Guide
How to set up SAM.gov alerts so you stop missing bids
If you're checking SAM.gov by hand every morning, you're doing the search engine's job. Set it up once and let it bring the notices to you.
One honest limit up front: SAM.gov won't catch every federal buy. Some small purchases are never posted publicly, and some task orders only go to companies already on that contract vehicle.
What you need first
- A SAM.gov user account. Anyone can search Contract Opportunities without one. You need to sign in to save a search and get email notifications.
- Your NAICS codes. The six-digit codes for the work you actually do. If you haven't picked them yet, start with our NAICS guide.
- Your set-aside status. You represent your small business status in SAM.gov yourself. To compete for 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB or SDVOSB set-asides, you need the SBA certification first, so don't count on a lane you can't bid yet.
Build the search
- Go to SAM.gov, open Search, and choose Contract Opportunities.
- Filter by your NAICS codes. Add every code you'd really bid under, not just your primary.
- Filter by set-aside if you want to see only the lanes you qualify for. Run it once without this filter too, so you know what you're leaving out.
- Filter by place of performance if you can only work in certain states.
- Look at the notice types. Don't stop at solicitations. Sources sought and presolicitation notices show up earlier. A sources sought isn't a bid and doesn't promise an RFP, but answering one tells the agency capable small businesses are out there.
- Keep it to active notices.
Save it and turn on email
Once the results look right, save the search and give it a name you'll recognize, like "Facilities, AL and GA, small business." Then open the Actions menu next to that saved search and pick Notify, so new matches come to your inbox.
When a specific notice looks good, follow it. Amendments and Q&A answers change deadlines and requirements, and following is how SAM.gov tells you the notice changed. Set the email frequency on followed items to immediate or daily. Still check the notice itself before you submit.
Tips for keeping alerts useful
- One saved search per lane. A search that tries to cover everything turns into a daily email you stop opening.
- Tune it for two weeks. If an alert keeps sending junk, tighten it. If it's quiet, widen the NAICS list.
- Read the response date first. A great fit with four days left is usually a no-bid for a small shop.
- Write down why you passed. One line per notice. In a month you'll see patterns in what you chase and what you shouldn't.
What alerts won't do
Alerts get the notices to you. They don't tell you which ones are worth a week of your life. That's the bid/no-bid call, and it's still on you. Here's a checklist for making it fast.
Next step
How do you screen opportunities today?
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