TUTORIAL FOR REGISTERING IN SAM - english.pdf

U.S. Embassy Brasília, Brazil GSO Procurement June/2024

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TUTORIAL FOR REGISTERING IN SAM.GOV

For international companies

SUMMARY

WHAT IS SAM.GOV?

WHAT IS AN ENTITY?

WHAT IS ENTITY REGISTRATION?

WHAT ARE EXCLUSIONS?

WHAT ARE CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES?

WEBSITES IN ENGLISH AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE – WHAT TO DO?

HOW DO YOU REGISTER SAM.GOV?

1. Set up an account on SAM.gov

2. Create an NCAGE code

3. Prepare your data

4. Start your registration on SAM.gov – ALL AWARDS

5. How do I request a profile with a specific entity in SAM.gov?

6. How do I update an existing entity in SAM.gov?

STATUS OF THE REGISTRATION PROCESS SAM.GOV

COMMON PROBLEMS – SAM.GOV

1. Do I need to appoint someone as the administrator of the entity?

2. Do I need to validate my entity?

3. Different addresses

4. Each company can only have one UEI and one CAGE code

7 COMMON REASONS FOR ENTITY VALIDATION DOCUMENTS TO BE REJECTED

WHERE TO FIND HELP

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WHAT IS SAM.GOV?

System for Award Management (SAM.gov) is an official website of the U.S. government. There is no cost to use SAM.gov. You can use this website to:

• Register to do business with the U.S. government.

• Update, renew, or check the status of your entity's registration.

• Search entity records and exclusions.

• Contract (formerly FBO.gov) and deal opportunities.

WHAT IS AN ENTITY?

The term "entity" refers to prime contractors, organizations or individuals applying for assistance grants, those receiving loans, sole proprietors, corporations, partnerships, and any U.S. federal government agencies that wish to do business with the government. "Entity" may also refer to a party that has been suspended or barred, is covered by a prohibition or restriction, or is excluded from doing business with the government.

An international entity refers to an entity that is headquartered outside of the United States.

WHAT IS ENTITY REGISTRATION?

An entity registry allows you to bid on U.S. government contracts and apply for federal assistance. You will receive a Unique Entity Identifier (SAM) to register the entity.

Comprehensive and current entity information is essential to the federal grant process. It is important to prepare your information and allow enough time to accurately understand and complete your registration. You only need to fill it out and manage it here to remain eligible for federal awards. You must renew your registration every 365 days for it to remain active.

WHAT ARE EXCLUSIONS?

An exclusion identifies a party excluded from receiving federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain types of federal financial and non-financial assistance and benefits. If your entity or any of its directors is subject to an active delisting, it means that your entity is currently debarred, suspended, proposed for delisting, or declared ineligible for award of contracts by any federal agency. Adjudicating officials check SAM.gov to see if an exclusion exists for their entity. Always contact the issuing agency if you have questions about an exclusion record.

WHAT ARE CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES?

Contract opportunities are lists of federal business opportunities in excess of $25,000, including synopses of proposed contract actions, requests, and associated information that can be accessed electronically by the public. Organizations registered in SAM.gov can compete for federal contracts.

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WEBSITES IN ENGLISH AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE – WHAT TO DO?

Yes, all the sites are in English since they are tools of the American Government. If you don't understand English, don't worry: you can translate the page into Portuguese. Click here to learn how to change Chrome languages and translate web pages.

To translate Youtube reference videos, click here and learn how to manage subtitle settings.

HOW DO YOU REGISTER SAM.GOV?

1. Set up an account on SAM.gov

Article: How do I register a new entity or how do I get a new Unique Entity ID in SAM.gov?

Set up a SAM.gov account to register and get a unique entity ID in SAM.gov. Your username and password are managed by Login.gov. Select Sign SAM.gov to access Login.gov to sign in or set up an account. Once you've logged in to Login.gov, you'll return to SAM.gov to complete your profile.

Video: How to create a user account on SAM.gov.

FSD article: How to create a user account on SAM.gov?

https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/173424?hl=pt&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/173424?hl=pt&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/100078?hl=pt-BR&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop#zippy=%2Cativar-ou-desativar-legendas https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=3eec86f78741ce905babba69cebb35da https://secure.login.gov/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhsOP0oZvR0 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=0eabdc841b7031506397ec21f54bcb00

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION

At the time of account creation, it is important to take into account the following:

• Register a general company email that everyone has access to: companies usually register the email of a specific employee and in the absence of that person, they end up losing access to the company's registration account. You can't create more than one company record in different accounts, so it's important that everyone has access to that email.

• Authentication methods: Select at least two different types of authentication methods.

They can be:

✓ SMS/Text Message

✓ Telephone

✓ Back-up codes

✓ Authentication app (e.g. Microsoft Authenticator, Google authenticator, etc.)

✓ Security key

2. Create an NCAGE code

Before initiating a registration, international entities must obtain an NCAGE Code for each entity they plan to register with the SAM.gov. Get an NCAGE code here. Make sure that the legal name of the company and the physical address you provide to obtain your NCAGE code and register are identical. It takes up to 3 business days to get an NCAGE code.

