SAM Registration Guide

Registration with SAM is required for any contractor, or grantee, that works with the federal government or receives funding from the federal government.  Applicants are required to provide their Unique Entity Identifier on the SF 424 and this number is only obtained through successful SAM registration.  Also, please note that if you have already registered with SAM that this registration must be updated annually.   

SAM registration is a lengthy process due to the amount and nature of information that the federal government must verify.  This process can take up to 8 weeks and it is recommended that applicants begin this registration as soon as possible to ensure completion prior to the grant application deadline.  Applications will not be accepted from small businesses who have not successfully registered with SAM.   

While there are commercial vendors who will assist companies with SAM registration for a fee, free assistance is available from Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs).  These organizations are funded by the Department of Defense and exist in every state.  To locate the closest center to your business, check with the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers at https://www.aptac-us.org/contracting-assistance/.  Additionally, SAM.gov provides a registration guide and checklist to assist applicants, available at SAM Registration Guide and Checklist. 

While the registration process is lengthy, there are a few things to note prior to starting that will make the process easier. 

1. As the application requires detailed and accurate information about the structure of the company, number of employees, banking information, and tax information, it is recommended that the company business official or other official with this information complete the application.  
2. The applicant will be required to provide the EIN or TIN depending upon the company structure.
3. The applicant will be required to provide the Automated Clearing House number (ACH) of the bank where the business accounts are located.
4. The applicant will be required to provide the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes of Standard Industry Classification (SIC) codes used to describe the industry in which the company operates.  
5. As part of SAM registration, the applicant will receive a Marketing Partner Identification Number (MPIN).  Keep this number on hand as it will be needed further into the registration process.  
6. Near the end of the registration process, the applicant will receive a CAGE (Commercial and Government Entity) code via email from the Defense Logistics Agency.  Be sure to check for this email as it sometimes ends up in junk mail.  Use this code to complete the SAM registration process within a limited number of days or the registration process will again be stalled.   

SAM Annual Registration Update

As mentioned above, SAM registration needs to be updated annually and applicants should always check to make sure that their registration is active and current.  If the registration is not current, applicants will be ineligible to apply for other awards and/or receive payment from the government. Be aware that the SAM registration process has been going through a major overhaul during the past couple of years and that the SAM.gov website and protocols are dynamic in order to assure that the information contractors provide is safeguarded.