How to find set-aside contracts on SAM.gov
Every federal contract opportunity over the posting threshold shows up on SAM.gov Contract Opportunities, the government's official site for notices. It is free and it is the source of truth, but the search can feel like drinking from a fire hose. Right now there are 1,234 open notices on our bids page alone, and that is after we filter down to small business set-asides and early-stage notices. Here is how to cut SAM.gov down to the handful of opportunities that fit your company.
Step 1: Know your NAICS codes and size status
Every opportunity is tagged with one NAICS code, and that code decides which SBA size standard applies. You are "small" for a solicitation only if you meet the size standard for its NAICS code, which is either an average annual revenue or an employee-count limit depending on the industry. Use the SBA size standards tool to check each code you work in, and list those codes in your SAM.gov entity registration. You can browse codes by plain-English name on our industry index. For example, Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413) currently has 58 open notices.
Step 2: Search with the right filters
On the SAM.gov search page, choose the Contract Opportunities domain and narrow it down using the filters on the left. The ones that matter most for small businesses:
- Status: Active. Inactive and archived notices clutter results.
- Set-aside type. Total Small Business, Partial Small Business, 8(a), HUBZone, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVOSB), Women-Owned (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged WOSB (EDWOSB). Pick only the ones you are eligible for. Certification is required for the 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB and WOSB programs (see our set-aside comparison guide).
- NAICS code. Add every code you can perform under. Searching by keyword alone misses notices with odd titles.
- Place of performance. Useful for services and construction you must deliver on site.
- Notice type. See step 3.
- Response date. Skip anything due in a few days unless you are already prepared.
Step 3: Understand the notice types
SAM.gov posts several kinds of notices. The SAM.gov Opportunities API documentation lists them: presolicitation, sources sought, special notice, solicitation, combined synopsis/solicitation, award notice, justification and a few others. In practice:
- Solicitations and combined synopsis/solicitations are the ones you can bid on now.
- Presolicitations warn you that a solicitation is coming. Start preparing.
- Sources sought and RFIs are market research. No award comes from them directly, but they are the best chance to shape a future set-aside. We track 301 of them on our sources sought page.
- Award notices tell you who won. They are useful for research and teaming, not bidding.
Step 4: Save the search and turn on email alerts
Signed-in SAM.gov users can save a search and get notified when new matching notices are posted. Build one saved search per line of business (for example, "janitorial, VA and MD, total small business") rather than one giant search. Smaller searches produce alerts you will actually read.
Step 5: Read the notice before you read the attachments
Open the notice and check the basics before downloading anything: set-aside, NAICS, response date, place of performance and the contracting office. Our guide on how to read a SAM.gov notice walks through every field. If it still fits, open the attachments (the statement of work, the pricing sheet and the instructions to offerors) and decide bid or no-bid.
Shortcuts that save hours
- Browse by set-aside type: Small Business (779 open), SDVOSB (114), WOSB & EDWOSB (30), HUBZone (39) and 8(a) (16).
- Browse by buyer: the agency index groups open notices by department and major sub-agency. Department of Defense has the most right now, with 922.
- Browse by state on the state index, or see the 506 notices closing this week.
- Look further ahead with agency procurement forecasts and our recompete tracker.
AwardWatchdog pulls from the same SAM.gov feed every weekday, so treat it as a faster way to scan. Always open the official notice on SAM.gov for amendments and the final instructions before you respond.
A worked example
Say you run a small engineering firm. Your saved search might be: Contract Opportunities, Status Active, NAICS 541330, set-aside "Total Small Business" plus "Partial Small Business", notice types solicitation, combined synopsis/solicitation, presolicitation and sources sought, place of performance in your region. That one search replaces scrolling thousands of notices. On AwardWatchdog the same view is the Engineering Services (541330) page, which also shows engineering contracts coming up for recompete and who has been winning them.
Where else opportunities show up
SAM.gov is the main public posting site, but not the only one:
- Agency systems. The Defense Logistics Agency runs many small supply buys through its own DLA Internet Bid Board System (DIBBS). That is part of why the DLA has so many short "Multiple NSNs"-style notices.
- GSA eBuy. Agencies often buy from GSA Multiple Award Schedule holders through eBuy, which only schedule holders can see.
- Orders under existing contracts. Task and delivery orders on multiple-award contracts go only to the contract holders, and many are never posted publicly.
- Purchases under the micro-purchase threshold ($15,000) usually are not posted at all.
That is why relationship-building and teaming matter alongside searching.
Common search mistakes
- Searching only by keyword. Titles are often cryptic.
- Filtering only for your certification type. Total small business set-asides are open to you too.
- Ignoring sources sought and presolicitations. By the time the solicitation posts, the strategy is set.
- Not checking for amendments before submitting.
When you have found a few good fits, keep the pipeline full: browse all 1,234 open notices, check what closes this week and watch the 2,137 contracts coming up for recompete.
Frequently asked questions
Is SAM.gov free to use?
Yes. Searching Contract Opportunities is free and does not require an account. You need a free account to save searches, and a free entity registration (with a Unique Entity ID) to receive federal awards.
What does "Total Small Business set-aside" mean?
Only businesses that meet the SBA size standard for the NAICS code on the solicitation can win it. Partial set-asides reserve part of the work for small businesses.
How often are new opportunities posted?
Agencies post every business day. On a typical weekday hundreds of new notices appear on SAM.gov, which is why saved searches and filters matter.