Capture & bid
How to respond to Sources Sought and RFIs
A response template for Sources Sought notices and RFIs that maximizes the chance of a small-business set-aside and gets your firm onto the buyer's market list.
9 min read · Updated 2026-04-27 · For: Capture managers and BD leads pursuing pre-solicitation positioning.
Sources Sought (SS) and Request for Information (RFI) notices are pre-solicitation market research. They are not solicitations — you cannot win a contract by responding alone — but they are the single highest-leverage activity in federal capture.
Why? Because the contracting officer uses your response to (1) decide whether to issue a small-business set-aside, (2) shape the eventual statement of work, and (3) build the market list of who gets directly invited to bid.
Steps
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1. Read the notice three times before drafting
Find: agency mission context, the specific data points the CO is asking for (often numbered), the format requirements, the page limit, the response deadline, and the email address. Note the NAICS and PSC. Most rejections come from missing a stated requirement.
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2. Confirm size status under the listed NAICS
Cross-check the small-business size standard for the listed NAICS against your firm's 3-year average revenue (or 5-year for some NAICS) or employee count. State your size status explicitly in the response.
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3. Address each numbered question, in order, with the CO's headers
Mirror the CO's exact section numbering. If they ask for '1. Your company's relevant past performance,' your response section 1 must be 'Relevant past performance.' COs read 30+ responses and need to compare answers side-by-side.
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4. Include 3 detailed past-performance examples
Each: client name, contract number (or '[redacted]'), period, value, scope, your specific role (prime/sub), and one quantified outcome. Federal first, sub-contract work counts.
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5. Recommend the set-aside type
End with a one-sentence recommendation: 'XYZ Inc. recommends this requirement be set aside as a [8(a) sole-source / WOSB total set-aside / HUBZone partial set-aside].' COs are required to consider small-business preferences and your recommendation factors into the acquisition strategy decision.
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6. Submit on time, in the requested format
Email the PDF response (or upload to SAM.gov per instructions) before the deadline. Attach your capability statement. Send a brief 'thank you' note 1–2 days later confirming receipt.
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7. Track every Sources Sought you respond to
Maintain a spreadsheet: notice ID, agency, NAICS, response date, follow-up RFP date (if issued). Most responses lead nowhere. The 5–10% that convert into solicitations are where you build relationships and sometimes pre-write the SOW.
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FAQ
Can I win a contract directly from a Sources Sought response?
No. A Sources Sought is market research, not a competitive solicitation. But responding directly increases your odds of being invited to bid on the eventual RFP and influences whether the contract becomes a small-business set-aside.
How long should a Sources Sought response be?
Match the page limit in the notice. If unspecified, 3–6 pages plus a capability statement. Quality over length. COs spend 5–10 minutes per response.
Do agencies share my response with competitors?
No. Sources Sought responses are protected as proprietary by FAR 15.207. COs may share aggregated information (e.g., 'we found 12 small businesses') but not individual responses.