Presol. — Presolicitation Notice
Also known as: Synopsis, advance notice
What It Is
A Presolicitation notice is the advance public announcement — the synopsis — of a proposed contract action that the government generally must post before issuing the solicitation. Under FAR Part 5 (Publicizing Contract Actions), most contract actions expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold must be synopsized on the governmentwide point of entry (SAM.gov), normally at least 15 days before issuing a solicitation, with offerors then allowed a reasonable response time. The presolicitation notice tells industry what is coming: the agency, the anticipated NAICS code, the set-aside status, a description of the requirement, and the expected solicitation and award timeframe. It is the heads-up that lets firms get ready before the clock on the actual solicitation starts.
When You See It
- After market research and before the solicitation — the synopsis that announces a coming buy.
- On SAM.gov under the 'Presolicitation' notice type, typically including the NAICS code, set-aside designation, and an estimated solicitation date.
- On most contract actions expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, which FAR Part 5 generally requires to be synopsized.
Key Features
| Feature | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Required advance notice | FAR Part 5 generally requires synopsizing proposed contract actions over the simplified acquisition threshold before the solicitation issues — usually at least 15 days ahead. |
| Announces the set-aside status | The notice typically states whether the buy will be set aside (e.g., SDVOSB) — telling you up front whether you can compete and on what terms. |
| Gives you lead time | It is your window to line up teaming partners, gather past-performance, and prepare before the solicitation's response clock starts. |
| Not yet the solicitation | No proposal is due on the presolicitation notice itself; it precedes the RFP/RFQ/IFB that will carry the actual instructions and due date. |
What It Means for an SDVOSB
The presolicitation notice is your early-warning system. By the time it posts, the set-aside decision is usually visible — so it tells you immediately whether this is an SDVOSB lane you can pursue. Use the lead time it gives you: set a SAM.gov saved search on the relevant NAICS codes, line up similarly situated SDVOSB teaming partners while you still can, and start your bid/no-bid analysis early. A firm that begins preparing at the presolicitation stage is far better positioned than one that first sees the requirement when the solicitation drops.
How to Respond
- Read the set-aside designation and NAICS code first — they tell you whether and how you can compete.
- Set or refine your SAM.gov saved searches so you are notified the moment the full solicitation posts.
- Use the lead time to start teaming conversations with similarly situated SDVOSBs and to gather past-performance documentation.
- Begin a preliminary bid/no-bid assessment so you are ready to move fast when the solicitation's response window opens.
Common Pitfalls
- Treating the presolicitation notice as the solicitation and waiting for instructions that come only in the later RFP/RFQ.
- Missing the notice entirely because you have no SAM.gov saved search on your NAICS codes.
- Wasting the head start — the lead time is the whole point, and firms that prepare during it routinely outpace those that wait.
Run the Numbers
Frequently Asked
How far in advance must the government post a presolicitation notice?
Under FAR Part 5, for most contract actions expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold the government must publicize a synopsis on SAM.gov, and generally must allow at least 15 days between posting the synopsis and issuing the solicitation, plus a reasonable response time on the solicitation itself. There are exceptions, but the default rule gives industry advance visibility of a coming buy.
Do I submit a proposal in response to a presolicitation notice?
No. A presolicitation notice is the advance synopsis announcing that a solicitation is coming; it carries no proposal due date and no instructions to offerors. You prepare during this window and submit your proposal or quote only when the actual solicitation — the RFP, RFQ, or IFB — is released. Set a SAM.gov saved search so you are alerted when it posts.
Primary Sources
- FAR 5.201 — Publicizing contract actions (general)
- FAR 5.203 — Publicizing and response time
- SAM.gov — Contract Opportunities
Plain-English reference, not legal advice. How a notice or solicitation is structured, and which procedures apply, is set by the specific posting, and the FAR is periodically amended — always read the actual notice and solicitation in SAM.gov and confirm its terms with the contracting officer before relying on this.
Change log (1)
- LaunchedPublished the federal solicitation & notice types reference covering the notice and solicitation types an SDVOSB encounters on SAM.gov — the Sources Sought notice, RFI, presolicitation and special notices, the Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quotation (RFQ), Invitation for Bid (IFB), the combined synopsis/solicitation, the Broad Agency Announcement, the sole-source Justification, and the award notice — each with a key-features table, a how-to-respond checklist, common pitfalls, an SDVOSB-specific angle, FAQPage, Article, Dataset, and BreadcrumbList structured data, primary-source FAR citations, and cross-links into the glossary, forms reference, clauses, contract types, how-to guides, FAQ, and the set-aside eligibility, win-probability, and price-to-win calculators.