SAM Registration

When it comes to federal contractor jobs, there are several options to consider including traditional contracting jobs, such as disaster relief jobs for FEMA or providing goods or services to another agency. For small businesses, subcontracting can be a good option to consider, especially when you are just getting started with contracting. GSA contracts are another option, but they can be tricky to understand and attain, so let’s take a look at this third option.

 

What Are GSA Contracts?

First of all, the GSA is the General Services Administration. This is a federal agency whose main purpose is procurement meaning they purchase goods and services for all government agencies. The GSA is also in charge, through its Federal Service Desk, of the huge database for all government contractors – the System for Award Management.

 

The System for Award Management (SAM) includes all active (and inactive) government contractors. You cannot do business with the federal government without first completing your SAM registration, and this includes applying for GSA contracts. Once you have completed SAM registration, you can work with just about any federal agency, including GSA.

 

For most types of standard government contracts, an agency will post a solicitation on SAM.gov and government contractors will bid on the contract. This takes some time as the government procurement agent will have to review all of the bids and make a decision about which contractor or contractors to choose.

 

With GSA contracts, also known as GSA schedules, you can bypass this bidding process and become an approved vendor for any government agency. Getting on a GSA schedule does not guarantee that you will make any money, but it can help you bypass the bidding process.

 

For instance, perhaps your company produces air purifiers. You could apply to become listed on the GSA schedule for Industrial Products and Services. If approved, this means when a government agency needs air purifiers, they can simply purchase them from an approved GSA vendor rather than going through the whole contract and bidding process. It’s a time saver both for the government agency and the vendor.

 

Completing SAM Registration

SAM registration is always the first step with any type of government contract. With SAM registration, you have two options. You can complete the SAM registration application on your own at no charge or you can hire a third-party, such as Federal Contractor Registry to complete the process for you.

 

While the government does not charge a fee for SAM registration, the process is complicated and time-consuming and can take 10, 12 or more hours to complete. Many people become frustrated with the process and give up on the idea of government contracting, which is unfortunate because contracting can be highly profitable.

 

Hiring a third party does cost money, but because we’ve completed thousands of SAM registrations and SAM renewals, we fully understand the process and can complete your registration quickly and accurately. As part of our SAM registration fee, we also can help you with other steps, including:

 

• Signing up with the Small Business Administration (if applicable)
• Helping with the Notarized Letter Requirement for SAM Registration
• Acquiring your Unique Entity Identifier (which recently replaced DUNS)
• Introducing you to Super 8a Contractors in the FCR Network

 

Are GSA Contracts Right For You?

If you want GSA contracts, the first step is to ensure that you have the types of goods and services needed by the GSA. There are 12 categories including:

• Facilities
• Furniture & Furnishings
• Human Capital
• Industrial Products & Services
• Information Technology
• Miscellaneous (Includes everything from apparel to flags to musical instruments)
• Office Management
• Professional Services
• Scientific Management & Solutions
• Security & Protection
• Transportation & Logistics Solutions
• Travel

 

You can head to GSA’s eLibrary at https://www.gsaelibrary.gsa.gov/ElibMain/home.do to help learn more about the types of goods and services needed within these 12 categories, but let’s use one – Office Management – as an example.

 

Within the Office Management category, you can find many different types of GSA contracts. For instance, one category includes office supplies such as copy paper, shedders, toner cartridges, pens, paper clips, mailing and shipping supplies, calendars, file folders and much more. If you can provide one or more of these items consistently at a level needed by government agencies, you might be a great fit for a GSA contract.

 

GSA Requirements

Once you’ve established that your business is a good fit for GSA contracts, you must ensure that you meet the prerequisites for getting on a GSA schedule. One requirement is that your business was established two or more years ago and can provide financial statements for two years.

 

Additionally, you must be able to show, as it states on the GSA website, “measurable past performance.” If you have already earned three or more federal contracts and have ratings in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System, this can be an adequate measure of past performance.

 

If you are just getting started with government contracting or have only one or two completed government contracts with ratings, the GSA will ask for references from at least six previous clients or customers to gauge your past performance. You will be evaluated on several factors including reliability, quality, cost, accuracy, professionalism, delivery times and customer support.

 

You also need to complete some GSA training, and you can find this training, which is free, at GSA.gov. The first part of training is reading a 90-page guide entitled Pathways to Success, which helps you better understand how GSA awards contracts. The second part is to complete a multi-page Readiness Assessment checklist. While both of these steps take time, you can learn a great deal about GSA and its processes while completing your training.

Once you have completed the training and completed your SAM registration, received your Unique Entity Identifier and compiled a list of previous customers that can attest to the quality of your past performances, you can go to https://eoffer.gsa.gov/ and begin the process of applying for consideration for a GSA schedule.

 

This can be a complicated process and there are private companies out there that can help you get on a GSA schedule. If you believe GSA contracts will be a profitable option for you, this could be an option to explore. Keep in mind, that it can take many months for GSA to approve you (even up to 12 months), and this does not guarantee that your goods or services will be purchased. We usually recommend that company representatives continue to seek out traditional government contracts while they wait to see if they are approved for a GSA schedule.

 

Contact Us For SAM Registration Help!

If you would like for us to complete your SAM registration, just click on the green New Registration tab on our homepage and fill out our quick contact form. Once you submit, a registration specialist will be in touch with you as quickly as possible to get started on your SAM registration so that you can begin bidding on GSA contracts or any type of government contracting job.

