SAM.gov, short for System for Award Management, is the entry point for federal contractors to interface with the government. So, it is a basic starting point for every federal contractor. But your SAM.gov profile also needs to stay up to date and be up to date at time of bid submission, and failure to keep your SAM profile active can cause problems, even for established contractors. Everyone involved with government contracting knows, or should know, a little bit about registration in SAM.gov.
This post walks you through the most important things you should know about registering in SAM.gov.
Logins.
SAM.gov users must have a login.gov user account. A login.gov account allows users to log into SAM.gov and a number of other government websites. Unlike the old SAM.gov login system, login.gov requires two-factor authentication. This means that you’ll first be required to put in your username and password. After this, login.gov will send a six digit security code to the phone number associated with your account. Don’t wait too long. Each code expires fast.
What you need before you register.
There are a number of pieces of information you should have on hand before you register, including the following:
Entity Organizational Documents. For most entities, you must be registered with a state. The specific documents needed depend on the type of entity, such as LLC or corporation. This handy list shows what documents you will need.
If you are a US tax paying entity, you need your Tax Id Number (TIN) and Taxpayer Name. Your TIN can be either an Employer ID Number (EIN) or Social Security Number (SSN) based on your business structure. You can apply for your federal TIN or EIN through the IRS here. Also note: your Taxpayer Name may be different from your legal business name! Make sure you verify the Taxpayer Name on your entity’s 1099, W-2, or W-4 forms.
Your CAGE or NCAGE Number, if you already have one. You can check your CAGE/NCAGE number, or request a new one, here. If you don’t have one yet, no worries! You will be automatically assigned one after you register in SAM.gov.
Your Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Information. You want to get paid! To do so, you need to provide your bank routing and account numbers.
Basic SAM Registration Info.
Here are some of the key items you will provide as part of the registration process.
Entity information. The SAM checklist includes a lot of information about your entity, including things that you would expect such as name, address, date and state of incorporation. It also includes immediate owner details and more detailed business information.