For almost two decades FedBizOpps, usually shortened to FBO, was the single place where US federal agencies posted contracts worth more than 25,000 dollars. Countless websites, including research and technology-transfer organisations, republished its feed with their own search filters by agency, NAICS code or product class. In November 2019 the General Services Administration retired FBO and moved contract opportunities into SAM.gov. Every old FBO link is dead; the data lives on under a new address.
What SAM.gov does
SAM stands for System for Award Management. It combines the old FBO notices, the contractor registration database, the wage determinations and the exclusion lists in one site. The Contract Opportunities section lists pre-solicitations, solicitations, sources-sought notices, award notices and special notices. Filters cover agency, set-aside type, NAICS code, product and service code, place of performance and date. Saved searches send e-mail alerts, which is the feature most small firms rely on.
Registration
Searching is free and needs no account. Bidding requires an active SAM registration, which is also free but takes time: a firm needs a Unique Entity ID (which replaced the DUNS number in April 2022), a CAGE code, banking details and, for many contracts, representations and certifications about size and ownership. Registration must be renewed every year. Beware of companies that charge for “SAM registration help”; the government does not charge.
Small-business set-asides
Federal law aims to award at least 23 percent of prime contract dollars to small businesses, with sub-goals for women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, HUBZone and 8(a) firms. Those set-asides are searchable in SAM.gov. The Small Business Administration and the nationwide network of APEX Accelerators (formerly Procurement Technical Assistance Centers) offer free counselling on how to compete.
Other sources
Contracts below the 25,000-dollar threshold, purchases through GSA schedules and many Department of Defense buys never appear in SAM.gov. Agency-specific portals, the Defense Logistics Agency’s DIBBS system and GSA eBuy cover those. USAspending.gov shows what was actually awarded and to whom, which is often the best guide to who your competitors are.
This site is an independent publication on technology, research, education and commerce. It does not republish government notices and is not affiliated with any former technology-transfer center of the same name.
