Publicizing Proposed Contract Actions (Synopsis)

A synopsis (also called a presolicitation notice — you'll see both terms used interchangeably) is a public notice that a contracting office is planning to buy something. You post it to the Government Point of Entry (GPE), which is SAM.gov — Contract Opportunities. That's it. It's a heads-up to industry that "something is coming."

Think of it this way: the government puts out thousands of solicitations every single day. A synopsis gives industry a chance to rack and stack their priorities, figure out which opportunities they actually want to pursue, and start preparing before the solicitation drops.

The short answer: because FAR Part 5 says so, and because it promotes competition. The longer answer is that it serves two practical purposes.

First, it gives industry time to prepare. In the non-commercial realm, you post a synopsis and let it sit for 15 days before you issue your solicitation. That gives potential offerors time to decide if they want to compete, pull together their team, and get ready to respond.

Second, it helps small businesses. A lot of the publicizing requirements exist so that small businesses — who might not have the resources to monitor every solicitation — get fair notice of upcoming opportunities.

Under FAR 5.101(a), you post a presolicitation notice to the GPE for proposed contract actions expected to be greater than $20,000 — unless an exemption applies.

That threshold is low enough that it catches most of what you'll do. But there's a big practical exemption that covers the majority of operational contracting work (more on that in a moment).

You do not need to post a presolicitation notice when:

The action is at or below the SAT and the solicitation will be posted to the GPE and allow electronic responses. This is the big one. If you're under the simplified acquisition threshold and you're going to post the solicitation on SAM.gov anyway and let people respond electronically, you don't need the separate 15-day heads-up. The solicitation itself serves as the notice.

The action would compromise national security if you can't write the notice without revealing sensitive needs.

Unsolicited proposals that are unique and innovative, where sharing details would reveal proprietary information. Also proposals under the Small Business Innovation Development Act (SBIR).

Orders under existing contracts — requirements contracts, task order contracts, and delivery order contracts. The parent vehicle was already competed and publicized.

Perishable subsistence supplies. You're not posting a 15-day notice for lettuce.

Sole-source utilities (other than telecom) where only one source is available.

Expert services for litigation involving the federal government.

Other than full and open competition (FAR 6.302), except for sole source (6.302-1) and national security (6.302-6), which still require posting.

Head of agency determination that advance notice isn't appropriate or reasonable, after consulting with OFPP and SBA. This one is rare.

Here's where it gets practical. In operational contracting, you're often buying commercial, off-the-shelf items. The data you're requesting from vendors should be readily available — developing a quotation is less administratively burdensome than developing a full proposal. So to speed things up, you combine the synopsis with the solicitation into a single posting.

Instead of posting a synopsis, waiting 15 days, and then posting the solicitation as a separate action, you post everything at once. The combined synopsis/solicitation serves as both the public notice and the request for quotes or proposals.

For commercial items, this is the standard approach. FAR Part 12 and FAR 5.101(d) allow you to combine the synopsis with the solicitation for acquisitions of commercial products and commercial services above the SAT. Below the SAT, you're likely already exempt from the presolicitation notice requirement (see exemption #1 above).

When a presolicitation notice is required, FAR 5.101(d) lays out the minimum posting timeframes:

Remember: for actions at or below the SAT, the presolicitation notice isn't required at all if you're posting the solicitation to the GPE and allowing electronic responses. So the timing table mostly matters for actions above the SAT that aren't commercial.

FAR 5.101(c) spells out the required content. When you post a presolicitation notice, include:

Point of contact — name, address, and contact info for the contracting officer.

Set-aside information — if applicable, whether it's a total or partial small business set-aside or a local area set-aside.

PSC and NAICS codes — so industry can find the opportunity in searches.

Description — a clear, concise description of what you're buying that doesn't unnecessarily restrict competition. For acquisitions over $25K but under the SAT, also describe the award procedures and anticipated award date. Include required trade agreement language if applicable.

Statement that all responsible sources may submit a quotation, bid, or proposal.

For sole source actions — identify the intended source and explain why competition is lacking.

Qualification requirements — if an offeror or product must meet qualification requirements, say so and point to where they can get details.

This training covers the basics of synopses and presolicitation notices. If you want to go deeper, read FAR Part 5 (Publicizing Contract Actions) cover to cover — it's short and covers everything from presolicitation notices to award notices to subcontracting opportunities. Also read FAR Part 12 (Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services), which explains combined synopsis/solicitation procedures and the streamlined commercial buying process.

The real skill to build next is the solicitation itself. The synopsis is just the announcement — the solicitation is where the work happens.