Category: SAM Registration

Central contractor registration via the CCR database used to be one of the main ways contractors could register and then bid on lucrative government contracts. But the CCR no longer exists, and these days everything is all about SAM.

SAM is the System for Award Management, which is a centralized database for all government contractors. Before SAM’s creation in 2012, there were several independent databases, including CCR and other systems, such as Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) and the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) to name a few.

Now everything is part of SAM, so if you want to become a government contractor, you no longer complete central contractor registration, now you will need to complete SAM registration. The downside is that while centralizing all of these systems makes good sense, it’s still not any easier to complete SAM registration.

It can take about 10 hours (or more) to complete the application, and it’s full of confusing government-speak that tends to frustrate many users. At Federal Contractor Registry, we’ve had years of experience with SAM registration (and CCR and ORCA in the past), and can complete your SAM registration or renewal and save you the time and trouble.

SAM registration is free, and we do charge for our services, and sometimes people become confused about this issue. Basically, we are a third-party registration service that can handle the burden of SAM registration quickly and easily, much like an accountant serves as your third-party tax preparer. It’s certainly free to do your own taxes, but it takes up a ton of your valuable time, so that’s why you hire the accountant.

It’s the same for us; we’ll handle the complexities of SAM registration, and leave you free to concentrate on running your business and learning all you can about government contracting.

If you have a small business, we highly recommend that you utilize the Small Business Administration and all it offers. For instance, did you know that the federal government sets aside a certain percentage of its contracts just for small businesses? These are known as “set-asides” or “set-aside codes,” and you’ll want to include any qualifying set-asides in your SAM registration.

For instance, if 51% or more of your business is owned by a woman, you can qualify as a woman-owned business. If your small business is located in a HUBZone, which is a historically underutilized area, you might qualify for HUBZone set asides. There are other options as well for veteran-owned businesses, Native American-owned businesses and more.

If you go to the Small Business Administration website you’ll see a tab at the top for Federal Contracting. Click here and you will find tons of resources for small business owners who wish to contract or sell to the federal government.

Once you’ve registered with SAM, you can start bidding on federal contracts, but don’t forget about your state government. These entities also need contractors, so it’s wise to register with your state so that you can take advantage of the contractor opportunities. Every state has its own database of approved contractors. For instance, in California, you can head to CalEProcure.ca.gov to register. In Wisconsin, you can register at Vendornet.wi.gov. In New York, the go-to website is OGS.NY.gov. Every state is a little bit different, but there definitely are some lucrative state and local contracts in all 50 states.

To reiterate, if you’ve been googling “central contractor registration” and coming up with nothing, that’s because what you really want to search for is SAM registration. If you’d like us to handle SAM registration (or renewals) for you, we are happy to get started at any time. Just head to our homepage and click on the New Registration tab and a registration specialist will be in touch with you soon.

When you sign up to become a government contractor at the SAM.gov website, you will be asked about your set-aside codes. Understanding these codes and taking advantage of the opportunities they can provide is crucial to successful government contracting. Let’s take a quick look at set asides and what it all means.

The United States government has 15 departments, as well as a myriad of independent agencies, commissions and boards. Virtually all of these entities will need government contractors at some time or another. Most of these agencies, particularly the departments, such as the Department of Homeland Security or Department of Education, try to “set aside” a portion of their contracting jobs just for certain types of small businesses.

Are You A Small Business?
Before we do a deep dive into these small business set-asides, it’s important to note that you first need to discover whether or not your business qualifies as a small business. The government has specific requirements, based upon your number of employees and earnings, which you must meet in order to qualify.

To check to see if your business qualifies, go to the Small Business Administration’s webpage at https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/size-standards and click on the Measure My Business tab. From there you will need to know your North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes. These are codes that identify the exact type of goods and services you provide.

