Federal work is a good market for many contractors, but nobody can be awarded a contract without an active SAM registration. Here is the order I would do it in.
What do you need before you start?
| Item | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Legal business name and physical address | Must match your IRS records exactly |
| Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN) | IRS |
| Bank account and routing number | For electronic payment |
| NAICS codes | Your trades, for example 236220 for commercial building |
| Point of contact | People who can manage the registration |
| Login.gov account | Required to sign in to SAM.gov |
Most delays come from a name or address that does not match the IRS record exactly, so check that first.
How do you register, step by step?
- Create a Login.gov account and sign in to SAM.gov.
- Get a Unique Entity ID (UEI). The 12-character UEI replaced the DUNS number in April 2022 and is issued inside SAM.gov at no cost.
- Start the entity registration and choose that you want to bid on federal contracts, not only grants.
- Enter core data: legal name, address, EIN, banking and points of contact.
- Add assertions: your NAICS codes, size metrics and the product and service codes you sell.
- Complete representations and certifications. These replace much of the paperwork that used to go with each bid, so read them carefully.
- Submit and wait for validation. A CAGE code is assigned during review for US entities.
How long does it take, and what does it cost?
Registration in SAM.gov is free. Sites that charge a fee are optional services, not the government. Activation commonly takes up to 10 business days after you submit, and longer if the IRS or address check fails, so start well before a bid due date.
How do you keep the registration active?
A registration expires 365 days after you submit it. If it lapses, your UEI and CAGE code stay the same, but you cannot be awarded until it is active again. SAM.gov sends reminders before expiration; put the renewal date in the same calendar as your bid due dates.
What comes after registration?
- Search Contract Opportunities on SAM.gov by NAICS code and region. My guide on how to find public construction bids covers the state and local portals too.
- Check bonding. Federal construction contracts over $150,000 need performance and payment bonds; see the bond guide.
- Check set-asides you qualify for, such as small business, 8(a), HUBZone or service-disabled veteran-owned.
How does Clara help?
Clara scans 1,000+ portals, federal and local, for bids that fit your trades and region, reads each package and flags SAM, bonding and certification requirements on the page where they appear. She fills in bid forms from your company profile for your team to review and sign; she does not submit bids for you.
If you are registering for federal work this year, join our US founding cohort and let Clara watch the portals while you do.
Tushar Adsul, Founder and CEO, BAU AI
Frequently asked questions
Is SAM.gov registration free? Yes. The UEI, the registration and the yearly renewal are free on SAM.gov.
Do subcontractors need SAM registration? Usually not to work under a prime contractor, but some primes and some programs require it. To bid federal work directly, you need it.
What happens if my registration expires during a bid? You can still be found in SAM, but you cannot be awarded until the registration is active again, so renew early.
Sources
- SAM.gov, Entity registration and Unique Entity ID help pages.
- GSA, transition from DUNS to the Unique Entity ID, April 2022.
- FAR 4.1102, Policy: registration in SAM before award.