By Raees Rasool
A sources sought notice and an RFI are the same market research step. See how each federal notice type differs from an RFP, and what to send to each. SAM.gov files sources sought notices and RFIs under one notice type, and neither one can turn into a contract. This post sorts the three federal notice types by what the government may legally do with your answer. A sources sought notice and an RFI ask you the same question. SAM.gov files both under one notice type, and the contracting officer wants to know who can do the work. An RFP asks something else entirely. It asks for a priced, scored offer that the contracting officer can accept. So the short answer on RFI vs sources sought is that the two names cover one activity. That activity is market research. Sitting between them and the RFP is a third notice, the presolicitation notice, which tells you an acquisition is now real and names its scope. Three notices, three jobs. Mistake the job and you either hand over free consulting or miss your one chance to shape the requirement. This post sorts the three by what the government may legally do with your answer. RFI vs Sources Sought The FAR names one of these two. It never names the other. FAR 15.201(e) describes one situation. The Government "does not presently intend to award a contract, but wants to obtain price, delivery, other market information, or capabilities for planning purposes." The same paragraph then closes the door on any contractual reading of your reply. "Responses to these notices are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract." ( FAR 15.201 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-48/chapter-1/subchapter-C/part-15/subpart-15.2/section-15.201)) The phrase "sources sought" appears nowhere in that subpart. It is a SAM.gov notice type label, not a regulatory category. The Department of Defense guidebook for publicizing notices says so plainly. "Use the sources sought notice type for Requests for Information (RFI) and other types of market research." ( DoD Guidebook for Publicizing Notices in Contract Opportunities (https://dodprocurementtoolbox.com/uploads/SOP Publicizing Notices July 2021 2 4 8b7ebb5c4a.pdf)) ! Three federal notice stages on one track, with sources sought or RFI carrying no offer, presolicitation opening a 15 day clock, and the solicitation disclosing evaluation factors (https://mhhifytmrlyksfrjacvi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/2026/10/rfi-vs-sources-sought-figure.png) The set-aside decision forms at the first stage, long before a solicitation exists. Treat the two as one notice with two habits of naming. Some agencies post market research as Sources Sought and call the attachment an RFI. Others post an RFI and call it sources sought in the body. Nothing turns on the word. What does turn on it is FAR Part 10. Market research has to es
SAM.gov files sources sought notices and RFIs under one notice type, and neither one can turn into a contract. This post sorts the three federal notice types by what the government may legally do with your answer.
A sources sought notice and an RFI ask you the same question. SAM.gov files both under one notice type, and the contracting officer wants to know who can do the work. An RFP asks something else entirely. It asks for a priced, scored offer that the contracting officer can accept. So the short answer on RFI vs sources sought is that the two names cover one activity. That activity is market research. Sitting between them and the RFP is a third notice, the presolicitation notice, which tells you an acquisition is now real and names its scope. Three notices, three jobs. Mistake the job and you either hand over free consulting or miss your one chance to shape the requirement. This post sorts the three by what the government may legally do with your answer. RFI vs Sources Sought The FAR names one of these two. It never names the other. FAR 15.201(e) describes one situation. The Government "does not presently intend to award a contract, but wants to obtain price, delivery, other market information, or capabilities for planning purposes." The same paragraph then closes the door on any contractual reading of your reply. "Responses to these notices are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract." ( FAR 15.201 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-48/chapter-1/subchapter-C/part-15/subpart-15.2/section-15.201)) The phrase "sources sought" appears nowhere in that subpart. It is a SAM.gov notice type label, not a regulatory category. The Department of Defense guidebook for publicizing notices says so plainly. "Use the sources sought notice type for Requests for Information (RFI) and other types of market research." ( DoD Guidebook for Publicizing Notices in Contract Opportunities (https://dodprocurementtoolbox.com/uploads/SOP Publicizing Notices July 2021 2 4 8b7ebb5c4a.pdf)) ! Three federal notice stages on one track, with sources sought or RFI carrying no offer, presolicitation opening a 15 day clock, and the solicitation disclosing evaluation factors (https://mhhifytmrlyksfrjacvi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/2026/10/rfi-vs-sources-sought-figure.png) The set-aside decision forms at the first stage, long before a solicitation exists. Treat the two as one notice with two habits of naming. Some agencies post market research as Sources Sought and call the attachment an RFI. Others post an RFI and call it sources sought in the body. Nothing turns on the word. What does turn on it is FAR Part 10. Market research has to es