By: Edward T. DeLisle & Maria L. Panichelli
The federal government’s much-anticipated new contractor registration system, “SAM” was launched on July 30, 2012. SAM (short for System for Award Management) replaces the former Central Contractor Registration (CCR) system, and will ultimately integrate eight federal procurement systems (CCR, FedReg, ORCA, EPLS, CFDA, eSRS, FBO, FPDS-NG, FSRS, PPIRS, WDOL), along with the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, into a new, streamlined system.
Eventually, contractors will be able to use one set of log in information to access everything that was once spread out over eight sites. Once SAM reaches that stage, there should be more consistency in the information found on-line, as contractors will no longer have to keep track of, or update, information on several different websites – one update on SAM, and you are set. Contractors will be able to register, file certifications, and search for contracting opportunities, in one place.
Steps for registering your business on SAM can be found in the User Guide posted on the SAM website. A quick start guide is also available. If you have further questions, or experience any difficulties, you can contact the Federal Service Desk’s Answer Center. We do understand that contractors have been having difficulty accessing the system, which is not entirely surprising at this point. If we receive any information addressing these accessibility problems, or any other issues of import regarding SAM, we will pass along that information to you.
Edward T. DeLisle is a Partner in the firm and a member of the Federal Contracting Practice Group. Maria L. Panichelli is an Associate in the firm’s Federal Practice Group.