Every year, federal, state and local governments award more than $450 billion in government contracts. Contractors are needed for just about any industry you can imagine, so the only thing standing between you and a lucrative government contract might be SAM registration, which is a complicated process. While SAM customer service aids are available, are these resources truly worth your time?
SAM Registration: The Basics
SAM, which stands for System for Award Management, is a huge database that includes every person or business registered as a government contractor. If you aren’t in this database, you cannot bid on contracts. Once you’ve completed SAM registration, you will receive what is known as a Cage Code, which is the unique identifier for your business.
SAM Customer Service:
SAM registration is free, and you can find SAM customer service help at SAM.gov, a website which is run by the General Services Administration. You can find user guides, videos and, if you search long enough, you can find a SAM customer service number. Of course, while the government will assure you again and again that registration is free, they neglect to mention just how complicated this process can be.
It can take 20 or more hours to complete the registration process, and it’s easy to become confused by the government-speak and acronyms sprinkled throughout the registration documents. Just like paying someone to complete your income tax documents, it just makes sense to pay someone to complete the SAM registration process as well. Otherwise you might spend half of your time dialing the SAM customer service number asking question upon question about the process.
Who Can Register?
Both American and international companies and persons can complete SAM registration. Small businesses are welcome to bid on government contracts, as well as large businesses. Often, people will get their feet wet by becoming a subcontractor for a larger company with a government contract. As long as you are registered with SAM and in good standing, you can bid on contracts.
What Types Of Jobs Are Available?
Every government agency, including state and local agencies, will need outside contractors at some point. For instance, FEMA often needs companies to help with clean-up and repairs after a disaster. School districts need government contractors for the construction of new schools, the installation or repair of HVAC systems and even contractors to provide nutrition services.
Multiple national, state and local government entities will need contractors to provide cleaning services and landscaping services. The Department of Veterans affairs might need medical supplies and equipment providers for various hospital locations. A local courthouse might need elevator or escalator repairs. The U.S. Forest Service might need fence repairs or the Department of Justice might need a food supplier for the Bureau of Prisons. There’s virtually no end to the type of services and products that might be needed. Head to FBO.gov and take a peek at some of the contractor jobs that might be available currently.
While there are plenty of jobs available, the SAM registration process often deters people from bidding on lucrative contracts. Rather than wade through pages of “helpful” SAM resources or spending time on hold via the SAM customer service number, we highly recommend that you consider using our third-party registration service. Give us a call or fill out our quick contact form and we’ll help you get started in the world of government contracting.