When a disaster occurs, the federal government hires companies in the private sector to help with a wide range of disaster relief jobs. In order to bid on these jobs, business owners need to take several steps and one of the first is SAM registration.
What Is SAM Registration?
The System for Award Management (SAM) is a huge database that contains information about all government contractors. A procurement agent from any government agency will not be able to select your company for a government contracting job unless you have an active SAM account.
You can complete SAM registration on your own for free (the government does not charge a fee for SAM registration) or you can pay a third-party registration service to complete the process. Many people hire registration specialists because the SAM registration process can take 10 or more hours and can be frustrating and difficult.
At Federal Contractor Registry, we can quickly and accurately complete your SAM registration. In addition to completing your SAM registration, our fee also includes helping you with several other tasks, including:
The Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) – This is a new requirement, and everyone registering in SAM for the first time must apply for their UEI, which has replaced the need to apply for a DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet. We can help you with this process before we get started on your SAM registration.
The SAM Notarized Letter Requirement – When you register with SAM for the first time, you are required to send the Federal Service Desk a notarized letter identifying your Entity Administrator. This is simply the person at your company allowed to make any needed changes to your SAM account, and we can help you get started with this letter.
Small Business Administration (SBA) Sign-Ups – The SBA offers small business owners a myriad of helpful programs, and a portion of all federal contracting dollars are set aside for specific types of small businesses, such as a Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) or Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB).
These are known as set-asides because the government sets aside these contracts and awards them only to these small businesses. General small businesses (not woman-owned or veteran-owned, etc.) still qualify for some set-asides, as well, so we encourage every small business owner to sign up with the SBA and we can help you sign up and link your SBA account to your SAM account.
Introductions to Prime Contactors – If you are a small business owner, subcontracting can be a great option to consider as you get started with government contracts. We have many prime contractors in our FCR network, and we can introduce you to these contractors which can help you jumpstart into the world of government contracting.
Finding Disaster Relief Jobs
Once your SAM registration is complete and has been approved, you will be issued a CAGE (Corporation and Government Entity) code. Once you have your CAGE code and an active SAM account, you are free to bid on any government contractor jobs, including disaster relief jobs.
When it comes to disaster relief jobs, people often simply think of FEMA disaster jobs, and while FEMA handles many crucial disaster-related tasks, this is not the only agency that might need your goods and services.
In general, we recommend simply heading to SAM.gov and searching under the Contract Opportunities tab. The easiest way to find potential contracts is to search using your North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes. These codes identify the particular goods and services that your company can provide to a government agency. You can enter your codes by clicking on the Product or Service Information tab in the Contract Opportunities tab.
For instance, if your company manufactures bottled water, you would enter the code 312112 into the search engine. You also could limit the search to specific states or zip codes, depending on your service area. During a quick search, we found that code 312112 had potential contract opportunities from the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice.
However, if we search just using FEMA as the main search, there are more than 150 contacts to wade through, and, of course, not all of them would necessarily be a match for your goods and services. This is why we always recommend searching using your specific parameters rather than sifting through a specific agency.
It’s also wise to look beyond federal government contractor jobs. State governments and county governments also have to provide disaster relief, and these jobs can be just as lucrative as fed contracts. Be sure to sign up with your state’s procurement agency and search for potential contracts at the state level.
In general, disaster relief jobs or contracts entail a wide range of needs. While some of the jobs focus on removing debris, the government also needs a myriad of supplies to help meet the needs of those displaced by a disaster as well as the support teams brought in to help with disaster relief and FEMA often stockpiles these items or pre-awards advance contracts to companies that can help with disaster relief.
If you wish to work with FEMA, be sure to let us know so that during the SAM registration process, we will ensure that your registration includes participation in the Disaster Response Registry. FEMA agents and other procurement agents often search this registry to find suitable vendors.
Keep Your Registration Active!
SAM registration expires every 12 months, so you do need to complete SAM renewal every year. You can only do business with the federal government if your SAM registration is active, so it is crucial that you renew well in advance of your expiration date. At Federal Contractor Registry, we can provide you with SAM renewal services if you prefer to let us handle this process.
Get Started With SAM Registration Now
If you’d like Federal Contractor Registry to complete your SAM registration, just click on the green New Registration tab on our homepage. From there, just fill out our contact form and one of our representatives will contact you and get started on your SAM registration. Once that process is complete, your company will be eligible for disaster relief jobs and many other government contracting opportunities.