--- title: "How to respond to a sources-sought notice, GovInbox Blog" description: "A sources-sought notice asks a simple question: which businesses could do this work?" canonical: "https://getgovinbox.com/blog/how-to-respond-to-sources-sought" --- [GovInbox Blog](./) ![How to respond to a sources-sought notice](images/how-to-respond-to-sources-sought/01-hero.png) # How to respond to a sources-sought notice Published 2026 A sources-sought notice asks a simple question: which businesses could do this work? The agency is conducting market research, meaning it is learning what suppliers can provide before deciding how to buy. Your response helps the buyer assess whether small businesses can meet the need. You are usually sending information about your capability. An actual bid comes later, if the agency issues a solicitation, its formal request for offers. **Live data:** a recent sources-sought notice with official URL and date-stamp, or sources-sought count versus solicitation count for a defined period We will use a real historical notice to show how to respond. Its old deadline is closed; use the response pattern on a current notice. ## Why your answer matters For many small-business set-asides, the officer needs a reasonable expectation of offers from at least two capable small businesses at a fair market price. A specific response can help support that decision. [Read the set-aside rule](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/19.502-2). "We are interested" gives the buyer very little evidence. "We have performed this kind of work at an occupied building with similar access requirements" gives the buyer something to examine. Back it with a project description. Responding does not guarantee a set-aside or an award. Your firm still has to meet the later purchase's rules. ## Read the actual request GSA, the General Services Administration, posted a sources-sought notice for custodial work connected with the TSA at Anchorage's Ted Stevens International Airport. It used NAICS 561720, Janitorial Services, and included a draft performance work statement, the document describing the work. The notice requested company information and business size. It also asked for the firm's SAM Unique Entity Identifier, the ID assigned to its registered business, an overview of technical capability and experience, and details about hiring and meeting security-clearance requirements within two weeks of award. [Read the historical GSA notice](https://sam.gov/opp/4b07bbfc53e94c59b95a20688c1371d1/view). That last requirement deserves a direct answer. A general cleaning brochure would leave the buyer guessing about the staffing schedule. For a current notice, copy each requested item into your draft as a heading. Add any questions found in the attachments. ## Give evidence that fits the job Under capability, explain how you would perform the stated work. Use the draft work statement to identify the duties that matter. Under experience, describe relevant projects. State what your firm actually did and how the work compares with this requirement. Commercial projects can help show capability when the notice permits them. If you were a subcontractor, a firm working under another contractor, say so. Do not describe the whole team's work as your own. For a hiring or access deadline, explain your approach and any limits. If you cannot meet it, state that clearly. A useful response can identify a requirement that needs more planning time. Report business size under the notice's assigned code. State only certifications you actually hold, and label pending applications accurately. ## Leave out material the buyer did not request A long company history can bury your answer. Use the notice's page limit and file instructions. Attach the requested evidence rather than every document you have. Do not send personal service or disability records just to show a business certification. Pricing is notice-specific. Some requests ask for rough cost information. Provide it when requested and label its basis. Avoid spending time on a full priced proposal when the request asks only about capability. Federal rules explain that responses to requests for information are not offers that the government can accept to form a contract. [Read the information-request guidance](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/15.201). ## Track what happens afterward Think "sources sought today, possible solicitation in 60–90 days" as a planning window. That interval is not a required waiting period or a promise. A purchase may move sooner, take longer or never reach solicitation. Save the notice and your submitted response. Watch the same buying office and industry code for the next posting. A later solicitation may have a different notice ID. Read it from the beginning. The final work or set-aside decision may differ from the early research request. ## Reusable response outline Use this outline, adjusting it to the notice's required order: 1. **Notice and contact:** Notice ID, company name, response contact and requested business identifiers. 2. **Business status:** Size under the assigned code and certifications currently held. 3. **Capability:** A direct answer to each requested work or staffing question. 4. **Relevant experience:** Project examples that show what your firm performed. 5. **Limits and feedback:** Any schedule concern or question about the draft requirement. 6. **Requested supporting material:** Only the attachments the buyer asks for. Before submitting, check the recipient and deadline against the latest notice. Confirm the time zone and file requirements. Send the response through the stated method, then save a copy with proof of submission. ![How to respond to a sources-sought notice](images/how-to-respond-to-sources-sought/02-sources-sought-vs-solicitation.png) ![How to respond to a sources-sought notice](images/how-to-respond-to-sources-sought/03-sources-sought-outline.png) ![How to respond to a sources-sought notice](images/how-to-respond-to-sources-sought/04-sources-sought-follow-through.png) [← All blog posts](./)