Every notice, grant and SBIR topic page has a Documents and AI analysis section: a summary, the attachment list and a place to ask questions. It reads the solicitation for you and shows you exactly where each answer came from.
The attachment list
- Contract notices list the files SAM.gov publishes with the notice: name, type, size, the date it was posted, and a link to the original on SAM.gov. The list is built from data the tool already holds, so opening a page costs nothing.
- Grants list the attachments Simpler.Grants.gov publishes. They are listed the first time someone asks a question or writes the summary for that grant.
- SBIR topics link to the topic on DSIP. The topic's objective and description are read; DSIP's files are not downloaded.
- Each file is marked D1, D2 and so on. A ZIP's files are D2.1, D2.2.
When files are read
GovCon reads every attachment in the background for each tracked pursuit and for the matches in the morning digest, including amendments. It reads a file again only when that file changes. The text and the summary are kept in the database and reused. A private copy of the original file is optional and is off until storage is configured. You are not asked to download or read the files.
Each pass reads at most four files. If SAM.gov is limiting requests, the summary says GovCon is still reading and the next pass continues.
The section also shows a submission cutoff. When the solicitation states a clock time and a time zone, for example noon Eastern, that date and time is shown at the top of the opportunity and on the pursuit's submission list. When the documents do not state a time, the page warns you to confirm the cutoff with the contracting officer and shows that point of contact.
A copy of each file that was read (and that does not carry a controlled-information marking) can be stored in a private container. The download link on the page is served by GovCon. The copy is off until the storage settings are configured.
- Files are downloaded from SAM.gov's public download links, at most four in one request; ask again to read more. The notice description uses the tool's SAM.gov API allowance, so on a busy day it may be read later.
- PDFs are read page by page, Word files section by section (Section L, L.3, M), and Excel files sheet by sheet.
- A scanned PDF has no text layer. When OCR is switched on, the free OCR service reads it, but only its first two pages; otherwise the page says GovCon could not read that file.
- Older .doc and .xls files, password-protected files and pictures are not read.
- A file that carries a CUI or export-control marking is not read and not stored.
Asking a question
Pick one of the preset questions or type your own:
- Are we eligible? (compares the documents with your company profile)
- Mandatory requirements?
- Certifications or clearances?
- What must we submit?
- Evaluation criteria?
- Subcontractors required or permitted?
- Biggest risks?
The answer has two parts:
- Verified in the documents: each sentence cites the document and page or section it came from, such as [D2 p.14] or [D1 §L.3], and shows the words it quotes. [N] is the listing itself (title, dates, set-aside) and [P] is your company profile.
- Not found in the documents: what the question needs that the documents do not say.
The tool checks every citation before it shows an answer: the cited page must exist and must contain the quoted words. If the AI's answer fails that check twice, you see Could not answer from the documents instead of a guess.
Your questions are kept in your company's history on that page. Other companies cannot see them. When someone asks the same question about the same files, the earlier answer is reused at no cost.
The summary
The summary covers what is being bought, who can bid, key dates, how to respond and notable risks, with the same citations.
- Until the background reading finishes, the page says GovCon is reading the documents and the summary will appear shortly.
- The finished summary is marked AI-generated and kept for that version of the notice. If an amendment adds or replaces a file, GovCon reads it again and replaces the summary.
Limits
- AI can be wrong. Open the cited page and check before you rely on an answer.
- Answers come only from the documents and the listing. They are not legal advice. Each answer quotes the words it cites, on the page.
- Questions count against your company's daily AI allowance, shared with drafting. When it is used, questions pause until the next day.
- Do not type controlled information (CUI), export-controlled or classified text into a question. A question that carries such a marking is refused and not stored.
- Every question is recorded in the audit log.
See also AI features and their limits.