ccr.doc

Fred Gifford

Purchasing Agent

E-Mail fgifford@pw.ars.usda.gov

Tel:510-559-6017

Fax:510-559-6023 or 5777

USDA ARS PWA Office

800 Buchanan St.

Albany, Ca. 94710-1105

Forward to Sales To increase exposure of your firm to the Federal Government and to satisfy reporting requirements we request that you complete the CCR registration as described below.

Vendor Name

Vendor Address

Dear :

Contractors currently doing business with Department of Agriculture (USDA) and potential vendors are encouraged to register in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) System.

We anticipate that, as of October 1, 2003, vendors doing business with the Federal Government will be required to register in CCR before they can be awarded contracts, blanket agreements, black purchase agreements or basic ordering agreements. Vendors with existing contracts for which performance will continue after September 30, 2003 will also be required to register in CCR.

The CCR is designed to be a highly secure, single repository of vendor information. Vendors are able to register with identifying company information; including electronic funds transfer (EFT) data, and allows you to control the accuracy of your own business information. The data from your registration will be used for payment purposes, as well as by procurement for other business-related endeavors. A template containing the information necessary for registration can be found at http://www.ccr.gov/handbook.cfm. An excerpt of this is included for your information. Only authorized government financial and procurement officials will be able to access the proprietary and sensitive data. Annual renewal/update by vendors is necessary to remain active.

The preferred method for completing registration is via the World Wide Web at http://www.ccr.gov/. A handbook and other information are available at that site, including information on how to obtain a DUNS number, which is required to begin the registration process. *Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number: The Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number is a unique nine character identification number provided by the commercial company Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). Call D&B at 1-866-705-5711 if you do not have a DUNS number. The process to request a DUNS number takes about 10 minutes and is free of charge.

If you already have a DUNS number, the D&B representative will advise

Once a vendor has registered in CCR, a Trading Partner Identification Number (TPIN) is mailed to the individual identified by the vendor as the CCR point of contact. The TPIN is very important, as it is required for any changes to the registration.

Although the final rule or actual implementation dates may change based on comments received, we strongly recommend early registration by vendors in CCR, as we do not anticipate substantial changes in the requirements regarding CCR. A notice to vendors recommending registration in CCR is available on the USDA Procurement Homepage at http://www.usda.gov/procurement/toolkit/webnotice_ccr.htm.

Sincerely, Attachments