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What is SAM.gov Entity Validation and Why Does it Matter to GSA Contractors?

By: Stephanie Hagan on August 15th, 2022

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What is SAM.gov Entity Validation and Why Does it Matter to GSA Contractors?

GSA Schedule | 4 Min Read

Whether you are registering your entity for the first time or you are renewing your registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov), you need to understand how entity validation works. Some contractors are getting stuck on this process, and it can hold up their contract award or prevent them from getting their annual renewal completed on time. You might be wondering: why are we just talking about this now if SAM.gov has been around for a long time? When the federal government transitioned from the DUNS Number to the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) , the entity validation process changed. This is because it can all be done in SAM.gov instead of a third party source. Here’s what you need to know about entity validation in SAM and how to complete it successfully.

What is SAM.gov Entity Validation?

Entity validation is an important process for the federal awards ecosystem—validation prevents improper payments, procurement fraud, and helps ensure the integrity of government contracts. So, how does this tie into SAM.gov? SAM uses an Entity Validation Service (EVS) to independently verify entities.

Validation is required in SAM when you:

Register an entity for the first time
Renew your entity registration annually
Get a Unique Entity ID (UEI)
Update or change your entity’s name or address

Since the switchover from DUNS to UEI happened in early 2022, some contractors are discovering they need to provide EVS documentation to verify their entity information. While this might seem like a pain, once the information is in you will not need to validate again unless some of your information changes.

How Does Entity Validation Work in SAM.gov?

When you have to validate your entity, the first step is to enter your entity and incorporation information into SAM.gov. If your entity information is not correct/doesn’t match or you can’t find your entity at all, you will need to verify your entity’s:

Legal business name
Physical address
Date of incorporation
State of incorporation or national identifier

This is done by submitting certain authorized documents to SAM, which we’ll cover below.

What Documents Are Required for SAM.gov Validation?

If you don’t see your current, correct entity legal name and physical address after entering it in SAM.gov, you must submit documentation to SAM to prove your entity information. In this case, you will be assigned an incident number. It’s important to note that only documentation certified by authorized sources is accepted. If any documents you submit are not accepted, SAM will send you an email requesting additional documentation.

SAM has provided 3 lists of acceptable documentation for:

Proof of name and/or address
Proof of entity start year and date
Proof of your national identifier

You can find the full list at FSD.gov .

However, as you are probably familiar with from other government processes like going to the DMV, even if you send the right documentation, there’s a chance it could still be rejected. Here’s a list of tips for a successful validation:

If sending a bank statement or utility bill, make sure it is less than five years old.
Send documents that match your current, correct name and address you have provided to SAM.gov
If your documents are in a language other than English, send both non-English-language originals and a certified English translation.
Make sure your scans or photos do not obscure or cut off information, and are not low contrast or out of focus.
An original application, typed document, or screenshots of a form where you entered data on a website are not accepted.
O. boxes are not accepted for your physical address

Be sure to check your email for any updates regarding your documentation so the process isn’t held up any longer than it needs to be.

My Entity is Validated—What Happens Next?

When your entity is validated, you will receive an email. Then you can begin registering, renewing, or getting your Unique Entity ID. The next step depends on your entity’s status.

If your entity is “Pending ID Assignment”: Select “Get Started” from your Entities Workspace, then enter your entity information. This time, you should see an exact match for your entity’s name and physical address.

If your entity is in the “ID Assigned” status: Go to your entity’s workspace by selecting the “ID Assigned” bubble. If there’s an “Entity Validation” alert, select “Validate Entity” from the Actions to complete the process. You should find an exact match for your entity’s name and physical address.

If your entity is in the “Work in Progress (WIP)” registration status: you can continue registration where you left off. Select “Update” from the Actions Menu to continue. If your WIP displays an incorrect entity name or physical address, you must delete it and start a new update.

Do You Need Help with Your GSA Schedule?

Dealing with SAM registration and renewal can be just another hurdle you have to cross to get a GSA Schedule or maintain compliance with your pre-existing contract. Some contractors fall into the trap of having to pay a third party site for SAM registration or renewal, which is a commonly run scam. SAM registration or renewal should always be free.

If you have more questions about SAM entity validation, check out our blog “7 Tips for Successful Entity Validation in SAM.” If you want to talk to someone about your GSA Schedule or about getting one, feel free to reach out to one of our consultants .

About Stephanie Hagan

Stephanie Hagan is the Training and Communications Manager for Winvale. Stephanie grew up in Sarasota, Florida, and earned her Bachelor's of Arts in Journalism and Rhetoric/Communications from the University of Richmond.

