- List of certified small businesses considered for the work scope.
- Records of solicitation or outreach (dates, contacts, responses).
- Explanation when selected subs are not in the target socio-economic category.
- Consistency between subcontracting plan goals and actual award data.
Documenting good-faith effort to subcontract with small businesses
Contracting officers expect primes to show they identified certified small businesses and made reasonable outreach before claiming inability to meet subcontracting goals. Good-faith effort is a narrative supported by evidence — which firms you found, how you contacted them, and when — not a checkbox on the plan template.
What evidence contracting officers look for
How SamMatch supports the narrative
SamMatch logs which ACTIVE, SAM.gov-verified small businesses you identified for each PIID requirement and preserves in-app outreach threads between prime and subcontractor. This creates a timestamped trail aligned to your sourcing workflow. SamMatch organizes evidence; it does not provide legal determinations or file reports on your behalf.
Practices that strengthen your file
- Source against the specific NAICS and category on the approved plan.
- Contact multiple candidates — not only incumbents or known vendors.
- Retain outreach records before CO review or performance assessment.
- Independently verify certifications in SAM.gov at award time.
Frequently asked questions
Does SamMatch guarantee good-faith effort compliance?
No. SamMatch provides tools to identify vendors and log outreach. Your compliance team and counsel determine whether your documentation satisfies agency expectations.
Related resources
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