In theory, if you want to bid on government contracting jobs, all you need to do is sign up with the System for Award Management (SAM). While we can help you with SAM registration, there are a few other tasks you need to handle to make it easier to find, bid on and win government contracts.
How Federal Contractor Registry Can Help
The government does not charge a fee for SAM registration, but the registration process is time-consuming (10+ hours) and complicated. Many potential contractors become frustrated with the process and give up on the idea of government contracting and that’s a shame because there are many lucrative contracts out there for just about any type of business.
Rather than try and navigate your way through the SAM registration process, you can simply hire Federal Contractor Registry to complete the application for you. We are a third-party registration service, and while we do charge a fee, we can complete your application quickly and accurately, so that you are approved and able to bid on contracts as soon as possible.
While we can handle all aspects of SAM registration, there are a few tasks that you will need to complete on your own, including the following:
1. Provide Us With The Required Information
In order to complete your SAM registration, you will need to provide us with the legal business name of your company as well as the physical address of the business, a PO Box will not suffice. Of course, we also will need a contact phone number and email address so that government procurement agents can contact you.
You also need to give us your DUNS number. This stands for Data Universal Numbering System. If you do not have a number or do not know your number, go to www.dnb.com. If you have a number already, you can look it up, and if you don’t, you can sign up and receive one at no cost. We also will need your Employer Identification Number, or EIN, which is listed on your federal tax forms.
We also will need to know a little bit about your business. For instance, we need to know how many employees you have and your gross annual receipts. We also need to know about the goods and services you provide so that we can determine your Product Service Codes (PSCs) and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes.
Additionally, we will need your business bank account number and the routing number for your bank. This information is crucial because this is the account that federal agencies will deposit money into if you win and complete government contract jobs.
2. Send In Your Notarized Letter
The SAM notarized letter requirement is a fairly new development in the world of government contracting. In order to register with SAM, you need to send in a notarized letter that lists your Entity Administrator. This is simply the person that is allowed to make any changes in your SAM account. It might be the business owner or perhaps a trusted employee that will be handling your government contracting.
To obtain a template for this letter, go to FSD.gov. At the top of the page, you will see a tab that says, “Top Help Topics.” Under this tab, there is a section for SAM and the first topic is called “Tips for Notarized Letter.” If you select this option, you will be led to a question about the letter and under the answer, there is a link to the templates. We recommend that you copy the template exactly and follow the instructions carefully so that your letter will be approved and filed quickly.
In the past, you had to have this letter approved by the FSD (Federal Service Desk) before your SAM registration was approved. This is no longer the case, but you do have to send this letter in and have it approved in order to keep your SAM registration active.
3. Sign Up With The SBA, If Applicable
If you qualify as a small business, this can make it easier to win government contracts. In most cases, contracts valued at about $150,000 or less are set aside for small businesses. It might surprise you to learn how big a business actually can be and still qualify as a small business. In some cases, companies with hundreds of employees still qualify.
To check and see if you qualify, head to https://www.sba.gov/size-standards and use the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) size standards tool. You will need to know your NAICS codes, and you can either look them up at https://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/ or we can determine these codes for you as we handle your SAM registration.
If you do qualify, you may qualify as more than just a general small business. There are many special categories, known as set asides, for which you may also be eligible. For instance, if the business is majority-owned by a woman or a veteran, these are two types of set asides.
You may also qualify for the 8(a) certification benefits. The 8(a) program was designed for small businesses that are majority-owned by a person who is part of a group that has been economically or socially disadvantaged. This might be because of race or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, physical handicap or other reasons.
Furthermore, if your business is located in a HUBZone, you may qualify for HUBZone set asides. This is an area that has been historically underutilized. It might be located in an inner-city or perhaps a rural area or on Native American lands. Sometimes areas damaged by natural disasters qualify as HUBZones as the government tries to bolster the economy in these areas. To check and see if your business is located in a HUBZone, go to https://maps.certify.sba.gov/hubzone/map#center=39.828200,-98.579500&zoom=5.
4. Create A Capability Statement
We tell people all the time that it’s important to craft a top-quality capability statement. This is a one-page (usually) document that basically acts just like a resume. Instead of representing a single person, the capability statement represents your business.
The capability statement will include contact information as well as general statistics about your company, including your NAICS codes, your DUNS, your PSCs and more. You also will have a section entitled Core Capabilities, which lists what goods and services you can provide to government agencies.
There will be a section entitled Past Performances, and this is a list of your previous clients. Another section, entitled Differentiators, is a section where you explain what sets your company apart from other companies. There are many examples of capability statements available on the internet, and while we work on your SAM registration, you can work on building this special type of government resume.
5. Educate Yourself About Bidding & Contracts
While SAM registration is complicated, it’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to government contracting. We highly recommend that you spend some time learning about the different types of bids and the different types of contracts.
You could start by simply taking a look at what types of contracts currently are available for your goods or services. Do a quick check at Beta.SAM.gov. This is a database that lists all government contracts. You can search by agency or by date, but it’s often easiest to search using your NAICS codes or PSCs, which, again, we can figure out for you if you use our service for SAM registration.
In addition to looking at federal contracting jobs, every state has its own procurement system, and we highly recommend that you sign up with your state’s procurement database. You will need to complete SAM registration for state government work as state governments do ask for your CAGE Code when you register. The types of contracts and bids at the state level are similar to the federal government’s, so any knowledge you gain about contracting can help you win state or federal contracts.
Once you see the types of bids or contracts that meet your company’s goods and services, start researching how to bid. Some companies offer training courses, but state governments often can provide you with helpful materials and webinars to further your education. The SBA also has some helpful information for small businesses wishing to dive into government contracting.
Get Started With Government Contracting
If you would like to get started, simply head to our homepage and click on the green New Registration tab and fill out our quick contact form. A SAM registration specialist will be in contact with you as soon as possible to gather your information and get started on your SAM registration.