Sources Sought Can be Important to Small Businesses

January 6, 2017

Small businesses should respond to ‘sources sought’ and RFIs

Source: Georgia Tech PTAC, Chuck Schadl, January 4, 2017FedBizOpps.gov

The Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) reminds our clients — and especially small businesses — that it’s very important for you to respond to what are known as “Sources Sought” and “Requests for Information” published by federal agencies periodically in FedBizOpps.

When an agency issues a Sources Sought or an RFI, they are trying to identify sources that can fulfill their buying needs and determine whether there is potential for a small business set-aside and obtain other marketplace information for acquisition planning purposes.

“Some vendors may not take the time to respond to a Sources Sought/RFI.  Instead, they may focus their efforts on preparation for a bid when the solicitation comes out,” explains Sherry Savage, Program Manager for the Defense Logistics Agency’s Procurement Technical Assistance Program.  “For the vendor, however, the Sources Sought/RFI is their chance to influence the acquisition strategy.  If capable companies do not respond, the opportunity for a set-aside may be lost.”

Sources Sought and RFIs can be found using the “Advanced Search” function in FedBizOpps.  More than 6,400 of this type of procurement opportunity were published in calendar year 2016. READ MORE….

Contact your nearest PTAC for assistance with or advice about responding to a particular Sources Sought or RFI,.

 

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 For help with Government Contracting: contact your nearest Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). Funded through Cooperative Agreements between the U.S. Department of Defense and state and local governments/institutions, PTACs provide free and low-cost assistance in virtually all areas of government contracting.