3951 Westerre Parkway, Suite 250 Richmond, VA 23233 Email: [email protected] Phone: (202) 296-5505 Fax: (202) 296-5506

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7 of the Most Common SAM Registration Mistakes – and How to Avoid Them

by Jason Bortz | May 10, 2021 | Press , SAM Registration

Are you having SAM.gov registration issues? You’re not alone. Avoid these costly mistakes to better position your business to win government contracts.

Avoid being among the 120,000 businesses with SAM.gov registration issues.

You must register your company with the federal government’s vendor database to get government contracts. It is called the System for Award Management (SAM). Registration is free. You do not need help to register, but many choose to get assistance to avoid mistakes and better position themselves to market to government customers.

SAM.gov registration issues are much more common than you might think. Shockingly, an analysis from Georgia Tech found that 1 in 5 registrations within SAM contain errors. The university’s research revealed that an estimated 120,000 companies’ records had mistakes. (Keep in mind that figure only relates to live registrations, not including ones that are flagged for review by the government.)

This piece looks at some of the most common mistakes.

Top SAM Registration Issues to Avoid

Mistake #1: thinking user account creation amounts to registration.

Registration is not on an individual basis but on an entity basis. However, an individual must first create a user account to register an entity in SAM.

Typically when new contractors think they are registered but are irretrievable via public search, they have not registered. They have simply created a user account and thought the process was complete.

Mistake #2: Incorrectly identifying the company as disadvantaged

One of the two most problematic SAM.gov registration issues is errant self-certification as a Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB). Regardless if you register this way in error, it is considered misrepresentation and carries penalties. Unfortunately, it is also easy to make this mistake.

Your business must be owned 51 percent or more by economically and socially disadvantaged people to be classified as an SDB. Five percent or more of federal contract money is to go to Small Disadvantaged Businesses, per government objectives.

It is incredibly common for business owners to register incorrectly as SDBs, per the Montana Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) . Be careful, advises PTAC, because the design of the registration confuses many registrants into accidentally stating that they are disadvantaged.

Mistake #3: When entering the number of employees and total receipts, failing to include affiliates

Many companies are small and do not have affiliated businesses, so this concern is irrelevant. However, if you are larger, this miscalculation is the other of the SAM.gov registration issues (along with Mistake #2) that can be the most problematic.

It is also extremely common . In fact, it might even be more likely than not that a company will make this SAM registration mistake. If you are a large business, even if via affiliation, you need to be clear that you are not a small business – as indicated by your staff and receipt numbers.

If you are unsure if you should count another organization as an affiliate, you can look over the Small Business Administration’s rules on the subject.

Mistake #4: Not using the legal business name to register

A DBA (“doing business as”), fictitious name, or trade name is an assumed business name rather than a legal name. That distinction is important because SAM registration can only be completed with your legal business name – so that the contract is valid.

The federal government verifies that your legal business name is correct via the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) record from Dun & Bradstreet. Make certain your D&B record is accurate before SAM registration. If it needs correction in D&B, you will have to wait 1-2 business days to register to avoid problems.

Note that sole proprietors should enter their legal business name in the format “[last name], [first name] [middle initial].”

Mistake #5: Failing to respond rapidly and accurately to the CAGE code office

Various SAM.gov registration issues can trigger an email from the Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code office. The subject line of the email will start out “RESPONSE REQUIRED” and include your DUNS number.

This email could arise because a previous building tenant has a registration with a matching physical address or because another company has a similar name to yours. Whatever the case, you must follow the instructions within the CAGE office email exactly – and you have just three business days to do so.

Mistake #6: Incorrect completion of the Automated Clearing House (ACH) “U.S. Phone” field

Of all the SAM.gov registration issues, this one may occur more often than any other.

People incorrectly put in their number, whether for their personal or business phone, rather than for their bank. It is important to input a number for your bank – specifically for its ACH department or coordinator – rather than entering your phone number. This number is necessary so that the government can resolve any problems that might occur during EFT transfer (so you can get paid).

Mistake #7: Following submission, not following up with an authorized administrator letter

Physical letters that have been officially notarized are now part of the registration process. Since this requirement has only been around since March 2018, neglecting to send the letter is one of the most frequent SAM.gov registration issues.

A partner, officer, executive, or another individual with signatory authority must sign the letter and send it to the Federal Service Desk (FSD) . The letter designates the individual who will be the SAM authorized administrator. Once your registration is active, this letter must be received by the FSD within 60 days.

Getting The Help You Need

If you want to form a business relationship with the federal government and secure contracts, the first step is correct SAM registration. While you can complete the registration yourself, it often results in errors such as the above. That’s why a consultant can be invaluable. At Select GCR, our strategic involvement simplifies the overall process and allows business owners to focus efforts on their principal business activities. Contact us today to discover how we can help you.