There are more than a dozen set-aside codes and your business may qualify for one or more of these codes, which include:

Competitive 8(a) – These are small businesses that are owned by people or entities that are found to be socially or economically disadvantaged. These are persons that, according to the United States government, have been subjected to racial, ethnic or cultural prejudice. This includes a wide range of persons, from women to Native Americans to those with certain physical disabilities.

In order to qualify, your business must be at least 51% owned by someone is economically and socially disadvantaged, and be owned by someone with a personal net worth of $250,000 or less, someone with assets of $4 million or less and there are several other criteria.

Woman-Owned Small Business & Economically Disadvantaged Woman-Owned Small Business – These two set asides are a bit easier to understand. To qualify, a business must be at least 51% owned by a woman. Obviously to qualify for the economically-disadvantaged set aside, you will need to prove that your income and assets are within the limits set forth by the government.

Veteran-Owned Small Business & Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business – Again, this one is fairly straight-forward and these set asides are simply meant for business that are 51% or more owned by a veteran or a veteran that was disabled during their years of service in the military.

Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises & Indian Economic Enterprises – If your business or organization is 51% Native American-owned, there are many resources available to you and two set-aside codes. This can be a small business owned by an individual that is Native American or a small business owned by a tribe, band or nation.

Partial HBCU/MI & Total HBCU/MI – For this set aside, the HBCU stands for Historically Black College or University, while the MI stands for Minority Institution. These are set asides for qualifying colleges and universities that are seeking government grants or contracting jobs.

Emerging Small Business – These are set asides to help newer businesses get their start. Typically, these businesses must be 50% smaller than the small business standard set by the SBA and your NAICS codes. For instance, perhaps your business counts as small business if you have 100 employees or less, but you only have 40 employees. In this case, you may be eligible as an emerging small business.

Very Small Business – If your business size and profits are well below the SBA requirements as a small business. Typically, the contracts you would bid on would be fairly small, ranging from about $2,500 up to $50,000. Of course, if you are a small firm with just a few employees, this amount of money might not seem that small.

HUBZone – In some cases, your small business might be located in what is known as a HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zones) or have at least 35% of its employees living in a HUBZone. These zones are found around the United States and the SBA has map showcasing all of these zones on its website.

It’s definitely smart to head to the SBA’s HUBZone Map to see if your business is located within one of these zones, as at least three percent of all government contracts are set aside for qualifying HUBZone businesses. That might seem like a small number, but if you are competing against other businesses for a contract and your business has a set-aside code, the agency may be much more likely to select your business.

But what does all of this have to do with the SAM.gov website? Well, when you register with SAM and add your set-aside codes, agencies looking for contractors may search for businesses that qualify for these codes so it’s crucial that you know which codes apply to you.

In addition to adding these codes when you register at the SAM.gov website, you also should register as a government contractor in your state. These set-aside codes don’t just apply to federal contracts; they also might help you acquire contracts from state government agencies, as well.

Of course, you can bypass the SAM.gov website and let us help with SAM registration. We can help you identify whether or not you qualify for any set-aside codes, and we can handle your entire SAM registration. The SAM registration process can be very time-consuming and frustrating, and we help hundreds of companies every year complete the initial registration process and the renewal process.

Rather than struggling for hours on the SAM.gov website, consider contacting Federal Contractor Registry and let us do the work. To get started, just go to our homepage and click on the green New Registration tab.

If you are getting ready to complete your SAM registration and start bidding on government contracting jobs, you probably would love to know which agencies are out there seeking contracts. The truth is there are hundreds of agencies and just about all of them need contractors. Here’s a quick look at what you’ll find when you start looking for opportunities.

FEMA
The Federal Emergency Management Agency constantly offers government contracting jobs. Every time there’s a flood, a spate of tornadoes, a hurricane, an earthquake or any other type of disaster, people need help and FEMA aims to provide it. In order to do so, however, they need the help of government contracting jobs. These jobs range from debris cleanup up services to security services to providing trailers and temporary housing and even providing bottled water and shelf-stable food.