Video: How to get a CAGE code successfully.

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/Codification/CageTool/home https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNMt73DArFc

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The information entered in the CAGE must be exactly the same as that reported in the SAM.gov record: it is recommended to take a screenshot of each completed screen in order to be able to replicate the exactly same data in the SAM record.

Fill in only the required fields: For all records discussed here, fill in only the required fields.

Providing unnecessary information to disrupt the record.

In case of difficulties in the NCAGE registration process, please contact the person responsible for this process in Brazil: Clarice Cristina dos Santos ncbbrncage@defesa.gov.br or clarice.santos@defesa.gov.br.

3. Prepare your data

While waiting for your NCAGE code to be approved, prepare your documents for your business registration with the SAM.gov.

ENTITY

TYPE

ATTACH THESE ACCEPTED DOCUMENTS

DOCUMENTS NOT ACCEPTED – DO NOT ATTACH

All Entities • Certified copies of the following documents:

a) Dimension certificates

b) Social contract

c) Statute of incorporation/incorporation

d) Income tax return – legal entity

• Water/Energy/Phone Bills

• Bank Statements

• Valid driver's license

• Applications already submitted without evidence of receipt or approval from any authority

• Print screens of SAM.gov, dla.CAGE.mil, or any other government website that contains your legal name/address

• Other Federal Contracts

• Notarized letters from the entity's administrator

• Rentals

• Passports, unless the document includes the current physical address.

Types of oily documents: PDF, PNG, JPG/JPEG, BMP.

Article: What documentation is required to validate my entity?

Article: What information do I need to register my entity in SAM.gov?

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

All these documents must be submitted in both Portuguese and English. The translation does not need to be sworn by a professional translator – anyone who has knowledge of the language can do so. At the end of the translated document, there should be a statement from the "translator" certifying that he/she is fluent in English and that the translation is correct. The following certification model is as follows:

Certification by Translator http://unknown/?id=rId26 http://unknown/?id=rId27 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=ccbdf4b1979a0e10852ab546f053aff3 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0016844

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I [insert typed name], certify that I am fluent (conversant) in the English and [insert foreign language] languages, and that the above/attached document is an accurate translation of the document attached entitled [insert translated document name].

[Signature]

[Typed Name]

[Address]

[Certification Date]

4. Start your registration on SAM.gov – ALL AWARDS

When you're ready to start a new entity record, go to SAM.gov and follow these steps:

I. Log in to SAM.gov

II. Agree to the terms of use of the SAM.gov

III. Start registration by clicking GET STARTED directly from the home page. The same can be done directly from your WORKSPACE.

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IV. After the "Welcome" screen appears, click on CREATE NEW ENTITY.

V. Select the following questions and answers, and then click NEXT:

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HERE YOU WILL HAVE TO ENTER YOUR CAGE CODE.

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Legal business name/Legal name Physical address: This must be identical to the one provided in CAGE. Get your screenshot from there and complete the fields.

VI. Upon completion of this step, you will receive an email asking you to VERIFY YOUR ENTITY.

Video: Validating Your Entity in SAM.gov Article: What is the process for validation?

VII. Once you've validated your entity and obtained the Unique Entity ID, it's time to start your actual registration. You will be asked to indicate your relationship with the entity you are registering. Indicate whether you are an employee or partner of the entity and click NEXT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56NQ77JX5yo https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0058402

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Generally, the registration is done by someone from the company (employee, partner or similar). If this is the case, select the option checked above. If not, select the second option.

VIII. If you are directly affiliated with the company, you will see the REGISTRATION OVERVIEW where each section will already be pre-populated. This part of the registration should take about 45 minutes if you have all the information requested. Complete each section as needed:

a) CORE DATA – KEY INFORMATION

b) ASSERTIONS

c) REPRESENTATION AND CERTIFICATION

d) POINTS OF CONTACT (POCs), including optional pocs. OPTIONAL POCs may be removed at a later date if there is no longer any relevance to such information.

IX. After reviewing the entire record, select SUBMIT on the ENTITY REVIEW page.

X. When you select SUBMIT, you will see confirmation on the page that the registration request has been successfully submitted. You will receive a confirmation email. You should have a response, positive or negative, within 10-15 business days.

Article: How long does it take for my entity to be considered active?

https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0016357

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XI. If after 15 business days you don't have any placements, check the status of your entity in your Workspace.

Article: How do I check the status of my entity or Unique Entity ID in SAM.gov?

5. How do I request a profile with a specific entity in SAM.gov?

To access an entity registration record, list of interested vendors, or controlled attachments in contract opportunity notices, you must be a federal or non-federal user who has been assigned appropriate roles in an entity in the SAM.gov by an Entity Administrator. If you're not sure which role you need, check out this guide to roles and permissions in SAM.gov.

If you are a service provider that manages records on behalf of an entity and you have no direct affiliation with the entity itself, you can get the data entry or viewer role. You can't be an Entity Administrator. You can still manage a record with the data entry role, but you can't grant roles to others.

