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Beta.SAM.gov (https://beta.sam.gov/) – Three Little Words That Encompass a Big Change

by | Nov 11, 2019 | Skyway CO Insight

If you are a current government contractor, then you know SAM (System for Award Management).  SAM was created in 2012 and consolidated three former systems:

Central Contractor Registration (CCR)

Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA)

Excluded Parties List System (EPLS)

If you were a contractor or worked in a government contracting office during that time, the switch from CCR and ORCA to SAM was pretty painful.  It took a lot of getting used to.  I remember it well.That initial consolidation was only the first phase of a plan to consolidate data in over 10 government websites.

Beta.SAM.gov will eventually merge all the following systems:

  1. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) database of all assistance programs, including grants and loans
  2. Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) documents contractor performance
  3. Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System (eSRS) subcontracting reporting data
  4. Federal Awardee Performance & Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) integrity and performance information
  5. Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) postings of federal contract opportunities
  6. Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) Sub-award Reporting System (FSRS) subcontract award information in compliance with the FFATA
  7. Federal Procurement Data System – Next Generation (FPDS-NG) detailed information on federal contract actions over $3,000
  8. Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) repository for contractor performance information
  9. System for Award Management (SAM) contractor registration, online representations and certifications, and Excluded Parties List
  10. Wage Determinations OnLine (WDOL) Service Contract Act & Davis-Bacon Act wage determinations required for contract actions

The transition is in process and once it has been completed, SAM will become the one source for people who make, receive, and manage federal awards. Only one logon instead of ten!

So, what can you do now?  Here is what GSA recommends:

  1. Create a beta.SAM.gov account.
  2. Make note of your existing SAM login credentials
  3. Keep all legacy system passwords up to date prior to transition
  4. WDOL subscriptions will not be transferred to beta.SAM.gov so document WD numbers so you can re-subscribe after the transition
  5. Familiarize yourself with beta.SAM.gov (GSA has a great SAM.gov Information Kit)

Please remember that registrations, renewals, and updates on SAM.gov or beta.SAM.gov are free!!!!  Many websites are folks trying to make you pay for their assistance to register.  Do not fall for these scams!

Like any change, this one will take time to embrace.  But it’s coming and it will contain all the important information we need to have when working with government contracts.  Skyway will always be available to answer your questions and assist you when you need it.