Keep in mind, as you search, that FEMA is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and when you are doing a search at FBO.gov, you may want to start your search by typing Department of Homeland Security into the Agency box. This will trigger a list of many different agencies within DHS that are in need of help. So while you might be thinking about FEMA opportunities, there could be other DHS agencies that could benefit from your skills and services.

Department of Defense
Did you know that more than $400 billion in contracts are awarded every year by the United States government? A good portion of this money was paid out by the Department of Defense (DOD). When you think about DOD contracts, you probably think these are mostly huge contracts awarded to massive companies that build tanks, rockets and other related items.

While these types of huge contracts are common, that doesn’t mean that a small business can’t take a piece of the DOD contracting pie. It’s not all about military equipment and weapons systems. The DOD needs people to print materials, provide custodial services, repair copiers and other machinery, provide educational materials and much more.

In many cases, especially with DOD or Homeland Security, it can be a great idea to work as a subcontractor for a Prime Contractor. Prime Contractors are government contractors that typically have a good deal of experience with government contracting. Some Prime Contractors also are required to offer subcontracting jobs as part of their contract with an agency.

Becoming a subcontractor can be a smart for anyone just getting started with government contracting. In fact, the DOD has a goal to award more than 20% of its subcontracts to small businesses, so when it comes to government contracting jobs, there’s room for everyone.

USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) might seem like it only needs agriculture-related companies to bid on contracts, but that definitely is not the case. While there certainly are opportunities for these types of companies, there are plenty of other jobs that USDA needs completed.

For instance, if you search for contracting jobs for the Forest Service department of USDA, you’ll see road maintenance jobs, janitorial services, housekeeping services, construction jobs and requests for the sale or leasing of various types of equipment and vehicles and these are just a few of the jobs we saw that were available.

Other Agencies
Of course, these are just three of the places where you might look for government jobs. In addition to the DHS and FEMA, DOD and USDA, there are 12 other departments of the federal government. Within these departments are hundreds of agencies and most, at one time or another, will offer government contracting jobs. There are also independent agencies and commissions that might need contractors, such as the United States Postal Service, the Social Security Administration and even the Peace Corps.

How To Search
We highly recommend that you become familiar with the FBO.gov (also known as FedBizOpps.gov). This is a centralized location where you can find all sorts of government contracting jobs from just about any federal agency.

When you head there, you will notice that there is a basic search area where you can select opportunities by posted date, set-aside code, state or territory, agency, type and using keywords or actual solicitation numbers. However, you also can click on the advanced search to really dive deep and find government contractor jobs that are a good fit for you or your company.

In the advanced search menu, you can search using the same criteria as above but set multiple criteria to come up the contracting jobs most suited to your business and business type rather than searching by just one criterion. For instance, you can create a search within a specific state from a specific agency and with your specific set-aside code. This may yield better results than simply searching by agency. You also can search by NAICS codes, which are the codes specific to your type of business.

How We Can Help
Of course, you cannot bid on government contracting jobs until you complete your SAM registration, and this is our area of specialization. While the government does not charge a fee for SAM registration, this process can be extremely time-consuming and it can be quite frustrating to wade through all of the government-speak and understand what to do.

As a third-party SAM registration service, we do charge a fee, but we can handle all of the intricacies of SAM registration for you, saving you time and eliminating frustration. Basically, we are to government contracting what an accountant is to the IRS. We make it easy for you to get registered and start looking for government contracting jobs. To get started, just head to our homepage and click on the green New Registration tab.

If you are new to the world of government contracting, you’ve probably done some research about the System for Award Management (SAM) database. This database includes all of the contractors approved to do business with the federal government, and it also contains a list of companies that aren’t allowed to bid on contracts. Here’s a quick look at the Excluded Parties List and how to ensure your business doesn’t appear on the list.

A few years ago, the government created a centralized database for government contracting. This is the System for Award Management or SAM. Before SAM, there were multiple databases, including the Central Contractor Registry (CCR), the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), the Federal Agency Registration (Fedreg) and the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS). All of those are now merged into SAM, and while you may still hear people talk about CCR and ORCA, these no longer exist.

