Vendor Registration Information

System for Award Management (SAM)

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (subpart 4.11) requires that contractors be registered in the SAM database prior to being awarded a contract. Detailed information about SAM is available online at sam.gov/content/home. The SAM Customer Assistance Center can be contacted toll free at 1-888-227-2423.
 

What is SAM?

• The System for Award Management (SAM) is the Official U.S. Government system that consolidated the capabilities of Central Contractor Registry (CCR), Federal Agency Registration (FedReg), Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), and Excluded Parties List System (EPLS).
• There is NO fee to register for this site. Entities may register at no cost directly from this page. User guides and webinars are available under the Help tab at sam.gov/content/home
• The information in SAM is entered and maintained by each vendor.
• Each vendor is responsible for the accuracy and currency of its information.
• SAM validates the vendor information and provides a secure central database for use by Federal Government agencies.
   

Registration in SAM

• Vendors must have an active registration in SAM to do business with the Federal Government.
• Vendors can register via the web at sam.gov/content/home. User guides, demonstration videos, exclusions information and external resources are all available under the "HELP" tab at sam.gov/content/home.
   

Registration Process

Before a vendor can start its registration, an individual user account must be created. Once an account is created, a vendor can log into SAM to register your entity. To register in SAM, at a minimum, the following information is required:

• For U.S. registrants:
  • DUNS Number, Legal Business Name, and Physical Address from the Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) record
    • To obtain a DUNS Number, a vendor can request one for free from D&B at fedgov.dnb.com/webform.
  • Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and Taxpayer Name associated with the TIN. (NOTE: Tax documents from the IRS (such as a 1099 or W-2 form) will have Taxpayer Name.)
  • Bank's routing number, bank account number, and bank account type, i.e. checking or savings, to set up Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).
• For international registrants:
  • NATO Commercial And Government Entity (NCAGE) Code
    • To obtain an NCAGE Code, a vendor can apply online by going to www.nato.int/structur/ac/135/welcome.htm
  • DUNS Number, Legal Business Name, and Physical Address from your Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) record. Ensure your DUNS information and NCAGE information match.
    • To obtain a DUNS Number, a vendor can request one for free from D&B at fedgov.dnb.com/webform.
       

Access to the SAM Database

• The SAM is designed to be a highly secure, single repository of vendor information.
• Vendors are required to enter financial information into SAM for the purpose of facilitating payments through electronic funds transfer. Only authorized Government representatives or the vendors themselves can access this financial information.
• Vendors must renew/update their data annually to keep their SAM registration active. If a vendor's SAM account has not been logged into and the entity registration record updated at least within the past 365 days, the record will expire and go into an inactive status.
• If you have initiated an update to an existing record, the updated record will replace the older record once the updated record finishes processing. The SAM Status Tracker will display empty, grey circles for an Inactive registration and provide a message that tells you the date that registration expired.
   

Please note that registration in SAM does not guarantee business with the Federal Government.