Every match answers four separate questions: how well does it fit, may you bid, what is it worth and should you go for it. The tool answers each one with its own rules and shows how it got there. AI never sets a score or a verdict.
The fit score (0 to 100)
Seven factors are each scored from 0 to 1 and multiplied by a weight. The weights add up to 100.
| Factor | Default weight | What it checks |
|---|---|---|
| Services and capabilities | 30 | Your keywords and core competencies in the title and description |
| NAICS and PSC codes | 15 | The notice's codes against yours (exact codes beat related ones) |
| Industry and past performance | 15 | The same industry sector, related past work or prior federal awards, and whether the market (federal civilian, defense, state, local, education) is one you target |
| Certifications and set-aside | 15 | Whether the set-aside fits certifications you hold |
| Geography | 10 | The place of performance against your service regions, states and home state |
| Contract size and capacity | 10 | The value (published or estimated) against your preferred value range |
| Deadline and feasibility | 5 | Days left against the time you usually need, and whether it is a type of opportunity you prefer |
The same notice and profile always give the same score. The detail page lists each factor with its points and the reason. An administrator can change the weights on Matching (admins only); every change is a new numbered version, it is recorded in the audit log, and every match shows the version it was scored with.
A notice is left out, whatever its score, when it is closed, is a notice type you do not track, matches none of your codes or keywords, carries an excluded term, comes from an excluded agency, is in an excluded industry, or is set aside for a certification your profile does not mention at all.
Eligibility is a separate verdict
A high score never means you may bid. Each match gets one of three verdicts, from rules:
- Eligible: every check the tool can make is met.
- Needs confirmation: something could not be confirmed. The card says what.
- Not eligible: a check failed, for example a set-aside for a certification you do not hold, SAM.gov saying you are not small under the notice's NAICS code, a lower facility clearance than the work needs, an order limited to holders of a contract vehicle you do not hold, or an expired SAM.gov registration.
The checks are: the set-aside against your confirmed certifications; the size standard against SAM.gov's small-business flag for that NAICS code; a required facility clearance; a required contract vehicle; place-of-performance restrictions; and an active SAM.gov registration. Any card that is not Eligible shows the warning at the top.
When a notice names a contract vehicle such as a GSA Schedule, OASIS+ or SeaPort, the card shows a Contract vehicle badge and a short explanation of the prerequisite. If that vehicle is not confirmed on your profile, the match score is reduced so the notice ranks lower. It is not hidden. Eligibility stays a separate verdict: a failed check does not by itself wipe the score.
When a notice is set aside for a certification your company does not hold, the notice page says so and how many other companies in the network do qualify. It does not list their names. Ask my coach for an introduction sends the request to your coach, who can see which companies qualify.
To confirm your size under each code, fill in your profile from SAM.gov (onboarding step 1). The tool reads SAM.gov's small-business flag for every NAICS code in your registration.
Confirm, never assume
Certifications, clearances, contract vehicles and codes that the website reading suggests are stored as AI suggestions. They do not count toward eligibility until you confirm them. Your company page lists them under AI suggestions to confirm with Confirm and Remove buttons. Facts from your SAM.gov record are marked SAM.gov. What you tick on the form yourself counts as confirmed.
What it is worth
- Published: the value stated by the source (an award amount, or a grant's award ceiling).
- Estimate: when nothing is published, the median of at least three similar stored USAspending contract awards: the same NAICS code and agency, this fiscal year and the two before. Hover or tap the value to see the basis.
- Not published: when neither is available.
The recommendation: Bid, Consider or No-bid
The recommendation comes from rules, not AI, and it is a recommendation, not advice:
- Not eligible always gives No-bid.
- A score of 70 or more starts at Bid, 45 to 69 at Consider, under 45 at No-bid.
- Needs confirmation turns Bid into Consider: confirm first.
- Too little time against the days you usually need drops it one step.
- A value far outside your preferred range turns Bid into Consider.
Your coach can override the recommendation with a note; the page then shows both the override and what the rules said. Explain in plain English asks AI for one paragraph written only from these facts. It is checked before it is shown, and a plain template is used if the AI is off or its answer breaks the rules.
Save, Dismiss and feedback
- Save adds the opportunity to My Opportunities so its deadline is tracked. See My Opportunities.
- Dismiss marks it Not a fit, with an optional reason, and hides it from Matches. Show archived brings it back.
- Rate this match (Good fit or Poor fit, with a reason) tells the administrator how well matching works. The target is that at least 80% of reviewed matches scoring 70 or more are good fits. Ratings never change a score by themselves; an administrator decides whether to change the weights.
Improve your matches
Add the matching preferences on your company page: target markets, service regions, the contract value range you want, the days you usually need to respond, preferred opportunity types, the facility clearance and contract vehicles you hold, and industries to exclude. Saving re-scores every open opportunity. See Set up your company profile and Eligibility.