Government agencies use SAM to find potential contractors and to review information about contractors that have submitted bids. If you are marked as having “an active exclusion,” the agency cannot do business with you. There are several reasons why a company might be excluded from government contracting.

For instance, if you are an individual that has been barred from entering the United States for any reason, this would mean you cannot do business with the government or rather act as the Entity Administrator for a business that wishes to bid on government contracts. Along those same lines, if an entity has violated national security protocols, this also would cause that entity to become excluded.

Other reasons for being excluded might be an entity that has been convicted of tax fraud or even an entity that has student loan debt possibly could be excluded. Basically, if you owe the government money or have violated certain federal laws, this easily could result in exclusion, but anytime a government agency suspects that an entity or people within that entity have acted in an unethical manner, they might decide to push for your exclusion from receiving future government contracts.

While being excluded certainly is serious, it’s not the end of the matter. In some cases, the exclusion will only be temporary, and once the exclusion has expired, you will be eligible to apply to be reinstated and then you can begin to bid on contracts again. Of course, most companies or entities will never need to worry about the exclusions list, because they, no doubt, won’t engage in an unethical conduct.

The easiest way to avoid ending up with an “excluded” status is to ensure that all of your business practices align with current federal regulations. Read each bid carefully to ensure that your company can provide the services or products needed and that these are in compliance with federal regulations.

For most contractors, exclusions aren’t a big problem, but registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) can be a huge hassle. This is where we can help. If you’ve been struggling with your SAM registration and have become frustrated with the process, give us a call and hire us to handle these registration tasks for you. While it is free to sign up in the System for Award Management, SAM is not an easy system to use; especially if you have no experience with government contracting and government speak. We do charge for our registration services, but we can save you the 15 or more hours it might take to complete the registration process and we will ensure that everything was done correctly, so that you can gain approval as quickly as possible and start bidding on government contracts.

If you want to bid on government contracts, either as a prime contractor or as a subcontractor, you’ll need to register with the System for Award Management (SAM) and obtain a SAM number. SAM is a huge database that includes every entity that is registered to do business with the federal government.

The SAM number actually is known as a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code. Once you’ve completed the SAM registration process, the government will provide you with a CAGE Code, which is a five-character identifier for your business. However, if you are a foreign business, located outside the United States, you must first obtain an NCAGE Code before you can register with SAM.

Before you begin the registration process, you’ll need to gather together some information. If you do not have a DUNS number, your first step will be to head to the Dun & Bradstreet website site to procure this number, which stands for Data Universal Numbering System. It is free to apply for this number and after you fill out the application, it takes just a couple of business days for Dun & Bradstreet to provide you with your DUNS.

Keep in mind, you will need to know the precise legal name of your business, as this is the exact name you need to use in SAM and all things SAM-related, including DUNS. It might sound obvious, but there can be problems if you are listed as Adams & Smith Marketing in DUNS, but Adams & Smith Marketing, Inc. is actually your legal name. Your complete legal name should be exactly the same with DUNS, SAM and everywhere else where you register.

While you are waiting for your DUNS, locate your Employer Identification Number (EIN) or your company’s Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). An EIN and a TIN are the same thing, so don’t worry if you find the TIN but can’t find your EIN. They are simply two acronyms for the same number. You also will need your bank’s routing number and your bank account number, as the government agencies will be paying you through the SAM system, and routing money into your bank account.

That completes the easy part of the process. Now, it gets a bit more complicated. Every entity (company or person registered with SAM) must have an Entity Administrator. This is simply the person that is authorized to make changes to the SAM account. In order to register with SAM, you need to send the government a notarized letter listing the Entity Administrator. You can find templates for this letter at FSD.gov, and we recommend that you send this in as soon as possible and follow all of the directions on the template carefully.

