Sources sought notice
Also called: sources sought, SS notice, market survey
A sources sought notice is a SAM.gov market research posting in which an agency asks which firms could perform a requirement, mainly to decide whether to set the buy aside for small business.
The notice type comes from FAR Part 10 and FAR 19.202-2, which tell contracting officers to look for small business sources before choosing an acquisition strategy. If enough capable small firms (the rule of two in FAR 19.502-2) respond, the eventual solicitation is more likely to be set aside, which is why experienced small businesses answer every relevant sources sought in their NAICS.
What to check: the NAICS and size standard listed, the questions the agency asked, the page limit, and the response deadline (often short). Answer the capability questions directly, state your size and certifications, and describe comparable past work.
What it is not: a solicitation. There is no award, no pricing is required unless asked, and the agency may never issue an RFP at all. It is also not the same as a presolicitation notice, which signals that a solicitation is coming.
See also: Request for Information (RFI), Presolicitation notice, Set-aside, NAICS code
Questions that use this term
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