What does sources sought mean

This is a question frequently-asked question by PTAC clients. Think of a Sources Sought as market research being conducted by a government agency to determine what the capabilities and interests of the marketplace are.

My advice to our clients is to always respond to a Sources Sought if it appears to be of interest to you. Contracting officials frequently complain about how few responses they often receive to Sources Sought announcements. They may be used when the Government does not presently intend to award a contract, but wants to obtain price, delivery, other market information, or capabilities for planning purposes.

A Sources Sought notice is a synopsis posted by a government agency that states they are seeking possible sources for a project. The Government issues both the Sources Sought and RFIs for market research purposes—that is to determine whether there are contractors who can provide the desired services. Since they come out at the earliest stages of the procurement process, long before a pre-solicitation is issued, they offer an opportunity for you to introduce yourself and your products and services during the planning phase.

A Contracting Officer may even use your response in crafting the Statement of Work that will be issued with the solicitation! Government contractors are encouraged to respond to applicable Sources Sought and RFIs to open a channel of communication that allows a possible Government buyer to get to know you and your products or services. As such, our recommendations are that you follow the instructions as closely as possible and provide the information requested in a manner that is closely tailored to the agency and its defined needs as is possible.

If you have worked with the agency before, it is particularly a good opportunity to build on those successes.

You can use these responses to differentiate yourself from the pack of competitors who also may qualify for the potential opportunity. Federal regulations tie the hands of the agencies based on the documented results of their market research. Your Kitsap PTAC offers free high-quality training opportunities and confidential business assistance and support to regional businesses in marketing and selling to federal, state and local government agencies and prime contractors.

Be sure to take advantage of these great training opportunities:. Contractors who submit their capability statement are usually included in the solicitation release so you will know exactly when it is released and when you submit your response, your name will be familiar to them when they are reviewing the responses.

Contracting officers will also share the capability statement with the technical representative which can give exposure of your company to the actual people who will be using your product or service. So, the next time you get notice of a sources sought for your particular product or service, take the time to tailor your capability statement to the requested information and send it to the point of contact.

It is a great way to market yourself directly to a government official.