If you want to dive into government contracting, you probably know that the first step is to register with the System for Award Management (SAM). Every SAM account must have what is known as an Entity Administrator, a person authorized to make changes and manage this account. Your SAM administrator will have several responsibilities, including the following tasks.
1. Complete & Send In A Notarized Letter
For the past year or so, anyone registering in SAM has been required to send in a notarized letter to the Federal Service Desk identifying their Entity Administrator for SAM. This requirement came about due to fraudulent activity in the SAM database, and is meant to increase security within the database.
The notarized letter is a requirement for anyone who is registered with SAM or wishes to become registered with SAM, and this is one of the first tasks you will want to complete. To learn more about this letter as well as to find a letter template, go to the Federal Service Desk at FSD.gov. From there, go up to the top of the page to Top Help Topics. Hover over this tab and you will see a tab for SAM and under that you’ll find a link to “Tips for Notarized Letter.”
2. Complete SAM Registration
Typically, your SAM administrator will be the person tasked with SAM registration. This can be a difficult process, taking 10 or more hours to complete. The good news is that while you do need to appoint a SAM entity administrator, you can hire a third party to complete your SAM registration.
The government does not charge companies and individuals to register with SAM, but it often makes sense to hire a third-party registration service to complete your registration, especially if you’ve gotten started with the process and become frustrated.
Unfortunately, many people give up on government contracting because the SAM registration process is complicated and that’s a shame because there are so many lucrative contracts out there for the taking. If you are daunted by the registration process, contact our service and we can handle your registration tasks.
It’s a bit like hiring an accountant to handle your taxes. Certainly, you could complete your taxes on your own at no charge, but the tax code can be difficult to understand and hiring an expert can save you a ton of time and frustration. We are just like that accountant; except we handle the complexities of SAM registration for you.
3. Register With SBA & PTAC
This task is really only for those who qualify as a small business. If you do qualify, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and your local Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) will be important resources, and your SAM administrator will want to register with both services.
SBA has resources for starting business, finding loans and grants, government contracting and much more. Your PTAC also can help with many aspects of government contracting, including getting set up to contract with state and local governments, which also offer many lucrative government contracts.
The government truly wants companies to succeed with government contracting, especially small businesses. The government recognizes many different types of small businesses, such as woman-owned and veteran-owned businesses and sets aside a portion of its contracting jobs specifically for these types of businesses. So be sure to take advantage of your small business status.
4. Make Any Necessary Changes
Any time information in your SAM account changes, your SAM administrator will need to update this in SAM as well as with any state or government agency with which you are registered. For instance, if your phone number changes or perhaps your physical address, you will need to update that information as quickly as possible.
5. Complete SAM Renewal
Your SAM registration will need to be renewed every year, and because it takes time for the government to process these renewals, it is best that your SAM administrator completes your renewal well in advance of the expiration date.
If you are within just a few months of expiration, it can be much more difficult to win contracts. We highly recommend that you renew at least three months prior to expiration to ensure that you do not miss out on any lucrative contracts. When a representative from a government agency sees that you are nearing your expiration date, they might be hesitant to proceed with a contract.
After all, if your registration does expire in the middle of a contract, you no longer are authorized to complete the work and everything comes to a standstill, so as a SAM administrator, you need to keep a close eye on your expiration date.
Of course, in addition to helping with SAM registration, we also can process your SAM renewals on behalf of your SAM administrator. If you want to begin the registration process or have questions about how to get started with SAM registration, just click on the New Registration tab on our homepage and fill out our quick contact form. A registration specialist will be in touch with you as soon as possible to help you get started in the world of government contracting.