What is SAM.gov? A plain-English guide for small business

SAM.gov (System for Award Management) is the official U.S. government website, run by the General Services Administration (GSA), where the federal government publishes contract opportunities and where every business that wants to win federal contracts must be registered. If you want to submit a proposal, receive an award, or get paid by a federal agency, an active SAM registration is the non-negotiable first step.

What is a UEI?

The UEI(Unique Entity ID) is a 12-character alphanumeric code that identifies your business across the entire federal system. It replaced the old DUNS number in April 2022 and is issued directly by SAM.gov — you don't request it from any third party. Your UEI is what agencies, prime contractors, and databases like USAspending use to track your awards, so it's also the key to looking up any company's contract history.

How to register — for free

1. Create a Login.gov account (the government's shared sign-in).
2. Go to sam.gov and choose "Get Started" under Entity Registration.
3. Provide your legal business name, physical address, and EIN/TIN exactly as they appear with the IRS.
4. Add your banking details for electronic payments and select your NAICS codes (the industry codes agencies use to classify work).
5. Complete the representations and certifications, then submit. Validation typically takes a few days to a few weeks.

One warning that will save you real money: registering in SAM.gov is 100% free, and so is the annual renewal. There is an entire industry of "registration consultants" that charge $599 or more— some send official-looking renewal notices — for filling out a form the government lets you complete yourself at no cost. Some businesses do choose to pay for help, but you should know exactly what you're paying for: convenience, not access. Nobody can get you a UEI or a registration that you can't get yourself for free.

Common registration mistakes

• Name mismatch: the most frequent cause of failed validation is a legal name or address that doesn't exactly match your IRS and state records. Fix the source records first, then register.
• Letting it lapse: registration must be renewed every 365 days. If it expires, agencies cannot award to you — even on a proposal you already submitted. Put the renewal date on your calendar; the renewal is free too.
• Wrong NAICS codes: pick the codes that describe what you actually sell. They drive which opportunities you're matched with and which size standards apply to you.

What are set-asides?

The federal government aims to award roughly a quarter of its contracting dollars to small businesses, and it does that through set-asides: solicitations reserved for businesses that hold a specific certification. The main ones are:

• Small business set-aside: reserved for any business that qualifies as small under the size standard of the solicitation's NAICS code.
• 8(a): the SBA's business development program for socially and economically disadvantaged businesses — includes sole-source awards.
• WOSB / EDWOSB: women-owned small businesses, in industries where women are underrepresented.
• SDVOSB: service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.
• HUBZone: businesses located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones with employees who live there.

If you hold one of these certifications, filtering opportunities by set-aside dramatically shrinks your competition. If you don't, it still matters: bidding on a solicitation set aside for a certification you lack is wasted effort, so knowing the set-aside up front is the fastest way to qualify or discard an opportunity.

Registered — now what?

An active SAM registration makes you eligible; it doesn't bring you deals. Thousands of contract opportunities are posted every week, each with a NAICS code, a set-aside, and a response deadline. The next step is building a pipeline: search federal contracts and company histories on FedContractIQ to see what agencies actually buy in your industry, and set up alerts that match your NAICS codes so relevant solicitations reach you before the deadline does.