You can't request an Entity Administrator role through SAM.gov. Must be assigned directly by a current administrator. If no direct employee of the entity, director, or board member of your organization has the Entity Administrator role for your record, you may submit a Letter of Appointment from the Entity Administrator to gain access to the existing record.

https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0016313 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0040696 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0016652 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0016652

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Video: Profile/Role Requests and Assignments

Article: How do I apply for a profile/role in SAM.gov?

6. How do I update an existing entity in SAM.gov?

If your SAM.gov Entity Administrator is no longer with the company or there is no Entity Administrator associated with the record, create a user account and submit an Entity Administrator Appointment Letter (for Brazil, the template will always be Template 3 – International Entity without U.S. Bank Account) to gain access to update the existing record.

If you already have an administrator and you only need a data entry role assigned to you, you can request a role.

If you also need to be listed as an administrator for your entity, the current administrator will need to assign that role directly to you. It cannot be requested.

STATUS OF THE REGISTRATION PROCESS SAM.GOV

See the table below to understand the different types of SAM.gov registration application statuses:

COMMON PROBLEMS – SAM.GOV

1. Do I need to appoint someone as the administrator of the entity?

See article "How can I become the new administrator for our entity's registration?".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22cL6VXDQiI https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=a9d01506870ec6d415c331160cbb35ab https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0016652 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0016602 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0016602 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0036075 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0036075 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=74aae0bf87850e905babba69cebb357e

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• Create a ticket via the Federal Service Desk (fds.gov) and attach the entity's admin letter to that ticket.

• If you have already submitted this letter, you should receive updates directly on the ticket that was opened for it.

• Be on the lookout for any updates to tickets – after 3 days of inactivity, they are automatically archived.

2. Do I need to validate my entity?

See the following articles:

• I can't find an entity that is the same as mine when requested or validate my entity's information.

• Validating the Entity

• What documentation do I need to validate my entity?

• Create an FSD ticket by going to the Entity Workspace in the SAM.gov, click on the 3 dots near the

"Actions" menu and select "Update". On the next screen, select "Create Incident".

3. Different addresses

As already pointed out, the company's physical address must be the same as the one provided in the CAGE:

4. Each company can only have one UEI and one CAGE code

See articles:

• Do I have to re-register my entity or update my entity to get a Unique Entity ID?

• I am an international company and I need to locate an NCAGE code to register with SAM.gov. How do I get a CAGE code?

7 COMMON REASONS FOR ENTITY VALIDATION DOCUMENTS TO BE REJECTED

1. You've attached the correct document, such as a bank statement, but it's too old.

2. You didn't include the specific request in your ticket text box.

3. You have attached one or more documents with the incorrect information.

https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=ccbdf4b1979a0e10852ab546f053aff3 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=434e97aa87c3f5505babba69cebb3503 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=ccbdf4b1979a0e10852ab546f053aff3 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=3404b23387c5ce905babba69cebb35a8 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=1cb4e41d876142183f1efe68cebb35dd https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=707ff85b1be68a54d756db1de54bcbae

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4. You have attached documents demonstrating that your physical address uses a PO Box. P.O. Box is not accepted.

5. You have attached a document in a language other than English without attaching the certification of the English translation.

6. You have attached your original application or a typed document, or screenshots where you have entered a piece of information on a website.

7. You have attached documents with poor quality.

WHERE TO FIND HELP

Forums for the entities:

• For those in the process of registering at the moment;

• For those new to the registration process;

• Questions and Answers from users;

Read:

• Federal Service Desk Knowledge Base Articles

• Quick start guide for international registrations

FSD.gov

• Look on the site for user guides, tutorial videos, articles, glossary of terms, etc.

• You can also create an incident asking for help

• You can call or open a live chat with FSD representatives.

FSD Hours of Operation Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET

U.S. calls: 866-606-8220 International calls: +1 334-206-7828

For problems with logging in to SAM.gov, go to login.gov:

https://buy.gsa.gov/interact/community/47/activity-feed/post/9f34bcdf-4122-48b4-95c6-891047de5a7c/Stakeholder_Forum_Recap_Entity_Validation_in_SAM_gov_for_Those_in_the_Process_Now https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbuy.gsa.gov%2Finteract%2Fcommunity%2F47%2Factivity-feed%2Fpost%2Fc38d0698-8537-4d2c-a0d1-bbc57c121083%2FStakeholder_Forum_Recap%3A_Entity_Validation_in_SAM.gov_for_Those&data=05%7C01%7CBaxter-SmithEC%40state.gov%7Cd8b43938a62944649bd108da9c023de3%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C637993830707701711%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=SSoGL6kjFr7LWT30WmQtcOjwxK4jpMUX0Fn%2BIw3UxO4%3D&reserved=0 https://buy.gsa.gov/interact/community/47/activity-feed/post/e065ac2b-6ffa-4b92-9ea7-5052a3ddd696/Stakeholder_Forum_Recap_Your_Entity_Validation_Questions_Answered https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=59bd335fdbfbf990a8cb4a39139619f9 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=59bd335fdbfbf990a8cb4a39139619f9 https://login.gov/

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SAM.gov https://sam.gov/content/help