What is SAM?

We’ve discussed the CCR (Central Contractor Registration) web site back in 2010. Early this year it was announced that the CCR, Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), Federal Business Opportunities (FBO), Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation (FPDS-NG), Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System (eSRS), Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS), Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA), and Wage Determinations Online (WDOL) systems were going to be combined into one system – SAM (System for Award Management).

Initially expected to launch in at the end of May, the GSA (General Services Administration) moved the implementation of SAM until the end of July 2012. By morphing these disparate systems into one the Federal Government seeks to reduce the burden on businesses pursuing work with them. As stated in the SAM announcement: “Vendors will be able to log into one system to manage their entity information in one record, with one expiration date, through one streamlined business process. Federal agencies will be able to look in one place for entity pre-award information. Everyone will have fewer passwords to remember and see the benefits of data reuse as information is entered into SAM once and reused throughout the system.”

It is important to note that SAM will be launched in phases, so maintaining your business’s accounts on the separate systems will still need to be done until the system is fully deployed. The first phase scheduled for July 2012 is entity management – or tracking vendors – this includes the CCR, ORCA and EPLS. CFDA, eSRS, FBO, FPDS-NG, FSRS, PPIRS, and WDOL will be handled in future phases of SAM.

Once SAM goes live in July you’ll be able to create a user account for your business. SAM will not be porting information already entered into CCR, ORCA and EPLS; however, the system will allow users to migrate their information from CCR and ORCA into SAM.

For more information review the frequently asked questions on the SAM web site. There is also a video providing an overview briefing of the system, as well as, quick start guides covering how to migrate roles and register for contracts and grants.