Registering your business in the System for Award Management is a crucial prerequisite to earning a federal government contract. But the process isn’t always simple.
I was thrilled to join my friend Yasmin Razaq of the Maryland PTAC today to talk about creating and maintaining a SAM.gov profile. You can watch a recording of my presentation here.
If you’re registering your business in SAM.gov, I have a few tips:
- Start early. The process can take several days from start to finish, and your business must be registered at the time it submits a bid on a procurement. Don’t delay, as you could lose your chance at an award.
- Joint ventures need registered, too. SBA’s regulations require a joint venture to be registered in SAM.gov, just like any other prime contractor. Again, don’t sleep on this process, as it can take a while to get registered.
- Get help. Reach out to your PTAC (or Procurement Technical Assistance Center) for free assistance registering in SAM.gov. Or, you might call a friendly government contracts attorney, who could help you through the process.
By the way, PTACs offer a bevy of other contracting assistance for businesses of all types. If you haven’t connected with your local PTAC, what are you waiting for?! - Answer truthfully. This tip should go without saying, but I’m saying it anyway. It’s never a good idea to lie to (or even mislead) the government, especially if you’d like to continue to work with them or avoid hefty penalties.
- Keep it current! Once registered, you need to keep your SAM.gov profile current, accurate, and complete. This might require frequent updates if your business information changes throughout the year.
Though registering in SAM.gov seems like an administrative hurdle, it’s nonetheless important. SAM.gov is where contractors can find and track contract opportunities, and where contracting officers often start their market research. It’s important, therefore, to make sure your business is listed appropriately.
If you have any questions, please give me (or your local PTAC) a call.