52.204-7 System for Award Management
Source: FAR 52.204-7 on acquisition.gov
SAM registration with a valid unique entity identifier is mandatory for offerors to be eligible for federal contract awards.
Overview
FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management (SAM), requires all offerors to be registered in SAM when submitting offers and at the time of award. Registration involves providing detailed business information, including a unique entity identifier (UEI), EFT indicator (if applicable), and completion of various sections in SAM. The Government validates the data, including TIN verification with the IRS, before marking the record as "Active." If an offeror does not have a UEI, they must obtain one through the designated entity at www.sam.gov. The provision also highlights the need to consider processing time for registration and provides an alternate version for cases where immediate registration is not possible. This requirement is fundamental for eligibility to receive federal contract awards and ensures transparency and accountability in federal procurement.
Key Rules
- SAM Registration Requirement
- Offerors must be registered in SAM at the time of offer submission and award, with all required information validated and the record marked "Active."
- Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and EFT Indicator
- Offerors must provide their UEI and, if applicable, EFT indicator on the offer cover page, matching the information in SAM.
- Obtaining a UEI
- Offerors without a UEI must obtain one from the designated entity at www.sam.gov, providing specific business details.
- Alternate I Provision
- If registration is not possible at offer submission, the awardee must register in SAM as soon as possible per clause 52.204-13.
Responsibilities
- Contracting Officers: Must verify offeror's SAM registration and UEI before award.
- Contractors/Offerors: Must register in SAM, provide accurate information, and ensure their record is active and up to date.
- Agencies: Oversee compliance and validate offeror information, including TIN verification.
Practical Implications
- SAM registration is a prerequisite for federal contract eligibility.
- Delays in registration can jeopardize award eligibility, so early action is critical.
- Inaccurate or incomplete information can result in registration delays or rejection.
As prescribed in 4.1105(a)(1), use the following provision:
System for Award Management (Nov 2024)
(a) Definitions. As used in this provision—
"Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) indicator means a four-character suffix to the unique entity identifier. The suffix is assigned at the discretion of the commercial, nonprofit, or Government entity to establish additional System for Award Management records for identifying alternative EFT accounts (see subpart 32.11) for the same entity.
Registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) means that–
(1) The Offeror has entered all mandatory information, including the unique entity identifier and the EFT indicator, if applicable, the Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code, as well as data required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (see subpart 4.14) into SAM
(2) The offeror has completed the Core, Assertions, and Representations and Certifications, and Points of Contact sections of the registration in SAM;
(3) The Government has validated all mandatory data fields, to include validation of the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The offeror will be required to provide consent for TIN validation to the Government as a part of the SAM registration process; and
(4) The Government has marked the record "Active".
Unique entity identifier means a number or other identifier used to identify a specific commercial, nonprofit, or Government entity. See http://www.sam.gov" target="_blank">www.sam.gov for the designated entity for establishing unique entity identifiers.
(b)
(1) An Offeror is required to be registered in SAM when submitting an offer or quotation and at time of award (see FAR clause 52.204-13, System for Award Management Maintenance, for the requirement to maintain SAM registration during performance and through final payment).
(2) The Offeror shall enter, in the block with its name and address on the cover page of its offer, the annotation "Unique Entity Identifier" followed by the unique entity identifier that identifies the Offeror's name and address exactly as stated in the offer. The Offeror also shall enter its EFT indicator, if applicable. The unique entity identifier will be used by the Contracting Officer to verify that the Offeror is registered in the SAM.
(c) If the Offeror does not have a unique entity identifier, it should contact the entity designated at http://www.sam.gov" target="_blank">www.sam.gov for establishment of the unique entity identifier directly to obtain one. The Offeror should be prepared to provide the following information:
(1) Company legal business name.
(2) Tradestyle, doing business, or other name by which your entity is commonly recognized.
(3) Company physical street address, city, state, and Zip Code.
(4) Company mailing address, city, state and Zip Code (if separate from physical).
(5) Company telephone number.
(6) Date the company was started.
(7) Number of employees at your location.
(8) Chief executive officer/key manager.
(9) Line of business (industry).
(10) Company headquarters name and address (reporting relationship within your entity).
(d) Processing time should be taken into consideration when registering. Offerors who are not registered in SAM should consider applying for registration immediately upon receipt of this solicitation. See http://www.sam.gov" target="_blank">https://ww.sam.gov for information on registration.
(End of provision)
Alternate I (Oct 2018). As prescribed in 4.1105(a)(2) , substitute the following paragraph (b)(1) for paragraph (b)(1) of the basic provision:
(b)(1) An Offeror is required to be registered in SAM as soon as possible. If registration is not possible when submitting an offer or quotation, the awardee shall be registered in SAM in accordance with the requirements of clause 52.204-13, System for Award Management Maintenance.