GovCon Academy · Intermediate
Sources-Sought & RFIs
9 min read
What they are
Before an agency releases a solicitation, it often does market research to understand what's available and whether it can set the work aside for small business. Two notices drive this:
- • Sources Sought — “Does a capable small business exist for this requirement?” Your response helps the agency decide the set-aside strategy.
- • Request for Information (RFI) — “Tell us how you'd approach this / what the market can do.” Often shapes the eventual requirements.
Neither is a bid. You are not proposing a price — you are demonstrating capability and interest, and quietly influencing how the real solicitation gets written.
Keep reading with GovCon Academy
You know what these notices are. The full lesson shows you how to use them to win:
- Why responding is worth it — set-aside leverage, requirement shaping, and early intel
- A 6-step method for writing a response that positions you before the solicitation drops
- Where to get the response template and a human review of your draft
The full lesson is included with the GovCon Academy membership, along with course progress, quizzes, readiness reassessment, and monthly group learning events.