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The System for Award Management is the database that includes all federal government contractors. At Federal Contractor Registry, we can provide you with fast, accurate System for Award Management registration and renewals as well as several other important contracting-related services. But first, let’s take a look at this database and some facts about government contracting.

 

The System For Award Management Is Fairly New

The government began listing government contracts online back in 1994 with the Central Contractor Registration database, known as CCR. In 2012, the System for Award Management (SAM) was created and the CCR was included in this database along with a few other databases, including the Excluded Parties List, which we will discuss a bit later in this article.

 

In order to work with any federal government agency (and most state government agencies), you must complete your System for Award Management registration, which typically is just called SAM registration. You will still sometimes read or hear about CCR.gov or CCR registration and other outdated terms such as ORCA, but everything is part of the System for Award Management presently.

 

SAM Registration Is Difficult

While it is free to register in the System for Award Management, SAM registration is by no means easy or quick. It can take 10 hours or more to complete the application and this online document is filled with confusing government-speak that can be difficult to decipher. For this reason, many people simply hire a third-party registration service to complete their registration.

 

While these companies, ourselves included, do charge a fee for SAM registration, we can take all of the guesswork out of the registration process. Our team of SAM registration experts will complete your application quickly and accurately, saving you time and the headaches associated with the SAM registration process.

 

It’s a bit like hiring an accountant to complete your taxes. You could complete tax forms on your own at no charge, but the tax code is complicated, and mistakes can be costly so hiring a pro just seems like a smart option. It’s just the same with SAM registration and SAM renewals, hiring an expert can be a better, easier option even if you have to pay for the service.

 

A Notarized Letter Is Required

For those new to the System for Award Management, you must send a notarized letter to the Federal Service Desk listing your Entity Administrator. This is simply the person authorized to make changes to your SAM registration. The Federal Service Desk (FSD) is the federal agency that manages all things regarding the System for Award Management. The FSD is managed by the General Services Administration, which is focused on procuring goods and services for all federal government agencies.

 

This notarized letter requirement was added a few years ago to increase security and is only required for first-time registrants and anyone with an expired SAM registration that previously has not sent in a notarized letter. If you already have an active SAM registration, it is likely that you already completed this letter and sent it in.

 

For those who wish to register in SAM for the first time, we can help you get started with this process as part of our SAM registration process. Essentially, you simply copy the government’s template for the letter, get it notarized and send it in. It can be a hassle, but the process is relatively simple, and it is a requirement for first-time SAM registrants.

 

The Unique Entity Identifier Has Been Added

In the recent past and for many years, Dun & Bradstreet’s Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) was part of the SAM registration process. When you registered with the System for Award Management, a company was required to include their DUNS number on the application.

 

However, this recently changed, and the government now issues what is known as a Unique Entity Identifier, also known as a Unique Entity ID. This was supposed to go into effect several years ago, but the process was delayed by the pandemic. At any rate, the Unique Entity ID has now replaced DUNS, so to complete your SAM registration, you will need to obtain this identifier.

 

The good news is that if you hire us for SAM registration, we can complete this process for you and save you the hassle. You don’t have to be a government contractor or listed in the System for Award Management to attain the identifier and any business can go to GSA.gov to learn more about signing up for the Unique Entity Identifier.

 

For those who already have an active SAM registration or even an expired SAM registration, the government already updated your listing and assigned you a Unique Entity ID. But anyone new to the System for Award Management will need to take the steps to get their ID and, as stated before, we can do this for you at no extra charge if you hire us for SAM registration.

 

The Excluded Parties List

You might have heard about System for Award Management exclusions, so let’s talk about that for a bit. While an inactive SAM registration prohibits you from working with any federal government agency, this is easily rectified by completing your SAM renewal. If you end up on the Excluded Parties List, however, this can keep you from bidding on any contracts even if your SAM registration is active.

 

The Excluded Parties List (EPL) is a list of contractors or individuals that are, as it states on SAM.gov, “parties excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain types of Federal financial and non Financial assistance and benefits.”

 

In general, this isn’t something most business owners should worry about, but if you or your company does owe money to the government, such as back taxes, or if you have been convicted of tax fraud, this can end you up on the list. Likewise, if a government procurement agent or representative of an agency accuses you or a representative of your company of unethical behavior, this also can get you on the list.

 

In other cases, your business practices may not align with government regulations. In these cases, you might be able to alter your business practices so that they do align and then appeal to the government to remove you from the list.

 

Most companies will never end up on this list, but if you do, it can be time-consuming and a difficult process to get off of the Excluded Parties List so it’s best to read over each government contract carefully to ensure that your business aligns with all government requirements and regulations.

 

Finding Government Contracting Jobs

There are private companies that can help match you to government contracting jobs, and while this is an extra expense, it can be a good option for those new to government contracting. If you prefer to find contracting opportunities on your own, you can go to SAM.gov and search for active contracts. The SAM database includes information on all active and inactive government contracts, and you can search by location, by agency, using NAICS codes or several other ways.

 

For small businesses, the Small Business Administration also offers helpful information about government contracting jobs and this agency runs SubNet, which is its Subcontracting Network System. Subcontracting (working for a prime contractor) can be a great way for a small business to get started with government contracting, and you can search for subcontracting opportunities at https://eweb1.sba.gov/subnet/client/dsp_Landing.cfm.

 

The SBA also offers several programs to help small businesses thrive, and all federal agencies set aside a portion of contracting dollars just for small businesses. If you own a small business and are interested in any SBA programs, such as 8a certification or signing up for the Woman-Owned Small Business program or Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business program or just signing up with SBA in general we can help as part of our SAM registration services.

