SAM.gov Registration Cost: Is It Really Free?
Yes, SAM.gov registration is really free. The United States government does not charge any fee to register your business in the System for Award Management, to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier, or to maintain an active registration. If a website asks you to pay a fee to complete your SAM.gov registration, you are not on […]
SAM.gov Contract Opportunities vs Grants: Key Differences
SAM.gov is best known as the place to find federal contract opportunities, but it also lists assistance opportunities such as grants and cooperative agreements. That overlap confuses many small businesses, because a contract and a grant can look similar at first glance: both involve federal money, both are posted publicly, and both require an active […]
How to Read a SAM.gov Contract Opportunity Notice
Every federal contract opportunity on SAM.gov starts as a notice, and that notice is the single most important document you will read before deciding whether to bid. It tells you what the government wants to buy, who is eligible to compete, when your proposal is due, and exactly how to submit it. Yet many small […]
SAM.gov Saved Searches and Email Alerts Setup
New federal contracts appear on SAM.gov every day, and the best opportunities often move fast. If you only check the site when you remember to, you will miss solicitations that close before you ever see them. SAM.gov saved searches and email alerts solve that problem: you define the criteria once, and SAM.gov sends matching opportunities […]
How to Add NAICS Codes to Your SAM.gov Profile
Your NAICS codes tell the federal government what kind of work your business does. In SAM.gov, those codes shape which contract opportunities find you, how agencies judge your size, and whether you show up in searches by contracting officers. If your profile has the wrong codes, or no codes at all, you can miss out […]
SAM.gov Representations and Certifications (FAR 52.212-3) Explained
If you have started a SAM.gov entity registration, you have already met the section headed Representations and Certifications. It is the part of the form where the government asks your business to state, in a formal and legally meaningful way, facts about itself: how big it is, who owns it, whether it has been debarred, […]
What Is an MPIN in SAM.gov?
If you are registering a business in the System for Award Management, you will meet a short code that causes a surprising amount of confusion: the MPIN. The MPIN, or Marketing Partner Identification Number, is a nine-character code you create during SAM.gov registration. It is not a password, it is not your UEI, and it […]
SAM.gov Login Problems: Common Fixes
SAM.gov is the federal government’s registration system for companies that want to do business with the United States government, and it now uses Login.gov for sign-in. That extra layer improves security, but it also creates new ways to get locked out. A mistyped password, a lost phone, a changed email address, or an expired code […]
How to Get a CAGE Code for Foreign Companies
Getting a CAGE code for foreign companies is the first step for businesses based outside the United States that want to compete for federal contracts. Foreign companies can compete for United States federal contracts, but before they can register in SAM.gov they need an identifier that US companies receive automatically: a CAGE code. For companies […]
SAM.gov Registration for Non-US Companies: NCAGE Explained
Non-US companies can register in SAM.gov and compete for US federal contracts, but their registration path includes one extra step that US companies do not face: the NCAGE code. If you are based outside the United States, understanding NCAGE early will save you weeks of delay. This guide explains what the NCAGE code is, why […]