A useful SAM.gov search produces a short list of federal opportunities your business can evaluate. It does not establish that you are eligible to bid or that every result requests a proposal. Use this workflow to move from search results to a documented pursuit decision.
Start with an official source
SAM.gov is the official federal system and is free to use. Its help centre provides search and entity-registration guidance. Use current instructions for your situation; do not pay a third party simply because a message implies that searching or government registration requires its service.
Before responding, check the solicitation's registration requirements and your entity's status. Allow time for validation and any required updates. A search account, a unique entity identifier and an active entity registration are not interchangeable concepts.
Run two searches and compare them
First search the target agencies, your work description and place of performance. Then search the relevant native NAICS and product/service codes. Inspect useful results found by only one approach.
The SBA's contracting guidance explains the relevance of NAICS and size standards. A notice's assigned NAICS code and set-aside conditions can affect eligibility. Do not infer that “we are a small business” establishes qualification under every code or program.
Illustrative search: an IT support supplier should inspect both support-services terminology and the relevant classifications, then check whether the notice concerns helpdesk delivery, software development, equipment supply or a bundled contract. They can share keywords without sharing a deliverable.
Read the notice stage before the deadline
| Result | Immediate action |
|---|---|
| Sources sought or request for information | Read the requested capability response and use it for market research. |
| Presolicitation or forecast information | Identify the next expected milestone and monitor the buyer. |
| Solicitation | Read the full documents, amendments and submission instructions. |
| Award or justification | Use for buyer or competitor research; confirm whether there is any current response opportunity. |
Use the actual notice and attachments to confirm stage. A recent publication date does not make an expired or informational record bid-ready.
Build a qualification record
Capture the solicitation number, office, place of performance, response deadline and time zone, question deadline, set-aside, assigned classifications, required registrations, references, security or access conditions, contract type and submission channel. Record unknowns explicitly.
Inspect the evaluation criteria and contract terms before pricing. If no estimate is disclosed, mark value as undisclosed; do not turn a historical award or a comparable contract into the buyer's budget. Track every amendment and required acknowledgement.
For a restricted contract vehicle or order, verify whether you are an eligible holder or have a permitted teaming route. A visible requirement is not always open to new entrants.
Decide the next action
Assign the opportunity to pursue, clarify, partner, monitor or reject, with a reason and owner. Return to the official source for changes until the response is complete. Follow the tender notice reading guide for a repeatable document review.
Before relying on Duke for this workflow, compare a sample of known SAM notices, their latest amendments and source links against what your account presents. Ask for demonstrated coverage and freshness in a Duke discussion. For non-federal buyers, use the state and local guide instead.
Source guidance checked: 13 September 2026. Editorial owner: Antoine Simon. Next review: 13 December 2026, or sooner if a source or procedure changes. Examples are illustrative, not live tenders.