SAM.gov Explained for Small Businesses

What SAM.gov is

SAM.gov is the official U.S. government procurement portal. It replaced FedBizOpps (FBO) in 2019 and consolidates contract opportunities, vendor registration, and award data in one place. Registration is mandatory to receive federal payments — you cannot be paid by a federal agency without an active SAM.gov registration.

Types of notices

• Sources Sought / RFI — market research. Government is figuring out who can do the work. Respond to build visibility.
• Presolicitation — formal advance notice before the actual RFP. Watch these for upcoming work.
• Solicitation (RFP/RFQ/IFB) — the actual bid opportunity. This is where you submit a proposal.
• Award Notice — who won and for how much. Useful for competitive intelligence.

Reading a solicitation: the five things that matter

1. Set-aside status — are you eligible to bid?
2. NAICS code — does your business have this code in SAM?
3. Response due date — how much time do you have?
4. Place of performance — is on-site presence required?
5. Incumbent information — who currently holds the contract?

Common mistakes

• Letting your SAM registration expire (annual renewal required)
• Missing attachments — always read all documents linked in the notice
• Responding to RFPs without first building a relationship with the agency
• Bidding unrestricted contracts when a set-aside version exists
• Missing the exact proposal format requirements in the solicitation