 

Sign Up For The System For Award Management Today!

The government issues thousands of government contracts every year worth billions of dollars, and government contracting jobs can be lucrative for businesses of all sizes and types. Whether you want to bid on disaster relief jobs for FEMA, on DOD contracts or on contracts with any agency, it all starts with SAM registration.

 

If you want to sign up with the System for Award Management, we can help. To get started, just click on the green New Registration tab on our website and fill out our quick contact form. One of our registration specialists will be in touch as soon as possible to gather your information and get started on your SAM registration.

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Whether you’ve let your System for Award Management (SAM) registration expire or you are getting close to your expiration date, completing your SAM registration renewal is a crucial task you need to take if you plan on bidding on any government contracting jobs.

 

Why Complete SAM Registration Renewal?

Government agencies cannot do business with any company or individual with an expired SAM registration, and they often won’t even consider awarding a contract to anyone with a fast-approaching expiration date. This is because if a contract awardee’s SAM registration expires in the middle of the government contracting job, the agency can no longer use your services and then the agency is left in a lurch.

 

It is recommended that you complete SAM registration renewal several months prior to your expiration date. Usually, it doesn’t take more than a week to gain approval for your SAM approval, but if the Federal Service Desk is backed up (as they were during the early months of the pandemic), it can take longer for them to process both initial SAM registration application and SAM renewals. It’s better to avoid the risk of a long approval process and just renew your SAM account well in advance of the expiration date.

 

Additionally, if you want to work on state government contracts, most state procurement agents will want your (Commercial and Government Entity) CAGE Code, which is your identifier within the System for Award Management. If they find that your SAM registration has expired, you likely will not be considered for any state-level government contract jobs. While federal contractor jobs can be lucrative, we always encourage client to bid on state-level contracting jobs as these can sometimes be easier to acquire and can be just as lucrative.

 

Even if you have not yet earned your first government contract, we encourage you to complete your SAM renewal. On average, most contractors find that it takes more than a year and sometimes two years to earn their first government contract. It takes some patience and fortitude, but once you start earning contracts, this can transform your business.

 

Government contracting can be an excellent recession-proof way to boost your business. Even if the economy is struggling, the government will still need goods and services, and they will look to the private sector to fill those needs. Government agencies also always pay their bills, even in uncertain economic times, which gives the government an advantage over other clients, that might declare bankruptcy and leave you in the cold without payment for your services.

 

Federal Contractor Registry Can Help

While SAM registration renewal is not as complicated as the initial SAM registration process, it still can be confusing and time-consuming. At Federal Contractor Registry, we handle hundreds of SAM registrations and SAM renewals every year and we can complete your renewal process quickly and accurately so that you don’t have to worry about losing your active status.

 

Even if you have an expired listing, we can update the listing for you and complete your SAM registration renewal. We do charge a fee for renewal, and the government will not charge you a fee. But, if you want to avoid the hassle of renewal, hiring a SAM expert can be a good idea and we handle renewals for any size of business.

 

As an added value, we also can help you sign up with several Small Business Administration programs, including 8a certification, the Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) program, the HUBZone program, the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business and others. We do not charge to help customers with this process, it’s simply an extension of our SAM registration and SAM renewal services.

 

What About The Unique Entity Identifier Update?

When government procurement agents, prime contractors or others wish to look up your business in the System for Award Management, they typically use your CAGE Code if they have it or your (Data Universal Numbering System) DUNS number if they don’t have your CAGE Code. However, DUNS has been fazed out and now the government uses what is called the Unique Entity Identifier.

 

The good news is that if you have either an active SAM registration or even an expired and inactive SAM registration, the government already has updated this for you and assigned you a number. If you hire us for SAM registration renewal, we will make a note of this identifier and pass it on to you or you can ask your Entity Administrator (the person authorized to make changes to your SAM account) and have them look up the new identifier.

 

If you have never completed SAM registration before, the process of attaining your Unique Entity Identifier is a bit more complicated, but we can help you with this process along with completing your initial SAM registration. Keep in mind that you do not need to complete SAM registration in order to get a Unique Entity Identifier. So, if you simply want to update your DUNS information, you can go to GSA.gov and follow the steps to apply for the new Unique Entity ID.

 

Get Renewed Today!

If you would like the team at Federal Contractor Registration to handle your SAM registration renewal process, just head to our homepage and click on the Renew Registration tab and fill out our quick contact form and a renewal specialist will be in touch as quickly as possible to gather your information and get started on your SAM renewal.

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The Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, which was passed by Congress in late 2021 will make significant impacts in the world of federal contracting, adding thousands of new government contracting jobs. We can help you get started with government contracting, but first let’s take a quick look at what this bill entails.

 

Repair & Rebuild

As one might expect, this bill includes repairing and rebuilding roads and bridges throughout the United States and this includes everything from improving interstates to improving wildlife crossing safety and even improving recreational trails.

 

About $110 billion has been earmarked to handle repairs with a strong emphasis on repairing and improving the 45,000 bridges found throughout the United States. Government contracting jobs in this section won’t just be limited to actual construction and repair projects, but also research and development.

 

Improve Public Transit

Improving public transportation options accounts for another large chunk of this bill. About $66 billion will be spent on improvements to our rail system, although this will be allocated for both passenger rail and freight rail. Another $39 billion is devoted to improvements in public transportation including repairing buses, rail cars, track and rail stations. This section also focuses on improving transit options for seniors and those with disabilities.  There also are sections devoted to subjects such as emergency lighting and data accessibility related to our national rail system.