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What is SAM Registration pending ID assignment?

Sam registration: pending id assignment.

If you login to SAM and your SAM Registration has a pending ID assignment, that means you do NOT have an active SAM Registration. There are a few steps to completing the SAM Registration and getting a UEI is the first one. If the UEI assignment is pending, you need to be uploading the proper documentation.

USBRI has been offering filing assistance for SAM Registrations for over 12 years. if you have any questions or need additional assistance, reach out to the USBRI Help Desk at 1-888-646-9998 and someone will answer your questions.

You may access the SAM Registration lookup tool by clicking below

Need to Register or Renew?

If your SAM Registration is within 60 days of expiring, begin the renewal process NOW. Processing times are taking longer due to new policies so get in touch with a CRS today by calling the USBRI Help Desk at 1-888-646-9998. You can also browse the USBRI Services page by clicking below to learn more.

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Tips for SAM.gov Entity Validation Support

On April 4, 2022, the federal government implemented a new process in SAM.gov to validate entities as a first step in requesting a Unique Entity ID and for completing a SAM.gov entity registration. This entity validation process includes checking that your entity name and address match.

If your entity name and address match what is displayed in sam.gov, you can continue to request a unique entity id and, if needed, complete an entity registration. , if you do not get a name and address match , then you must create an incident (which is basically a help ticket) directly from sam.gov and attach the documents required to prove the information you entered is correct. , we review these entity validation help tickets in the order they were received. due to extremely high demand, it is taking longer than anticipated to complete this review. we will respond through the ticket if we have any questions. , you can help. please only update your entity registration if you need to change information. very few entities with existing registrations actually need to go through this entity validation process right now. , remember, you do not need to update your entity registration to get a unique entity id. it is already assigned and part of your entity registration. follow these steps if you need help finding your unique entity id., here are answers to some of your questions and a few useful tips about the new process:.

Do I need to update my entity registration and go through this new entity validation right now? No. If you have an active entity registration, you will validate your name and address in SAM.gov when you go through the annual renewal process. Unless your registration is expiring soon, you most likely do not need to update your entity registration. You can locate your expiration date by searching for your entity registration in SAM.gov or viewing it from your Workspace.

What do I need to do if there is no match? If you receive a no match message on the Validate Entity Information step, that means you must use the Create Incident button directly in SAM.gov to request entity validation support and attach the required documentation which proves your entity’s legal business name and physical address.

What documentation is required for entity name or address validation?

When you create the incident, fully describe your problem in the text box and attach one or more documents that prove your entity’s legal business name and physical address to validate your entity information. The supporting documents can be:

Do I need to create an incident in SAM.gov if my legal business name or physical address do not match what is displayed in SAM.gov? Yes. You will need to use the Create Incident button on the Validate Entity Information page to create an incident through SAM.gov to update that information. Here are some helpful hints to get the best results:

Always include the required documentation. We cannot process your ticket without the required documentation. Make sure that the documentation submitted supports your requested change. Any tickets submitted without documentation will be closed and you will be required to create a new incident with documentation.
Only create one incident . Creating multiple incidents does not expedite our handling of your issue and actually slows down the overall process. If you received a ticket number, which will look like INC-GSAFSD1234567, you should not create another incident in SAM.gov.
Only create entity validation tickets through SAM.gov. Do not use the Create Incident button in SAM.gov for any issue not related to your entity name and address validation. If you need assistance with any other part of the SAM.gov entity registration process, go to our supporting service desk at FSD.gov to search for answers or create a ticket.
Do not attach entity validation documents to an FSD.gov ticket. Remember, this entity validation process goes through SAM.gov. You provide the name and address documentation, as required, to the ticket in SAM.gov. Do not, under any circumstances, attach name and address-related documentation to a regular FSD.gov ticket. If a service desk agent sees additional documentation is required, the agent will tell you how to attach the documentation in SAM.gov.

What can I expect once I submit an entity validation ticket? Given the current volume of requests, your ticket will take at least several days to process. Tickets are handled in the order received. Contacting the Federal Service Desk (FSD) via phone or chat or creating another incident in SAM.gov will not make the review go faster. Service desk agents cannot expedite your ticket review or provide you more information than you can see in the ticket. Follow these instructions to check your ticket status or view processing notes.

Remember, just because the government is now using the Unique Entity ID does not mean you need to update your entity registration. An active registration is valid until it expires. You can help others who are just getting started, or who do need to update their information, by waiting until your renewal is required.

As always, we invite you to learn more about the Unique Entity ID transition by reviewing our available resources.

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