SAM

SAM.gov is the single most important website in government contracting. It consolidates several former systems — CCR (Central Contractor Registration), ORCA (Online Representations and Certifications Application), EPLS (Excluded Parties List System), and as of February 2026, FPDS (Federal Procurement Data System) contract award search. If you do business with the federal government, you interact with SAM.gov.

What SAM.gov does — the three pillars:

• Entity Registration — Your company's federal "identity." Includes your UEI (Unique Entity Identifier), NAICS codes, business size, socioeconomic certifications (8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB), and banking information for payment via EFT. Registration takes 7-10 business days for new entities.
• Contract Opportunities — All federal solicitations above $25,000 must be posted here. You can search and filter by NAICS code, set-aside type, agency, place of performance, and keyword. Set up saved searches with email alerts to monitor new opportunities automatically.
• Contract Award Data — Formerly accessed through FPDS.gov (decommissioned February 2026). Search historical contract awards by agency, vendor, NAICS, PSC, and dollar amount. Essential for competitive intelligence, pricing benchmarks, and identifying recompete opportunities.

How to register in SAM.gov — step by step:

1. Go to SAM.gov and create a Login.gov account (two-factor authentication required)
2. Start a new entity registration — you'll need your EIN (Tax ID), NAICS codes, and banking details
3. Complete the Representations and Certifications section (answers to questions about your business type, size, and compliance)
4. Submit and wait 7-10 business days for IRS TIN validation and CAGE code assignment
5. Once active, set up opportunity alerts for your NAICS codes and target agencies

SAM.gov search tips for finding opportunities:

• Filter by NAICS code rather than keywords — NAICS captures all relevant procurements regardless of terminology
• Use the "set-aside" filter if you have certifications (8(a), SDVOSB, HUBZone, WOSB)
• Check "Sources Sought" and "Pre-Solicitation" notices — these are early signals of upcoming RFPs
• Set up email alerts for saved searches to get notified of new postings daily
• Look at the "Award Data" section to research incumbents and pricing on similar past contracts

Common SAM.gov mistakes to avoid:

• Letting your registration lapse — you cannot receive contract payments if your registration is inactive
• Incorrect NAICS codes — missing a relevant NAICS code means you won't appear in agency searches for that category
• Not completing Representations and Certifications — many agencies filter for specific certifications
• Ignoring the Exclusions section — check that your company and subcontractors are not on the exclusions list

State and local opportunities are not posted on SAM.gov — those require monitoring separate portals across thousands of jurisdictions. Tools like BidSparq aggregate both federal and SLED opportunities in one place.