 

Airport Improvements & Port Improvements

Another $25 billion has been included to improve our nation’s airports and $16.6 billion has been allocated to improve ports and waterways. Obviously, with the recent issues with our ports flooded with container ships, this is an area of concern that has affected the entire system of commerce throughout the nation.

 

Ferries & School Buses

Providing better accessibility for students is another part of this new bill, but the bill also focuses on providing school buses that run on clean energy, as mitigating climate change is addressed throughout the bill. Ferry service, especially in rural areas, is another area of concern and the bill seeks to improve ferry service in areas such as Alaska and Washington, where people rely on these boats to get to work or to purchase goods and services in other areas not easily accessible by roads.

 

Internet Improvements

The bill includes $65 billion to fund programs that ensure that all Americans will have access to high-speed internet. This section of the bill addresses issues common in rural areas, such as slow internet speeds and poor connectivity, as well as providing access for people throughout the United States who otherwise would have difficulty paying for quality internet services.

 

Electric Vehicle Charging

The bill also seeks to build electric vehicle charging stations throughout the United States. As several states are now requiring automakers to make more electric vehicles and improve emissions standards, this part of the bill will help support the motorists that purchase electric vehicles and also make it easier for people to make the switch from traditional vehicles to electric vehicles.

 

Clean Water

According to the White House fact sheet on the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, as many as “10 million American households and 400,000 schools and childcare centers lack safe drinking water.” About $55 billion will be invested to provide better access to clean drinking water. Government contracting jobs in this area might focus on providing services to replace lead pipes as well as analysis and research to determine where the greatest needs for water improvement might be.

 

Clean Energy

The goal in this section of the bill is to move toward a “zero-emissions future.” It includes a myriad of tasks including earth mapping, carbon storage, hydroelectricity efficiency improvements, solar energy expansion, nuclear energy infrastructure planning and much more. While some government contracting jobs in this area might include repairing or building energy-generating facilities, some of the jobs will include collecting data, completing energy consumption surveys and completing impact studies.

 

How To Bid On Government Contracting Jobs

The government will look to the private sector for all of these infrastructure tasks, but only companies with active listings in the System for Award Management (SAM) will be eligible to bid on these government contracting jobs. This means you will need to complete your SAM registration before you can start bidding on federal contractor jobs, and we can help.

 

At Federal Contractor Registry, we provide fast and accurate SAM registration services (and SAM renewals) for companies of all sizes. While the government does not charge a SAM registration fee and we do, we can save you time and the hassle of SAM registration.

 

SAM registration is a highly complex process and can take ten or more hours to complete. Additionally, if you make any mistakes on this complicated application, it can delay your approval in the System for Award Management. We will complete your SAM registration correctly the first time so that you can get started with government contracting as soon as possible. While we do charge a $597 fee for SAM registration, that price includes:

• 100% accurate SAM Registration & Setup
• We can help you procure the new SAM Unique Entity ID
• We can help with the SAM Notarized Letter requirement
• We can help with SBA Registration
• We introduce Super 8a Contractors to other Federal Contractors in the FCR Network

 

Government Contracting Job Options

As part of this bill, the government has made a huge commitment to purchase goods and services from American companies as much as possible, and this means that American federal contractors will have the edge when bidding for any contracting jobs. The best way to see if you are a good fit for government contracting is to head to SAM.gov and click on the Contract Opportunities tab.

 

This leads you to the search engine for government contracting jobs. We recommend that you click on the Advanced Search option and then scroll down to Product or Service Information and enter your North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes or your Product and Service Code (PSCs). If you aren’t sure which codes match your business, we can help you find the best codes as we complete your SAM registration, or you can head to Census.gov to find your NAICS codes. This tends to be the easiest search option because it brings up search results that are a close match to the goods and services your company can provide.

 

If you are registered with the Small Business Administration (SBA) as a small business (and we can help with this process), you also should check for contracting opportunities in the SBA Subcontracting Network at https://eweb1.sba.gov/subnet/client/dsp_Landing.cfm.

 

Subcontracting is a great way for small businesses to get started with government contracting. This simply means that you will be working for a Prime Contractor, which is a large company that has been awarded a larger government contract. Prime Contractors often are required to use small business subcontractors to win a government contract.

 

Get Started Today!

As the projects within the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act get going, more and more lucrative government contracting jobs will become available, so this is a perfect time to get started with government contracting. If you would like us to help with SAM registration, just click on the green New Registration tab on our homepage, fill out our quick contact form and a registration specialist soon will be in touch to gather information and get started on your SAM registration.

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If you are a woman that owns 51% of a small business, you may qualify for the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) program. There are many reasons to consider signing up with the SBA, and one benefit is that WOSB-certified businesses often find it easier to win government contracting jobs. We can help you get started with the WOSB program, but let’s first take a quick look at this program and how it can help boost your business.

 

What Is WOSB Certification?

The WOSB program was created, as the SBA states, “to provide a level playing field for women business owners.” The program was established in 2000, and it requires that at least 5% of government contracting dollars be awarded to women who own small businesses.

 

In the world of government contracting this is known as a “set aside” contract because the government sets aside a portion of all government contracting jobs specifically for small businesses. In addition to WOSB, there are several other types of SBA set-asides, including the Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Business set aside, HUBZone set-asides and several others.

