SAM.gov registration and your UEI: the foundation of every award

Every federal prime contract starts with SAM.gov, the System for Award Management. Under FAR 52.204-7, an offeror must be registered in SAM when it submits an offer and must stay registered through award, performance and final payment, unless a stated exception applies. SAM is also where the Government gets the data it uses to identify you, pay you and check your eligibility: your Unique Entity ID, CAGE code, NAICS codes, size representations and certifications. Getting it right, and keeping it current, is the cheapest compliance work you will ever do.

UEI, CAGE and what SAM holds#

SAM also records whether an entity has an active exclusion (suspension, debarment or other ineligibility), which primes check before subcontracting (see SAM exclusions).

Choose the right kind of registration#

• Full registration for all awards is what you need to bid on prime contracts.
• Financial assistance only registrations are for grants and similar awards, not contracts.
• A UEI without registration is available for entities that only need an identifier, such as many subcontractors. Primes report first-tier subcontracts under FAR 52.204-10 using the subcontractor's UEI.

If you plan to prime, register for all awards even if you are a subcontractor today. A partner may ask you to lead the next pursuit, and registration can take time.

Renew every year#

A SAM registration must be renewed at least every 12 months. If it lapses, you cannot receive a new award, and payments on existing contracts can be delayed. Renewal is not a formality: SAM may require entity validation when your legal name, address or other core data changes, and validation can take time when records do not match.

Registration is free#

SAM.gov registration costs nothing. Be wary of third-party services that charge fees or imply they are part of the Government; SAM.gov itself warns about them. If you use a consultant, make sure your company keeps control of its login and its data.

Getting the details right#

• Legal name and physical address must match the records SAM's entity validation service checks. Mismatches are the most common cause of delays.
• List every NAICS code you pursue, not just your primary one. Contracting officers and primes look for the code on the solicitation.
• Review size representations whenever your receipts or headcount change, and after any merger or acquisition.
• Keep points of contact current. Expired emails mean missed notices about your registration.
• Reconcile reps and certs before every major proposal; they are incorporated into your offers.

Annual SAM checklist#

Common pitfalls#

• Renewing at the last minute. A validation request can turn a routine renewal into weeks.
• Stale size representations. Representing as small under a NAICS code where you have grown past the size standard can lead to a size protest, or worse.
• Different names in different places. Your SAM legal name should match your proposals, invoices and teaming agreements exactly.
• Assuming a subcontract does not need SAM. Many primes require at least a UEI, and some require full registration from subcontractors.

How TeamingIndex helps#

• Your TeamingIndex profile is seeded from SAM.gov and refreshed nightly, so your UEI, CAGE code, address, NAICS codes and statuses are already there. Claim it with your UEI or CAGE code and a work email on your company's domain.
• Every profile shows registration health: active, expiring within 60 days or expired. Entities with expired registrations or active exclusions are hidden from default search.
• SAM.gov facts are corrected at the source: update SAM.gov and the next sync brings the change in. Capabilities, compliance credentials and contacts you curate on TeamingIndex are never overwritten by the sync.