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    SAM.gov - Automated Federal Contract Alerts

    SAM.gov (System for Award Management) is the US federal government’s primary procurement portal. Jorpex monitors SAM.gov continuously and delivers matching contract opportunities to your Slack workspace.

    What is SAM.gov?

    SAM.gov consolidates several former federal procurement systems. The General Services Administration (GSA) merged FedBizOpps (FBO), the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), the Central Contractor Registration (CCR), and the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) into a single platform between 2012 and 2020. It’s where all US federal agencies publish contract opportunities, awards, entity registrations, and wage determinations. As of 2023, SAM.gov requires a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) — replacing the former DUNS number — for all entities doing business with the federal government.

    The challenge of SAM.gov monitoring

    SAM.gov publishes thousands of notices daily across 1,057 NAICS codes covering every sector of the US economy. The site’s search interface supports filtering by NAICS code, set-aside type (small business, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB), place of performance, and solicitation type — but combining these filters effectively requires procurement expertise. SAM.gov’s own email alerts are limited to keyword matching with no value-range filtering, no disqualifier terms, and no Slack integration. The result is either information overload or missed opportunities.

    How Jorpex improves SAM.gov monitoring

    Jorpex applies your custom keyword, value-range, NAICS code, and set-aside filters to the SAM.gov feed. Only matching opportunities are delivered to Slack with the solicitation title, contracting agency, NAICS code, estimated value, response deadline, and a direct link to the full solicitation. Combined with AI relevance scoring (Pro plan), your team sees the highest-value matches first. Disqualifier terms filter out categories you don’t serve — so an IT firm won’t see construction solicitations that happen to mention ‘network infrastructure.’

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    Combine US and international coverage

    Many companies bid on both US federal and EU public contracts. Jorpex lets you monitor SAM.gov alongside TED (EU), Contracts Finder (UK), MERX and CanadaBuys (Canada), and 46 other sources from a single dashboard with unified Slack delivery. A single notification profile can target both NAICS 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services) on SAM.gov and CPV 72000000 (IT services) on TED, ensuring you see relevant opportunities regardless of which classification system the source uses.

    SAM.gov opportunity types

    SAM.gov publishes several opportunity types, each representing a different procurement stage. Presolicitation notices signal upcoming contracts before formal solicitation — useful for early preparation. Combined synopsis/solicitations are the most common type: a single document containing both the requirement description and submission instructions. Sources sought notices are market research — the agency wants to know which companies can deliver before deciding on a procurement strategy. Special notices cover grants, surplus property, and foreign government standards. Award notices disclose contract winners, values, and awardees — competitive intelligence for future bids.

    Small business opportunities on SAM.gov

    The US federal government has a statutory goal of awarding 23% of prime contract dollars to small businesses. SAM.gov set-aside filters let you target these opportunities specifically. The Small Business Administration (SBA) certifies several designations: 8(a) Business Development Program (for socially and economically disadvantaged firms), HUBZone (businesses in Historically Underutilized Business Zones), SDVOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business), WOSB (Women-Owned Small Business), and EDWOSB (Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business). Each set-aside restricts competition to certified firms, significantly improving win probability. The SBA’s Dynamic Small Business Search on SAM.gov also helps prime contractors find subcontractors.

    Frequently asked questions

    How do I find US federal government contracts on SAM.gov?

    SAM.gov is the official portal for all US federal contract opportunities. You can search by NAICS code, keyword, agency, or set-aside type. However, with thousands of daily postings, manual monitoring is inefficient. Jorpex automates SAM.gov monitoring and delivers only matching opportunities to your Slack channel.

    Is SAM.gov free to use?

    Yes, SAM.gov is completely free. Searching for contract opportunities, registering as a vendor, and downloading solicitation documents all cost nothing. Beware of third-party sites that charge for access to the same public data. Jorpex adds intelligent filtering and Slack delivery on top of SAM.gov’s free data.

    Can international companies bid on SAM.gov contracts?

    Yes, international companies can bid on many US federal contracts, though some are restricted to US-based businesses through set-asides (small business, 8(a), HUBZone, etc.). Companies must register in SAM.gov and obtain a UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) before bidding.

    What is a UEI and do I need one for SAM.gov?

    A UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) is a 12-character alphanumeric ID assigned by SAM.gov when you register your entity. It replaced the DUNS number (formerly issued by Dun & Bradstreet) in April 2022. You need a UEI to bid on any US federal contract, receive federal grants, or register as a subcontractor. Registration is free and typically takes 7–10 business days to process.

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    Related resources

    Sources

    TED - Monitor EU Public Procurement

    TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) is the official journal for European public procurement, publishing over 700,000 contract notices per year worth more than €670 billion. Jorpex monitors TED and delivers matching tenders to Slack or email.

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    US State Government Tenders

    US state and local government procurement totals over $2 trillion annually—far exceeding federal spending. These opportunities don’t appear on SAM.gov. Jorpex monitors major state procurement portals to give you coverage beyond the federal level.

    Sources

    Canadian Federal Tenders via CanadaBuys

    CanadaBuys is the Government of Canada’s official procurement platform for federal contract opportunities. It replaced the legacy Buy and Sell platform and centralizes all federal procurement notices. Jorpex monitors CanadaBuys and delivers matching tenders to your Slack channel.

    Further reading