 

There are two types of WOSB certifications. General WOSB certification can be granted to any business that qualifies as a small business and is owned 51% or more by one woman or multiple women. The Economically Disadvantaged WOSB program (EDWOSB) is another option. For an EDWOSB, the business must be 51% or more owned by a woman (or women) that are considered by the SBA as economically disadvantaged.

 

WOSB Requirements

If your business is 51% or more owned by a woman (or women), the first step is to determine if you fulfill the additional requirements of the program. First, the business must qualify, by SBA standards, as a small business and you can determine whether or not your business qualifies as a small business by using the SBA’s Size Standard tool at https://www.sba.gov/size-standards.

 

When using the Size Standard tool, you will need to know your North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes. These codes describe the goods or services that your company provides. You can find these at Census.gov, but we also can help determine these codes as part of our SAM registration service.

 

Second, the SBA requires that women must “manage day-to-day operations” and “also make long-term decisions” for the company. This means that if a business is owned, for instance, by a husband and wife, but the wife isn’t involved in management and decision making, the husband cannot simply hand over 51% of the company to her just to qualify as a WOSB. If she does make management decisions and long-term decisions, however, this would qualify.

 

To qualify as an EDWOSB, you must meet all of the aforementioned requirements and meet several additional requirements, including:

• Be owned and controlled by a woman (or women) with a personal net worth less than $750,000
• Be owned and controlled by a woman (or women) with $350,000 or less in adjusted gross income (this income requirement includes the three previous years)
• Be owned and controlled by a woman (or women) with $6 million or less in personal assets

 

Keep in mind, if you have a business with more than one woman owner, this is a requirement for each of the women. For instance, if two women meet the requirement, but a third woman has a higher personal net worth, higher adjusted gross income or more assets, then the company would not qualify as an EDWOSB. However, it still would qualify as a WOSB.

 

SBA WOSB Registration & SAM Registration

Signing up for SBA and the WOSB program is free, but it can be difficult to complete the process, especially if you are not familiar with the intricacies of signing up with government systems. At Federal Contractor Registry, we help companies with System for Award Management (SAM) registration. Anyone who wants to get started with government contracting must complete the SAM registration process.

 

Our team can help you with SAM registration and also help you with your WOSB and SBA registrations. While we do charge a fee for our SAM registration services, we will help you with SBA and WOSB at no additional charge. The government will not charge you a fee for completing SAM registration on your own, but the SAM registration process is extremely complicated and time-consuming, and, for many business owners, it’s simply easier to hand this process over to a pro just as you would hire an accountant to do your taxes.

 

We’ve been handling SAM registrations for years and can complete the process for you quickly and accurately. If you make a mistake on your application, this can delay your approval, and you cannot bid on any government contract jobs without an active SAM account. We will ensure that everything on your application is correct, and also ensure that you are signed up with SBA and heading toward WOSB certification so that you can bid on WOSB set aside contracts.

 

WOSB & Government Contracting

Once your SAM registration application has been approved and you’ve attained certification as a WOSB, you can begin searching for federal contractor jobs. To search for potential jobs, you can go to https://sam.gov/content/opportunities or the SBA SubNet site at https://eweb1.sba.gov/subnet/client/dsp_Landing.cfm.

 

The first URL leads you to the official search engine for the System For Award Management (SAM) database. This database contains information about every government contractor, but the database’s search engine also includes information about past and current federal contracts.

 

To search on this first site, we recommend that you click on the Advanced Search tab and search using multiple parameters. Typically, if you search using your NAICS codes or Product and Service Codes (located under the Product or Service Information tab), you will find contracts that match the goods and services your company provides.

 

You also can go to the Set-Aside tab and search for your WOSB or EDWOSB program set-asides. There are four listings – WOSB Program Set-Aside, WOSB Program Sole Source, EDWOSB Program Set-Aside and EDWOSB Program Sole Source.

 

Many government contracting jobs are competitive with many WOSBs bidding for the job award. However, in some cases, a sole-source contract is offered, and there is no competitive process because it is likely that only one single business can fulfill the contract requirements. Both of these options can be very profitable, but the sole source award process tends to be a bit quicker.

 

Keep in mind, you can bid on any government contract for which you can provide the goods and services needed. While there are contracts set aside just for WOSBs, if you have an active SAM registration, you can bid on other jobs, as well. The only exclusion might be if a contract is set aside for another type of business, such as a veteran-owned business.

 

The second URL, which leads to the SBA SubNet website, is dedicated to helping small businesses find subcontractor jobs. Subcontractors work for Prime Contractors, and these are large companies with large government contracts. They often need help from subcontractors and sometimes are even required to use SBA-approved subcontractors in order to win these large federal jobs. Subcontracting can be a great way to get started with government contracting, so we encourage you to use the SubNet search engine, as well as the main SAM search engine.

 

While one of the best reasons to sign up with the WOSB program is that it can give you an edge when you bid on federal contractor jobs, there are other SBA benefits that you might find helpful. For instance, all fifty states have their own procurement system and offer billions of dollars in state contracting dollars every year. These states also have set-asides, and your WOSB certification could prove very helpful if you bid on government contracts at the state level.

 

Additionally, SBA offers small business loans and can help match you with investors for your WOSB. The SBA also can help you attain a surety bond, help you find government grants and even provide low-interest disaster loans if your business is damaged after a natural disaster or other types of disasters. The SBA also offers free business counseling for those just starting out with a new business or those who may be struggling and need some help to make their business stronger or to get started with government contracting.

