NOTE: SAM is best accessed through Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. Those users who access SAM through Internet Explorer may experience some functionality issues. It is highly recommended that users download Firefox or Google Chrome

WHAT IS SAM?

The System for Award Management (SAM) is a government run database that anyone wishing to business with the Federal Government must register in. SAM registration is REQUIRED of any business that would like to bid on federal contracts. NOTE that SAM registration is FREE. The SAM registration should take around an hour and registrations MUST be updated at least once a year to remain active (though if you have changes in your business, it is recommended that you update as these changes occur). In order to register in SAM you will need:

• A DUNS number (free for government contracting purposes): Get a FREE DUNS number here.

• General business information (in what year was your company founded? How many employees? Average sales for your last three years, etc)

• Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Information (bank account #, routing #, financial institution contact information). This information is required because the government pays you through this system.

• Point of contact information

Once this information is collected, a business must register for an individual account before going on with their business registration.

SAM is combining eight federal procurement systems and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance into one new system. The benefits of SAM include streamlined and integrated processes, and the elimination of data redundancies. With SAM, one user ID and Password will provide access to all the capabilities associated with: 1) Registering to do business with the government, 2) Representing/self-certifying as a small business and 3) Viewing business opportunities.

The eight systems to be combined are as follows:

• Central Contractor Registration/ Federal Agency Registration (CCR/FedReg)

• Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA)

• Federal Business Opportunities (FBO)

• Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation (FPDS-NG)

• Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System/FFATA Subaward Reporting System (eSRS/FSRS)

• Wage Determinations Online (WDOL)

• Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS/CPARS/FAPIIS)

• Excluded Parties List System (EPLS)

• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)

To view the SAM USER GUIDES please click here.

To access the SAM website, please click here.