When is a presolicitation notice required on SAM.gov for federal contract actions?

A presolicitation notice is required on SAM.gov for proposed contract actions expected to exceed the dollar value that triggers synopsis requirements, as outlined in FAR 5.101(a)(1). This means most federal contract actions above a certain threshold will have a notice posted to inform the public of an upcoming solicitation.

For federal opportunities, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) governs these requirements. When an agency plans to issue a solicitation for supplies or services, a notice is posted to allow potential offerors time to prepare. The specific timeframe for this notice can vary, but generally, agencies allow at least a 30-day response time from the date a solicitation is issued when the action is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold for most contracts, except for commercial products and services. For state and local government opportunities, the rules for presolicitation notices are different and are dictated by each state's procurement code and the guidelines of their respective procurement portals.