public feed shows current scored opportunities so you can compare the quality against your own SAM.gov search. The $29 plan adds the weekly email and the full scored brief.
Stop scrolling SAM.gov on Mondays
See the current scored opportunities free, then let the brief come to you for $29 a month.