SAM, or System for Award Management, is the combined U.S.
Government system of CCR/FedReg, ORCA, and EPLS. SAM is completely free of
charge for registrants and users. Current and potential government vendors are
required to register in SAM if they wish to have a contract with the
government. If your organization is applying for the GSA must be fully
registered in SAM in order to be awarded
The registration can take anywhere from 15 minutes to one
hour, depending on if the information requested is readily available. A vendor
must provide basic information relevant to procurement and financial
transactions. A SAM registration is good for one year and must be updated
annually.
Before registering for SAM a company must have the
following:
·
DUNS or D-U-N-S Number
o
Data
Universal Numbering System
o
A
proprietary system developed and regulated by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B)
that assigns a unique numeric identifier to a single business entity
·
TIN
o
Taxpayer
Identification Number and then name associated with that TIN
·
CAGE CODE
o Commercial
and Government Entity code is a five-character ID number that is used
extensively within the federal government.
o If the
organization is migrating over from any old systems (CCR, ORCA, etc.) than it
will already have this code. If not the organization will be assigned one once
you are fully registered in SAM
·
EFT Information
o Electronic
Funds Transfer information such as the ABA Routing Number and bank account
number
SAM also allows Government agencies and contractors to
search for your organizations based on your ability, size, location,
experience, and more. Since SAM incorporated the ORCA system agencies and other
companies can see if a firm meets certain Federal requirements (ex: complies
with equal opportunity legislation).
Government Contract Services specializes in SAM
registrations and updates. Please look for the Government Contract Services SAM
eBook which will contain helpful step by step instructions on how to
efficiently and successfully register your company in SAM.
