While government contracting can be lucrative, there are some steps you must take before you are eligible to bid on government contracts and this includes having a CAGE code assigned to your business. If you are wondering how to get a CAGE code, we can help. Here’s a quick look at CAGE codes and the process.
What Is A CAGE Code?
CAGE stands for Commercial and Government Entity, and a unique CAGE code is assigned to all businesses and individuals that complete their System for Award Management (SAM) registration. This “system” is a database that contains information about all active government contractors.
SAM registration is the process that you must complete to get your CAGE code, but it can be a difficult and time-consuming process. The application is lengthy and filled with government-speak and can take 10, 12 or more hours to complete. While the government does not charge a fee for SAM registration, many people opt to hire a third-party SAM registration service to complete this task.
At Federal Contractor Registry, we can complete your SAM registration quickly and accurately, so that you can receive your CAGE code as soon as possible. We compare ourselves to accountants because, while you could complete your taxes on your own for free, tax forms can be complicated and mistakes are costly, so it just makes sense to hire a pro.
Beyond Your CAGE Code
While learning how to get a CAGE code is important, this is just a jumping-off point for new government contractors. You also need to complete a few other tasks before you will be ready to start bidding on contracts. These tasks include:
Send in a notarized letter – The Federal Service Desk, the government agency that manages SAM and assigns CAGE codes, requires all new registrants to send in a notarized letter listing their SAM account’s Entity Administrator. This is the person at your company that is authorized to make changes to your SAM account. You can find more information about this letter at https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0016652&sys_kb_id=df025fd01b9d3cd42fe5ed7ae54bcb2c&spa=1.
In the past, you could not get approval for your SAM registration until the Federal Service Desk received and approved this letter. This is no longer the case, as the agency had so many letters to process that they were falling behind with SAM registrations and renewals. However, this is still a requirement, so be sure to get this step done as quickly as possible.
Sign up with the Small Business Administration – If you qualify as a small business, the SBA has many programs to help grow your business as well as offering tips for government contracting. You also might qualify for special set aside contracts, that are reserved only for small businesses or perhaps for the 8(a) Business Development Program. To sign up and learn more about 8a contracts and other SBA programs, just go to SBA.gov.
Find contracting opportunities – You can take a look at what’s available contract-wise at Beta.SAM.gov. This website includes a search engine for contracting opportunities, and you can search using keywords or use the Advanced Search option and search using multiple parameters, such as using NAICS codes, set asides, location and more.
Hire some help – While Beta.SAM.gov can be a good place to look for government contracting jobs, it’s not your only option. Additionally, while you might now understand how to get a CAGE code, there is still a lot to learn about government contracting. The bidding process varies and can be very complicated. There are several private companies that you can hire to find contracts and help you win bids. This can be a great way to get started with contracting and you can kind of learn the ropes from people who are experts at creating proposals and winning contracts.
Consider subcontracting – Prime Contractors are huge companies that win the largest government contracts. In order to win these contracts, they often are required to use subcontractors, usually small businesses. This can be a great option when you are just getting started because the Prime Contractor handles all the details, and you can kind of learn the process from them. You can search for subcontracting opportunities at https://eweb1.sba.gov/subnet/client/dsp_Landing.cfm.
Create a Capability Statement – This is a resume specifically designed for government contracting. While it is a “resume,” the sections on this document differ from the typical resume for an individual. To learn more about Capability Statements, you can hire a company that specializes in creating these documents or check out our article here. (PLEASE LINK “here” to Article 72 – How To Create A Killer Capability Statement.)
Create a webpage for government contracting – If you have a website (and you should), add a page just for government contracting. You can include your Capability Statement on this page as well as a quick look at what you can provide for government agencies. This can give you an extra edge over the competition as procurement agents will see this as a sign of your professionalism.
Sign up for state government contracting – While the federal government offers an abundance of federal contractor jobs, there’s more out there than just DOD contracts and FEMA disaster jobs. Every state government needs goods and services from the private sector, and we highly recommend that you sign up with your state’s procurement agency.
Technically, you can sign up with any state’s procurement agency, but it’s often best to just start with your state at first. Circling back to how to get a CAGE code, you will need to provide that CAGE code for state government contracting. So, even if you plan to simply stick with state government contract jobs, you still need to complete SAM registration and get that CAGE code.
Don’t forget to renew your SAM registration – SAM registration expires every year, so you need to update and renew your application each year. We highly recommend that you complete your SAM renewal several months ahead of the expiration date as procurement agents often won’t select companies that are close to their expiration date. We offer SAM renewal services if you don’t feel comfortable handling this task on your own.
We hope this blog has helped you understand how to get a CAGE code as well as some basics about government contracting. If you would like us to help you get a CAGE code and complete your SAM registration, just click on the green New Registration tab on our homepage, fill out our quick contact form and a SAM registration specialist will be in touch quickly to gather some information and get started on your registration.