Guides · 5 min read
SAM.gov notice types, explained
Updated October 30, 2026
Every listing on SAM.gov has a notice type. It tells you where the buy is in its life: still being planned, open for offers, or already awarded. Knowing the types saves you from spending an evening on something you cannot bid yet.
Notices you can bid on
- Combined synopsis/solicitation: announcement and solicitation in one, common for commercial items. Read it and submit an offer.
- Solicitation: the formal request for quotes, proposals or bids, with the documents attached.
Notices that come before a bid
- Sources sought and requests for information (RFI): market research. The agency is asking who could do the work. Responding can shape how it buys, including whether it sets the work aside for small business.
- Presolicitation: advance notice that a solicitation is coming. Watch it and prepare.
- Special notice: anything else the agency wants to announce, such as industry days or draft documents.
Notices after the fact
- Award notice: who won and, usually, for how much. Useful for pricing the next one.
- Justification: an explanation of why a contract was awarded without full competition.
ZukoBid tags every listing with its notice type, so you can filter to what you can bid on today, or watch the sources-sought notices that become tomorrow's bids.
Sources
General information, not legal advice. Rules and thresholds change; the solicitation and the official rule are the authority.
More guides
How to win your first government contract (with no experience) →How to bid on DLA's DIBBS: a beginner's guide →Can you resell products to the government? The nonmanufacturer rule, explained →What is a set-aside, and do you qualify? →How (and when) the government pays you →What is an NSN? National Stock Numbers, explained →How to read a DLA RFQ, line by line →How to find a supplier for a government contract →How to price a government bid (and still make money) →How to register on SAM.gov, step by step (it's free) →What is a CAGE code? →RFQ vs. RFP vs. IFB: what is the government asking for? →Sources sought and RFIs: why answering one can win you work →How to win micro-purchases (government buys under $15,000) →Unit of issue: the small detail behind big pricing mistakes →FOB origin vs. FOB destination: who pays to ship it? →First article testing, explained →Military packaging and marking for beginners →How to find out who won a government contract, and for how much →ZukoBid is an independent service, not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. Figures come from public records and may contain errors; always check the official listing before you bid.