At this point, you have two choices before you. You can head to SAM.gov and start the SAM registration process by yourself, which is free. Or, you can contact a third-party registration service and pay them to complete the registration process for you. Why should you use a third-party service, such as Federal Contractor Registration? The SAM registration process is by no means an easy process; in fact, it can take up to 20 hours to complete the process.

We receive calls all of the time from people who started the registration process, but quickly became frustrated with the process. It’s complicated and full of government-speak. Let’s put it this way, it’s more frustrating than filling out your tax forms, and you probably hire an accountant to handle that process, so it just makes sense to let a SAM expert handle your SAM registration. We’ve completed SAM registrations for small businesses, mid-size businesses and many Fortune 500 companies, and we can help you deal with this convoluted process. After we’ve completed your SAM registration process, it can take up to 12 business days for the registration application to be processed. Once it’s complete, the government will send you your SAM number, or CAGE Code, and you can get started bidding on various government contacts.

The General Services Administration, which was established in 1949, is the government agency that provides services, supplies and offices to other federal agencies. If you are hoping to bid on fed contracts, the GSA can be an excellent resource, as they constantly are in need of vendors and suppliers. Here’s a quick look at the GSA, and a bit about how we can help you get started with government contracting.

1. Many Services Are Needed

Often, people mistakenly believe that fed contracts typically only relate to construction or perhaps cleanup efforts after a natural disaster, but there’s something out there for just about every type of business. Perhaps the GSA might need office supplies or IT consulting or janitorial services for itself or for another agency, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

If you go to the GSA website, you can find out more about GSA Schedules. A schedule is basically a government contract with a commercial business. These might be called Federal Supply Schedules or Multiple Award Schedules. There are nine categories of GSA schedules, and within those categories, you find subcategories known as Special Item Numbers (SINs).

For example, under the Office Management category, you’ll find 10 schedules, including Schedule 75, which encompasses Office Products/Supplies and Services and New Products. If you can provide any of the supplies or services listed under this schedule, this might be a good match for your fed contract. Some of the supplies listed under this section include paper, office furnishings, toner cartridges, calculators, shredders, writing instruments and more. Some of the services include providing an on-site office supply store for the GSA or perhaps imprinting services.

But this is just one example, other categories include Facilities & Construction, Human Capital, Industrial Products & Services, Information Technology, Medical, Professional Services (including tasks such as advertising and language services), Security & Protection, and, lastly, Travel, Transportation & Logistics Services. Before you decide to bid on fed contracts, it can be wise to peruse these categories to see if you offer the needed services or supplies.

2. GSA Offers Help For Small Businesses

If you head to GSA.gov, you’ll find that there is an entire section devoted to resources for small businesses. Once you’ve completed your System for Award Management (SAM) registration and have determined that you do have a service or product that GSA needs, you can start the process of applying for these GSA fed contracts. However, GSA highly recommends that you start out as a subcontractor and work with a prime contractor that already has experience with government contractor, we also recommend this plan.

Of course, this is just one resource for small businesses. We also recommend that you utilize the resources of the Small Business Administration (SBA). The website for this government agency provides tons of helpful information for small businesses, and you can go here to learn more about set-aside codes. The government sets aside a specific percentage of annual government contracts for different types of small businesses. For example, a portion of government contacts are “set-aside” for veteran-owned small businesses. If you qualify as a small business and qualify for one of the set-aside codes, it can be easier to bid on government contracts successfully.

3. You Can Purchase From GSA

While you might be interested in what you can do for GSA, it’s also wise to consider what GSA can do for you. The GSA’s main purpose is to provide services and supplies to other government agencies; however, they often sell off surplus federal property to the public, and this can be a way to find some good deals.

If you head to GSAAuctions.gov, you’ll find a wide variety of items that are available to bid on. There usually are many vehicles up for auctions, as the GSA supplies cars, trucks and vans to government agencies, and often will have a surplus. But we also often see items such as office furniture, medical equipment, computer equipment and, if you need an affordable helicopter, ambulance or perhaps an antique silver tea set, GSA may be the place to go.