 

Get Started Now!

If you would like us to complete your SAM registration and help with the SBA process, just click on the green New Registration tab on our homepage and fill out our quick contact form. Once you submit this form, a registration specialist will be in touch to gather information and get started on your SAM application. Once that is complete and approved, you will be eligible to bid on government contracting jobs.

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While it doesn’t always seem like the government is a helpful entity, the federal government has set up many programs to boost small businesses. If you are interested in bidding on federal contractor jobs, small business owners sometimes have an advantage over mid-size and larger firms. Here are a few helpful tips and facts for small business owners.

 

Discover If You Qualify As A Small Business

Even if you have several hundred employees, you might qualify as a small business. The government sets size standards and what they consider “small” might surprise you. To see if you qualify, head to https://www.sba.gov/size-standards, which is the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Size Standards Tool.

 

Once you click the red Start button, the system will ask for your NAICS codes. This stands for North American Industry Classification System, and this system assigns codes to just about every good or service imaginable. For instance, if your company is a nursery or garden store, the code would be 444220. If you have 500 or fewer employees, you meet the SBA’s small business size standards.

 

If you don’t know your NAICS codes, the SBA provides a link on its Size Standards Tool page, or you can simply head to https://www.census.gov/naics/ and click on the 2017 manual and browse until you find the codes that best describe your specific goods or services.

 

Take Advantage Of SBA Programs

Once you determine that you do qualify as a small business, be sure to take advantage of all that SBA has to offer. The SBA has many resources for small businesses and not just those that relate to federal contractor jobs. The SBA provides loans and resources to help you manage and grow your business. They offer free business counseling and some helpful resources for those interested in government contracting.

 

The SBA sponsors several contracting assistance programs for companies that want to bid on government contracting jobs. The federal government sets aside a portion of all of its federal contracting budget and these contracts are known as “set asides.” There are several different types of set asides, including:

 

Small Disadvantaged Business – About 10% of all federal contracting jobs are set aside for companies that are considered “small disadvantaged businesses.” These companies must be 51% or more owned and controlled by a person or people that are considered either socially disadvantaged or economically disadvantaged (or both). This includes people of any group that has been “subject to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias within American society,” such as Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, etc.

 

Women-Owned Small Business – If your business is 51% or more owned and controlled by a woman or women, this can be a good set aside category for your company, which is often called the WOSB program. There is also a subcategory called Economically-Disadvantaged Woman-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB).

 

Veteran-Owned Businesses – There are two set asides in this category. The first is for a general veteran-owned small business that is 51% or more owned by a veteran or veterans. The second is for those injured during their service and this is known as the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Program.

 

8(a) Business Development Program – This is another program designed for businesses that are 51% or more owned by persons that are considered socially and economically disadvantaged. This could be due to race or creed or due to gender, sexual orientation, disability or other factors. There are several other requirements for this program, which include caps on personal net worth, adjusted gross income and total assets, but if you qualify, 8a contracts can be quite lucrative and easier to win than other types of government contracts.

 

HUBZone Program – HUBZone stands for Historically Underutilized Business Zones and there are many HUBZones throughout the United States. These typically are located on Indian reservations, in rural areas and in urban areas where the economy needs a boost. There also can be temporary HUBZones in areas hit by a natural disaster to help rebuild the economy in those areas.

 

To qualify, your business must have its principal office be located in a HUBZone and be 51% owned or more by a U.S. Citizen, a Community Development Corporation, an agricultural cooperative, an Alaskan Native Corporation, a Native Hawaiian organization or a Native American tribe. Additionally, at least 35% of your employees must live in a HUBZone, although not necessarily the same zone where your business is located.

 

You can get certified for several of these programs, including the 8(a) Business Development Program, the WOSB program and the HUBZone program at https://certify.sba.gov/am-i-eligible. For veterans’ programs, go to https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs/veteran-assistance-programs for more information.

 

Discover If Your Goods & Services Are Needed

Of course, even if you qualify for any set asides, you also need to determine if the government needs your goods and services. The System for Award Management, which is the government’s database for government contracting, includes a search engine at Beta.SAM.gov where you can check to see if you match any current government contracts.

 

Once you go to Beta.SAM.gov, click on the Contract Opportunities tab and this takes you to the search engine. From there, click on Advanced Search and we recommend that you search using your NAICS codes as this can help you find matches to your specific goods or services. If you find several matches, chances are that your business might be a good fit for federal contractor jobs.

 

Of course, state governments also acquire the bulk of their goods and services from the private sector, so don’t forget to sign up with your state procurement system. Additionally, check for federal contractor jobs using the SBA’s SubNet search engine at https://eweb1.sba.gov/subnet/client/dsp_Landing.cfm.

 

This database includes subcontracting opportunities for small businesses. Subcontracting is a great way to get started with federal contractor jobs as the Prime Contractor will handle all of the details with the federal government agency and you simply provide goods or services. Many Prime Contractors are required to use small businesses as subcontractors in order to win large government contracts.

 

Complete Your SAM Registration

Of course, you cannot bid on any federal contractor jobs (or state government jobs) until you have completed your SAM registration. The System for Award Management (SAM) includes all active government contractors and to become a government contractor, you must complete SAM registration and have your application approved.

 

Completing SAM registration can be a huge stumbling block for many small businesses because, while the government charges no fee to complete SAM registration, the application process is confusing and time-consuming, and many people just give up after they have spent several hours trying to figure out if they are completing the process correctly. Make any mistakes, and this will delay your approval and you won’t be eligible to bid on any federal contractor jobs.

