A lot of federal work never shows up in a SAM keyword search, because it's planned in forecasts before it's posted, ordered under contracts that are already awarded, or posted to a closed group of contract holders. To find it, you work four .gov sources: agency procurement forecasts, orders on existing contract vehicles, GSA eBuy if you hold a schedule, and USAspending for contracts coming up for recompete.

If you've typed your service into SAM and felt like you're seeing the leftovers, you're partly right. SAM shows what agencies are required to post publicly. Plenty of spending moves through channels with no public posting at all. This article shows where that work lives and gives you a weekly routine to keep up with it.

Why Keyword Searches Miss So Much

Keyword search has a basic problem. Agencies describe the same work in different words, so a search for "janitorial" can miss a notice titled "custodial services." Searching by NAICS and PSC codes instead of keywords fixes some of that, and it's where you should start.

The bigger problem is that a lot of work never becomes a public notice. Under the FAR Overhaul text for Part 5, an order placed under a task order or delivery order contract doesn't need a public presolicitation notice. That exemption carries over to posting the solicitation and the award notice too.

So if an agency buys your service as an order under a multiple-award contract, the competition happens among the contract holders. If you aren't one of them, you won't see it on SAM.

"SAM shows what agencies have to post publicly. Orders under existing contracts are competed among the holders and often never appear there."

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Source 1: Agency Procurement Forecasts

A forecast is an agency's advance list of what it expects to buy. It's planning information, not a promise, but it can give you months of notice before a solicitation posts.

Start with GSA's Forecast of Contracting Opportunities (FCO) tool on Acquisition Gateway. GSA calls it a governmentwide planning tool that shows forecasts from participating agencies. You don't need to register to use it, and you can search by keyword or NAICS code and filter by agency, place of performance, estimated award date, set-aside strategy, and contract type.

Not every agency relies on the FCO tool alone. Acquisition.gov keeps a list of agency procurement forecasts with links for 22 agencies, so check your target agencies there too.

One timely note if you follow Homeland Security. DHS's forecast site, APFS, posted a notice that it stopped taking new opportunities on Oct. 30, 2026, and told industry to use a DHS forecast page starting Nov. 5. DHS says email subscriptions will resume in December 2026.

For more on how forecasts changed this year, see our article on procurement forecast changes for FY2027.

Source 2: Orders on Existing Contract Vehicles

Many agencies buy services through multiple-award contracts, sometimes called IDIQs. The agency awards one big contract to a group of companies, then places task orders or delivery orders with them over several years.

Here's how ordering works under the FAR Overhaul Part 16 text. Above the micro-purchase threshold, the contracting officer has to give each contract holder a fair opportunity to be considered for each order. The ordering process isn't subject to the usual competition rules in Part 6. And for orders above the simplified acquisition threshold, the notice of an upcoming order goes to the contract holders, not to the public.

That gives you two ways in. You can compete to get onto the vehicle when it's competed or reopened, which does get posted. Or you can team with companies that already hold it and work on their orders as a subcontractor.

To find who holds the vehicles in your space, use USAspending, covered below. Search your NAICS or PSC codes and look at the contracts your target agency uses most, then look at which companies are winning orders under them.

Source 3: GSA eBuy, for Schedule Holders

GSA eBuy is where federal buyers send requests for quotes to GSA Multiple Award Schedule holders. GSA's own guidance lists eBuy as the place for schedule contract opportunities, "for Schedule holders only."

So eBuy isn't a search site for everyone. If you don't hold a schedule, you won't see these requests. If you do, check eBuy as often as you check SAM, because buyers can send an RFQ to schedule holders without a SAM posting.

If you're weighing whether a schedule is worth it, how often agencies in your codes buy through schedules is a good question to research first. USAspending can help you answer it.

Source 4: USAspending, for Contracts Coming Up for Recompete

USAspending is the government's public database of federal spending. Its Advanced Search lets you filter contracts by agency, NAICS code, PSC code, set-aside type, award type, award amount, and time period, then download the results.

The field that matters most here is the potential end date. USAspending's data dictionary defines it as the date work would be complete if every option on the contract were exercised. When that date is 12 to 24 months out, the agency is likely planning what comes next.

That's your recompete list. Pull contracts in your codes at your target agencies, sort by potential end date, and note the incumbent, the value, and the contracting office. Then watch SAM and the agency's forecast for the follow-on, and consider reaching out to the incumbent about teaming.

USAspending won't tell you whether an agency will recompete, change the scope, or fold the work into another contract. It tells you where to look and when.

"Sort USAspending contracts in your NAICS code by potential end date. The ones ending in 12 to 24 months are your recompete watch list."

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Get More Out of SAM Too

SAM is still the place where most public competition starts, so set it up to work for you. Anyone can search contract opportunities without an account. With an account, you can save searches, follow changes to an opportunity, and join interested vendor lists.

Save searches by NAICS and PSC code rather than keywords. Include early notices, such as sources sought and presolicitation notices, so you see requirements before the solicitation. Our article on why sources sought notices are worth your time covers how to respond to them.

A Weekly Routine You Can Keep

A routine beats a marathon search session. Here's one that takes a few hours a week.

Monday: Check your saved SAM searches and respond to any sources sought notices that fit.
Tuesday: If you hold a GSA schedule, review eBuy for new RFQs in your categories.
Wednesday: Check the FCO tool and your target agencies' own forecasts for new or changed entries.
Thursday: Update your recompete list from USAspending and note contracts ending in the next 24 months.
Friday: Pick one forecast entry or recompete and take one step on it, such as contacting the agency's small business office or the incumbent.

Keep everything in one simple tracker: the source, the agency, the expected date, and your next step. After a month, you'll see which sources actually produce work in your market, and you can spend more time there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why don't I see task orders on SAM?
Orders placed under task order and delivery order contracts don't need a public presolicitation notice under the FAR Overhaul Part 5 text. They're competed among the contract's holders, so you need to hold the contract or team with a holder.

Can anyone use GSA eBuy?
No. GSA describes eBuy as the place for schedule contract opportunities for schedule holders only. Without a GSA schedule, you won't see those requests for quotes.

Do I need an account to use the FCO tool?
No. GSA says registration isn't required to use the Forecast of Contracting Opportunities tool.

How do I find contracts coming up for recompete?
Search USAspending for contracts in your NAICS or PSC codes and sort by potential end date, which is when work would end if all options were exercised. Then watch for the follow-on in agency forecasts and on SAM.

Is a forecast a guarantee the agency will buy?
No. Forecasts are for information and planning only. Entries can change, move, or drop off as budgets and priorities shift.

FAQ View full FAQ page

Build Your Pipeline Before the Solicitation Posts

For more ways to get in front of work early, see where federal subcontracting opportunities are actually posted.

USFCR has served over 500,000 businesses, and our clients have won over $1.9 billion in contracts. If you want help setting up your registrations and a plan to find the right opportunities, speak to a USFCR Registration & Contracting Specialist at (866) 216-5343.