What is SAM.gov?
SAM.gov, the System for Award Management, is the free official US government website run by GSA where businesses register to receive federal contracts and grants, and where agencies post contract opportunities. Registration and searching are free, and a SAM.gov registration is required before you can receive a federal award.
What it does
Entity registration, which gives you a Unique Entity ID and a CAGE code and records your representations and certifications. Contract Opportunities, where agencies post solicitations, sources sought notices and award notices. Entity information, including exclusions, so agencies and primes can check who is eligible. Assistance listings for federal grants and programs.
Is SAM.gov legit?
Yes. SAM.gov is the official government site, and registration is free. Emails or calls offering to register or renew you for a fee are from third parties, and some imitate the government. Anything that asks you to pay to register should be treated with caution.
What SAM.gov does not show you
Who won the last contract and for how much: that lives in USASpending.gov and FPDS. Whether the incumbent has won it unopposed for years. Planned buys that have not posted yet, which sit in agency forecasts. And the substance of an opportunity, which is usually in the attachments, not the summary text.
Why the attachments matter
The notice text on SAM.gov is often a few lines. The statement of work, wage determination, Section L instructions and Section M evaluation criteria are in attached files. Deciding to bid from the summary alone is the most common way small contractors waste a week.
In the product
How the agent reads what SAM.gov leaves out
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Questions people ask about this
Stop reading about it and run it on a live solicitation.
$350/month, 10 proposal generations. The trial reads, scores and drafts everything — submitting and exporting are the paid part.