SAM registration is required for any company or entity that wishes to bid on federal contracts or wants to receive many types of federal funding, including grants and government loans. Because we know many new potential contractors have questions about the SAM registration process and contracting, we’ve compiled a handy list of answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.
What Is SAM Registration?
To do business with the federal government, you must have an active listing in the System for Award Management (SAM). This is a central database that includes all entities, both individuals and companies, that hope to bid on government contracting jobs.
SAM registration is the process by which you become listed as “active” in this database. The online application for entity registrations is a lengthy document that can take 10 or more hours to complete, and it will include all pertinent information about your company and the type of goods and services you can provide for the government.
Who Is Required To Register In SAM?
Anyone that wants to bid on contracts with any federal agency must have an active listing in SAM. Whether you want to bid on DOD contracts, FEMA disaster relief jobs or jobs with any government agency, you cannot bid on the contracts without providing the procurement agents with your Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code. This is the unique code that you will receive once your SAM registration has been approved.
If you want to apply for government grants, loans and other types of government assistance, you also will need to complete SAM registration and wait until you are approved and have your CAGE code before applying for assistance.
Is SAM Registration Free?
The government does not charge a fee for SAM registration. That said, while there is no SAM registration fee, the process is time-consuming and often difficult to understand, especially if you have no previous experience working with the government and don’t understand Federal Acquisition Regulations, NAICS codes, etc.
How Do I Complete Sam Registration?
With SAM registration, you have two options. You can complete the process on your own or you can hire a third-party registration service. There are some tutorials available at SAM.gov, but many people find the tutorials confusing. Often, people choose to avoid the hassles of SAM registration and simply hire a SAM expert to complete the process.
While a third party does charge a fee, they tend to complete SAM registrations much more quickly than a business owner could and they also don’t make mistakes on the application form.
If you make a mistake on your SAM registration form, the application will not be approved and you will have to figure out what was completed incorrectly, fix the error and re-apply for approval, which can delay your ability to bid on contracts or apply for loans and grants.
Do You Need A DUNS Number To Register With SAM?
No. In the past, you would need to provide your DUNS number. This stands for Data Universal Numbering System, and it was used for many years as part of SAM registration and before the System for Award Management existed, it was used for Central Contractor Registration (CCR) and ORCA registration.
CCR and ORCA have been phased into SAM and now the DUNS number requirement also has been phased out. Instead, the government now has its own new Unique Entity ID and new government contractors must also apply for this ID as well as complete SAM registration.
How Long Does SAM Approval Take?
SAM approval times vary, but since the beginning of the pandemic, it has taken a bit longer for companies to gain approval once registration is complete. In the past, it would take about 8-10 business days, but if the Federal Service Desk becomes bogged down with a plethora of new registrations, this can delay your approval.
Likewise, if you (applying as an individual) or your company doesn’t yet have a taxpayer identification number (TIN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN), you will need to apply for this first and wait until you have that number before completing your SAM registration and this can take several weeks.
If you are an individual applying for SAM registration (not a company) and you have a Social Security number, this would serve as your Taxpayer Identification Number. All companies must be able to provide an EIN. If you are registering as an individual, but cannot attain a Social Security number, must have a TIN before applying.
Does A SAM Number Expire?
Yes. While your SAM account won’t just disappear, it does expire every year and you will be required to renew SAM registration. We do provide SAM renewal services whenever you need them.
We always recommend that entities complete their renewals about two months before the expiration date. Usually, it doesn’t take long to gain approval for a renewal, but if there is a backlog, this can delay the renewal process therefore it is smart to renew ahead of time.
In some cases, if a federal agency representative sees that your SAM registration will expire soon, they might be hesitant to approve to award a contract to your business. This is because if you are in the middle of a contract, but no longer have an active SAM registration, the government agency can no longer do business with you.
Why Should I Complete SAM Registration?
While you might be uncertain as to whether or not government contracting jobs are a good fit for your business, there truly are lucrative contracting opportunities for just about any type of business. No matter what goods or services you offer, you are likely to be able to fulfill the needs of some government agency.
If you head to SAM.gov, you can search for contract opportunities using your NAICS codes or keywords related to your goods and services. This will give you an indication as to whether or not, your goods are services are in demand. Keep in mind, that once your complete SAM registration, you also can bid on state government contracts, as well, and these can be just as lucrative as the federal contractor jobs.
Government contracting can be an excellent way for small businesses to grow and become more successful. The government sets aside a portion of all government contracting jobs specifically for small businesses. You do need to sign up with the Small Business Administration to be eligible for these special “set-asides,” but we highly recommend that all small business owners sign up and take advantage of what SBA has to offer.
Let Us Complete Your SAM.gov Registration!
We know that contractor registration can be frustrating and time-consuming, but we can help. At Federal Contractor Registry, we can complete your SAM registration quickly and accurately, so that you gain approval and can bid on government contract opportunities as quickly as possible.
While we do charge a fee, we also include extras that many other third-party registration services do not provide, including:
- 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
To get started with 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 quickly as possible to gather your information and get started on your registration.