Of course, in order to be eligible to bid on fed contracts, you’ll need to complete your SAM registration. SAM registration is free, but it is an intensive process, often frustrating, that can take 15 to 20 hours (or more) to complete. If you wish to bypass this frustration, the team at Federal Contractor Registry can help. We are a third-party SAM registration service, and while we do charge a fee, we can save you tons of time and make it easier to get started with government contract. Too often, companies don’t take advantage of the many fed contracts available simply because the SAM registration process is too daunting, and that’s a shame, because there are some amazing opportunities available. If you have become frustrated with the SAM registration process, feel free to give us a call at any time and we’ll complete the process as quickly as possible, and you’ll soon be ready to bid on government contracts.

If it’s been seven or eight months since you completed your SAM registration, you probably should begin to think about SAM renewal. Renewing early is crucial, but what if you have yet to attain a contracting job? If you are feeling discouraged, consider using some of the following resources.

Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC)
If you’re having trouble with government contracting, the APTAC website can be an excellent resource. Centers known as PTACs are found throughout the United States (including Puerto Rico and Guam), and were formed in the 1980s under the Procurement Technical Assistance Program. The goal of this program is to assist businesses and help them become successful in the world of government contracting.

To find your center, or PTAC, go to the APTAC website at www.aptac-us.org. From there, you can click on the Government Contracting Assistance tab and then select Find-a-PTAC. For instance, California has 6 PTACs serving a number of counties and you’ll also find a link to the American Indian Chamber Education Fund, which operates a PTAC for Native businesses in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Idaho and Washington. If you don’t live near your PTAC, you can contact them via phone, email and even with a webcall, if necessary.

Most of the services provided at your PTAC are free, and they might include helping you determine which agencies might be a good match for contracting, notifying you about potential job opportunities, helping your market your business and much more.
The APTAC website also has a government contracting blog and a list of resources and contracting tips. Additionally, they also host PTAC training events with subjects ranging from “Introduction to Government Contracting” to “Small Business Certifications” to “Teaming Arrangements and Subcontracting.”

Small Business Administration
If you qualify as a small business, the Small Business Administration can be an excellent resource for government contractors. Before you decide to forgo your SAM renewal, check out some of the offerings at this website. If you head to this specific page, https://www.sba.gov/course/how-prepare-government-contract-proposals/, you can view a 30-minute mini-course designed to help you learn how to prepare a proposal.

The SBA’s Learning Center also provides mini-courses for other subjects that may be of interest to small business owners. Topics range from social media marketing to finding investors for your small business. You also can find links to the SBA’s Contracting Guide and Contracting Assistance Programs as well as counseling for those struggling with the world of federal contracting. These links can be found at https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting.

FedBizOpps.gov
This website includes a search engine for finding government contracts, and it also provides some helpful contracting information. Click on the Getting Started tab on the homepage and you’ll find links to training videos as well as written user guides and a massive section filled with frequently asked questions. If you have questions about contracting, it’s likely that others also have these same questions and you can find many of the answers at FedBizOpps.gov.

Additionally, there are many private companies that offer workshops and seminars for government contractors. These resources aren’t free, of course, but they might provide some valuable information as well as helping you build your contact list. One of our biggest tips for contracting newbies is to consider subcontracting. This can be a great option, allowing you to build up a government contracting resume and let a more experienced government contractor handle the heavy lifting, so to speak. You can learn a lot from these experienced contractors, so don’t be afraid to try subcontracting.

If you have decided to take the plunge and opt for SAM renewal, we can help. We are a third-party SAM registration and renewal services. If you want to save yourself the time and headache associated with SAM renewals, hire us and we’ll handle it for you. We highly recommend that you contact us for your renewal several months before your expiration date, as government agencies are wary of hiring contractors whose SAM registration is nearing its expiration date.