 

An easier option would be to simply hire a third-party SAM registration service. While we do charge a fee for SAM registration, we have completed thousands of SAM registration applications for all types of businesses and can complete your registration quickly and accurately.

 

Yes, this is an extra expense, but SAM registration can take 12 or more hours to complete, and we will focus on your SAM registration so that you can focus on your business responsibilities. It’s just like hiring an accountant to do your taxes. You could complete tax forms on your own for free, but it’s difficult, confusing, time-consuming and, mistakes are costly. Sometimes it’s just easier to hire an expert.

 

If you are interested in bidding on federal contractor jobs and would like us to handle your SAM registration, just click on the green New Registration tab on our homepage and fill out our quick contact form. A registration specialist will be in touch as soon as possible to gather some details and get started on your SAM registration.

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Government contracting jobs can be an excellent, recession-proof form of income. The government will always need goods and services, even when the economy is not at its best. There are several ways to find active government contracts, including using the government’s own search engine at Beta.SAM.gov. Here are a few tips to help make using this search engine a bit easier.

 

1. The Web Address Beta.SAM Is Misleading

If you place Beta.SAM.gov into a search bar and click enter, this web address actually directs you to the SAM.gov homepage, which can be a bit confusing. What you need to do is look under the first header “The Official U.S. Government System For:”

 

Under that, you will see several options and the first one is labeled “Contract Opportunities.” Of course, instead of placing the address “Beta.SAM” in there, it just states, “was FBO.gov.” This is confusing for those using the system for the first time, especially since those new to government contracting probably have zero ideas as to what FBO.gov even was.

 

FedBizOpps was the name of the previous search engine for federal contracting jobs, and it was located at FBO.gov. That site no longer exists, it’s all about Beta.SAM at the moment. At any rate, click on that “Contract Opportunities” tab and you will be able to access the Beta.SAM search engine (which is sometimes just called Betasam as a nickname).

 

2. Use The Advanced Search Option

When you click on the “Contract Opportunities” tab it takes you to a page with a little search box and encourages a federal contractor to enter the unique identifier for a contract or perhaps some random search term. Rather than search this way, we recommend clicking on the Advanced Search option that’s to the right above the search box.

 

Once you get into this section, you will notice that it allows you to filter by Keyword, Federal Organization, Dates, Notice Type, Product or Service Information, Set Aside, Place of Performance and Contract Awardee. You also should note that the Status defaults to “Active” which is what you want, otherwise you will end up with results that you cannot even bid on because they are closed or old contracts.

 

3. Consider Searching By Category

We find one of the easiest ways to find government contract jobs that truly fit an individual company is to use the Product or Service Information filter. When you click on the arrow next to this option, it allows you to search using NAICS codes or Product and Service codes (also known as PSCs). These are codes that describe the goods or services that your company can provide and your company might fit several codes.

 

To find your NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) codes, go to https://www.census.gov/naics/ and click on the 2017 manual. For Product and Service Codes, go to https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual. There are several options, here including an Excel spreadsheet and a Word-based manual where you can search for your codes.

 

Once you find your codes, head back to Beta.SAM and enter them into the search bar. The result should be any contacts that fit the goods and services that you can provide. Be sure to read the proposals carefully to ensure that you can deliver what the government needs and in a timely fashion.

 

4. Use Multiple Parameters

It often can be smart to search using several parameters. For some companies, it makes sense to search using NAICS codes and also search using the Place of Performance tab. Some companies can provide services nationwide as well as in U.S. territories, but some are more limited in scope.

 

For instance, if you want to bid on FEMA disaster jobs, such as hurricane relief jobs, you might only be able to assist with jobs in Florida or perhaps Louisiana or even in a specific metro area, such as Houston or Biloxi. The Place of Performance tab allows you to search either by Zip Code or by state name, so you can select whichever is the best fit for your company.

 

Another option would be to search using your PSCs or NAICS codes and also the Set Aside search option. The government “sets aside” a portion of its annual contracting budget specifically for small businesses. There are several categories of small businesses set asides, including woman-owned small business, HUBZone businesses and service-disabled, veteran-owned businesses, etc. Additionally, you can sign up for the 8a contracts, via the 8(a) Business Development Program.

 

More information about all of these programs can be found at the Small Business Administration’s website at SBA.gov. If you are a small business, we recommend that you sign up with SBA and see if you qualify for any of the aforementioned set asides. Even if you do not, most general small businesses also can earn some set aside contracts and also work for bigger Prime Contractors, which is known as subcontracting.

 

5. Don’t Solely Focus On Beta.SAM

Good old Betasam is not the only option you can use to find government contractor jobs. In fact, we recommend that you think beyond simply searching for federal contractor jobs and also consider that all state governments have procurement systems and also buy the bulk of their goods and services from the private sector.

 

State contracting jobs can be just as lucrative as federal jobs, so even if your heart was set on bidding on fed contracts, state contracts can be a great option. Additionally, you can look into GSA contracts. Getting on a GSA schedule can take more than a year, but it does help you bypass the difficult bidding process for traditional types of government contracts.

 

Subcontracting is a good option for small businesses, and you can search for subcontracting opportunities at SBA.gov’s SubNet search engine at https://eweb1.sba.gov/subnet/client/dsp_Landing.cfm. With subcontracting, you are working with a Prime Contractor. They will pay your fees and handle all interaction with the federal government. This can be a great way to learn the ropes of government contracting.

