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VA » Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization » SAM.gov FAQs

Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization

SAM.gov FAQs

Do you need tips for finding contract opportunities on SAM.gov?
Do you need tips for understanding contract announcements on SAM.gov?
Would you like other tips about contract opportunities on SAM.gov?

1. Do you need tips for finding contract opportunities on SAM.gov?

Navigating contract opportunities in three easy steps.

Step 1: Go to SAM.Gov

Select Contract Opportunities SAM.GOV Contract Opportunities link location.

Step 2: Select Advanced Search

Contract Opportunities advanced search location.

Step 3: Filter Search

Use the Federal Organization filter to search for opportunities at VA:
Tip: (Select “036-Veteran Affairs, Department of)
Use the Product or Service Information filter to search for your industry using NAICS codes.
Tip: Use the entire six-digit code. Find your NAICS code here.
Do you qualify for a set aside?
If so, use the Set Aside filter.

Filter search screen.

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2. Do you need tips for understanding contract announcements on SAM.gov?

Step 1: Go to SAM.Gov

Step 2: Search Contract Opportunities. (See Video: How to Search or Filter Contract Opportunities by Federal Organization)

Step 3: Select an announcement for an opportunity. (Use diagram below as a key)

Contract opportunities available fields.

Announcement Title: The title of the opportunity announcement.
(Tip: Clicking the title hyperlink leads to the full announcement details.)
Notice ID:Alpha numeric announcement number used to identify the opportunity.
Brief Description:Description of announcement indicating if the notice is sources sought, request for information (RFI), solicitation request for proposals/quotes, invitations for bids or award notice. (See Glossary Terms for definitions)
Contract Location
- Department/Independent Agency: The Department or Independent agency issuing the announcement.
- Subtier: If applicable, the subtier is the office within the Department or Independent agency issuing the announcement.
- Office: The location of the contracting office.
Contract Opportunities
- Current Response Date: The due date to submit responses to the announcement.
- Notice Type (frequently issued):
  - Sources Sought: Near-term opportunities for which vendors can share interest and demonstrate ability to meet the needs sought.
  - Presolicitation: A notice that indicates an announcement will be made available to vendors in the future. No response needed. (See How to set notifications alert and save searches)
  - Solicitation: Near-term opportunities for which vendors will submit a response to meet the needs sought.
  - Award Notice: A notice that indicates an opportunity is no longer available to vendors. No response needed.
- Updated Date: The date the announcement was last updated.
- Published Date: The date the announcement was published on SAM.gov