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What is a Sources Sought notice?
A Sources Sought notice is a federal market-research notice: an agency asks which businesses can do a piece of work. It is not a request for bids, so you cannot win a contract by answering it. It can still matter, because an agency can use what it learns when it plans how to buy.
What it is
A contracting office posts it on SAM.gov while it does market research, before it decides how to buy. The rules for market research are in FAR Part 10. On FedSonar it carries the tag Sources Sought / RFI (request for information), meaning market research.
How it differs from other notices
- Solicitation: open for bids. This is the notice that asks for offers.
- Presolicitation: a heads-up that a solicitation may follow.
- Sources Sought / RFI (request for information): market research. The agency is asking what businesses can do.
- Special Notice: other information from the agency.
Why small businesses read them
A Sources Sought notice often says whether the agency is thinking about a small business set-aside. Agencies can use the answers they get to decide whether to set the work aside, so a response from a capable small business is one way to show it exists. The notice itself says what the agency wants.
What a response usually looks like
Each notice says what to send, where to send it and by when. Many ask for a short capability statement: what your business does, past work, the NAICS codes you work under, your size or certifications, and a contact. Follow the notice exactly.
What to check before you respond
- The response date, shown as the deadline on the lead.
- The set-aside field, and whether you qualify.
- The NAICS code, which decides the size standard.
- Whether the notice says it is not a solicitation, and what it asks you to send.
- Any amendments on SAM.gov.
Responding does not promise that a solicitation will follow. The notice and any later solicitation say what is required to bid.
Real examples from FedSonar's free sample leads
Data: SAM.gov Contract Opportunities file of Oct 16, 2026, 8:30 PM PT. These are Sources Sought notices from the current free sample set. Deadlines are as listed in the notice data.
- Request for Information - Multi-X Security (MXS) Platform Operations and Maintenance
Dept of the Air Force · Sources Sought · Cybersecurity
Set-aside: Open to all · Deadline: Nov 16, 2026 (11:59 PM ET) · Posted: 2026-10-15
View the notice on SAM.gov - Next Generation Identification and Awareness Initiative
Dept of the Army · Sources Sought · Cybersecurity
Set-aside: No set-aside listed · Deadline: Jul 30, 2027 (4:00 PM ET) · Posted: 2026-07-30
View the notice on SAM.gov - Recruitment Support Services
Department of Housing and Urban Development · Sources Sought · Consulting
Set-aside: No set-aside listed · Deadline: Sep 11, 2027 (5:00 PM ET) · Posted: 2026-09-03
View the notice on SAM.gov - Meteorological and Weather Forecasting Software
Dept of the Air Force · Sources Sought · IT & Software
Set-aside: Small business (total) · Deadline: Oct 2, 2027 (5:00 PM ET) · Posted: 2026-09-02
View the notice on SAM.gov
Common question
Do I have to respond to a Sources Sought notice?
No. Responding to a Sources Sought notice is voluntary, and it does not promise that a solicitation will follow. Read the notice itself for what it asks and by when.
FedSonar reads the public SAM.gov Contract Opportunities file, sorts notices into seven categories and links every lead to the original notice. Its plain-English summaries are written only from each notice's own title, description and fields. See how FedSonar finds federal contracts or small business set-aside notices by category.
Free: up to 4 free sample leads per category. Pro is $29/month; the Lead Pack is $7 for one week, no subscription.
Always check the official notice and any amendments on SAM.gov before you respond or bid. FedSonar is independent and not affiliated with SAM.gov or the US government. This page is general information, not legal or contracting advice.