 

Get Started Today!

Of course, before you can bid on government contracting jobs, you do need to complete your SAM registration, and we can help! While the government does not charge a fee to register with the System for Award Management, it can be extremely difficult and time-consuming to complete the registration process. Many people simply hire a third party, such as our company, to complete SAM registration for them.

 

We liken ourselves to accountants because, while the government does not charge a fee to file your taxes, the tax code is confusing, and mistakes are costly so it just makes sense to hire a tax expert. The same is true with SAM registration. It’s difficult and if you make mistakes, this can delay your approval significantly.

 

Until your SAM registration is approved, you cannot bid on any contracts in Beta.SAM, so if you’d like for us to complete your registration, just click on the green New Registration tab on our homepage, fill out our quick contact form and a registration specialist will get in touch with you as soon as possible. We also handle SAM renewals, so if your registration is nearing that expiration date, we can quickly complete the renewal process for you.

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If you have recently completed your SAM registration (or perhaps several months ago), you might be wondering if your listing in the System for Award Management needs to be renewed. The answer is yes, but the exact time when you need to renew SAM registration might surprise you.

 

SAM registrations must be renewed every year, and once your initial registration is approved, you will receive an email from the government indicating the date when your registration expires, which is one year from your approval date.

 

However, you will need to renew your well before this expiration date. For instance, if your registration expires on September 1, don’t wait until August 30 to renew SAM registration. In fact, it’s best to start thinking about renewal two or three months before the expiration date.

 

Government agencies are allowed only to work with active government contractors. If your SAM registration expires, an agency can no longer work with you as your status will be marked as inactive. Therefore, if you bid on a contract, but your registration is just a few weeks from expiring, you may lose out on that government contracting opportunity because the procurement agents for that agency will be hesitant to award a contract to a company that might not renew its SAM registration.

 

Another reason to renew a few months ahead of the expiration date is that it can take several weeks or longer to have your SAM renewal approved, depending on how busy the Federal Service Desk is at the time. The Federal Service Desk is the agency tasked with handling SAM registrations and SAM renewals.

 

Currently, this agency has been overwhelmed with SAM registrations and SAM renewals, and many businesses received extensions this year because the Federal Service Desk simply cannot handle the influx of renewals and registrations. Even if you are one of these businesses that received a notice of a 120-day extension, it is still wise to renew SAM registration well in advance of this new deadline.

 

Why Renew SAM Registration?

If you’ve won one or more government contracting jobs, you probably are eager to renew SAM registration, but if you’ve not yet won that first contract, you might be wondering if government contracting is worth it. We encourage you to stay with it and try a few new strategies to help increase your chances of winning a contract.

 

First of all, if you’ve only been signed up with the System for Award Management for a year, it’s important to know that most government contractors don’t win their first contractor during the first year of contracting. It can take up to two years to win your first contract on average.

 

Learning about the different types of government contracts and how to bid on those contracts can be tricky, but some private companies offer seminars, workshops or classes that can help. Additionally, there are private companies that also help you find contracts and win bids. Obviously, these companies charge a fee for their services, but it can be one way to break into government contracting and learn the ropes.

 

For companies that qualify as a small business, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has many helpful aids for new government contractors. Many government contracts are set aside specifically for small businesses, which are simply called “set asides.” These include set asides for woman-owned small businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, HUBZone businesses and companies participating in the 8(a) Business Development Program.

 

HUBZones are “historically underutilized” business zones, and these include areas where the government hopes to improve the economy of an area. Sometimes these are located in impoverished urban areas, sometimes in rural areas and sometimes there are temporary HUBZones in areas hit with natural disasters to help build up the economy again. All Native American lands are considered HUBZones, as well.

 

The 8(a) Business Development Program is open to many small businesses that are majority-owned by a person who belongs to a historically marginalized group. This would be a group of people that have faced discrimination based on race, creed, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation or other factors.

 

8a contracts can be quite lucrative, so if you qualify, we highly encourage you to sign up for this program. Even if your small business is not eligible for these aforementioned set asides, you can still sign up with SBA and bid on contracts and your designation as a general small business can make it easier to win certain types of contracts.

 

The SBA has its own government contracting search engine just for small businesses at https://web.sba.gov/pro-net/search/dsp_dsbs.cfm. This is called the Dynamic Small Business Search, and you can search for government contracting jobs in a variety of ways, such as by location, set asides and more.

 

If you are a smaller business, we also encourage to consider you to think about subcontracting. The government awards huge, lucrative contracts to large Prime Contractors every year, and many of these contractors are required to use small businesses as subcontractors to win a job.

 

No matter what size business you own, we also recommend that you learn how to market yourself to the government. Create an amazing capability statement and build a page on your website just for government contracting. Sign up with your state procurement agency, as well. Not only are there many government contract jobs at the state level, but many states also hold events for contractors where they can meet with agency representatives and learn about contracting in general.

 

Let Us Renew SAM Registration

We encourage everyone to consider renewing SAM registration and continuing to take a change on government contracting. If you aren’t sure when you need to renew SAM registration, just go to our homepage and click on the Status Check tab, fill out our quick form and we will complete a status check for you and email the results in about an hour.

 

SAM renewals aren’t always as complicated as the initial SAM registration, but many companies simply hire a third party to handle renewals and save time. If you would like to hire us to renew your SAM registration, simply head to our homepage and click on the blue Renew Registration tab. Then just fill out our quick contact form, and a registration specialist will be in touch as soon as possible.

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