BidFox

Free SAM.gov alerts: how to set them up

You can get federal contract alerts for free. Create a SAM.gov account, search Contract Opportunities with your NAICS codes, states and set-asides, save the search and turn on its email notifications. SAM.gov then emails you when new notices match. It takes about 15 minutes and costs nothing.

For scale: today SAM.gov has 9,032 open federal notices, and 9,032 were posted in the last 7 days. A good saved search turns that into a handful a day.

Step by step: set up free SAM.gov alerts

  1. Create your account. Go to SAM.gov and sign in with Login.gov. A user account is free and separate from registering your business.
  2. Open Contract Opportunities. Use Search and pick the Contract Opportunities domain, so you only see solicitations and related notices.
  3. Filter by NAICS code. Add every code you can perform. If you are unsure, start with our NAICS codes guide or browse open contracts by NAICS code. Product Service Codes (PSC) are a useful second filter.
  4. Filter by place of performance. Choose the states where you can actually do the work. For trades, this is the filter that removes most of the noise.
  5. Choose notice types. Keep solicitations and combined synopsis/solicitations. Add presolicitations and sources sought if you want to get in early (what each notice type means).
  6. Add set-asides if you qualify. Small business, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB or WOSB. Leave the filter empty if you also want full and open competitions.
  7. Keep only active notices and save the search with a clear name, for example "Roofing VA MD DC".
  8. Turn on email notifications for the saved search from your SAM.gov workspace.
  9. Follow the notices you plan to bid on. Following a notice gets you emails when the agency posts an amendment, which can change the deadline or the scope.

Make the free alerts work better

  • One search per trade. Several overlapping searches send the same notice more than once.
  • Be careful with keywords. Titles are short and inconsistent ("Repair bldg 12", "Roof replacement", "B-Wing reroof"), so keyword-only searches miss jobs. Use codes first and keywords to narrow.
  • Read the amendment number. An update to a solicitation you already saw is not a new job.
  • Check the deadline first. Many small jobs give 10 to 15 days. A notice that closes in two days is rarely worth starting.
  • Review the search every few months. Add the NAICS codes you see on the jobs you actually win.

What free alerts don't cover

  • State and local bids. SAM.gov is federal only. Cities, counties, school districts and states publish on their own portals, where vendor registration is usually free.
  • Micro-purchases. Most federal buys under $15,000 are never posted (how small purchases work).
  • Subcontracting. Prime contractors post some subcontracting opportunities on the SBA's SubNet, and award notices tell you who won work near you (who wins federal contracts).
  • Plans ahead of time. Agencies publish procurement forecasts, linked from Acquisition.gov.

Free help is also available: APEX Accelerators (formerly PTACs) help small businesses with registration, searches and bids at no cost.

When a paid tool is worth it

Free alerts are enough when you know your codes, your search is tight and you read everything that arrives. A paid tool starts to make sense when:

  • you get more notices than you read and the good ones get buried;
  • you keep finding relevant jobs on SAM.gov that your search did not send;
  • you need state and local bids too, which only state and local bid networks cover;
  • the time you spend sorting notices each week is worth more than the subscription.

We compare the options honestly, with published prices, on government bid alert tools compared, and side by side on SAM.gov saved searches vs BidFox.

Where BidFox fits

BidFox reads every new SAM.gov notice each morning and sends one email with the ones that fit your trade and states, scored out of 100 with the reason each one fits. Repeats, notices closing in under two days and set-asides for certifications you don't hold are left out. It costs $29 or $59 a month after 7 free days. Many contractors keep a SAM.gov saved search for one specific code and use BidFox for the rest.

See a free sample alert

Questions

Are SAM.gov email alerts free?

Yes. Searching contract opportunities, saving searches and getting email notifications on SAM.gov costs nothing. You only need a free SAM.gov account, which you sign in to with Login.gov.

Do I need a SAM.gov registration (UEI) to get alerts?

No. A user account is enough to save searches and follow notices. You need an active entity registration, which is also free, to be awarded a federal contract.

Why am I getting the same solicitation again?

Agencies post amendments and updates to the same solicitation, and a saved search can match them again. Check the notice ID and the amendment number before you read it from scratch.

How many saved searches should I have?

Usually one per trade or group of NAICS codes, limited to the states where you can do the work. Too many overlapping searches send the same notice several times.

When is a paid alert tool worth it?

When the free alerts send you more notices than you read, when you keep missing relevant ones because of how your search is built, or when you need state and local bids, which SAM.gov does not have. Compare the time you spend each week with the price.

Last reviewed October 22, 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and dollar thresholds change, so check the solicitation and the official sources linked above.