Sept 2023 ‘SAM’ Power Tools

SAM, the System for Award Management, is a powerful ally in the world of federal contracting. This legacy system houses source material to assist in federal contracting. It evolves based on user input and adds new features monthly. SAM  provides open opportunities, contract data, wage determination, federal hierarchy, entity information, entity reporting, and assistance listings. The power of this system comes from the ability to search, track, follow, and research. To access most of the tools, you must have a SAM user account.

Once you are signed into SAM, you are taken to your workspace. What are SAM’s powers?

• Power 1: It is FREE. These are your tax dollars at work. If the site you are on is asking for payment, LEAVE.
• Power 2: Search one domain or all domains. If a company is public, the search using all domains will be for all items related to the company – UEI, contract, etc.
• Power 3: Data Bank contains standard reports for each of the domains.
• Power 4: Save searches in any domain in your workspace.
• Power 5: Ability to follow entities, solicitations, and agencies.
• Power 6: Alerts notifications for searches and followings.
• Power 7: Search results are downloadable in PDF or Excel.
• Power 8: Easy to access & understand instructions and how-to’s, with screenshots, in Help.
• Power 9: Detailed filters for all domains.
• Power 10 to the 10^th Power: ND APEX Accelerator Team, we know all SAM powers and much more.

Remember:

• SAM user accounts do not require you to be associated with a registered entity.
• Each person is required to have their own account….NO SHARING accounts, emails, or passwords.
• Agencies and government prime contractors search SAM to find companies to do business with.
• Information in SAM flows to other websites, such as the Dynamic Small Business Search (SBA Profile).
• For a company to be found, it must be listed as public access (not restricted).
• Only non-confidential information is shared in the public domain.

SAM’s capability is powerful! Learn how to use and harness the power of this valuable federal tool.

If unsure where to start or how to get organized, connect with the North Dakota APEX Accelerator (formerly Procurement Technical Assistance Center – ND PTAC). Our services are offered at no cost to businesses based in North Dakota. Register to schedule an appointment. Additionally, take advantage of the many other training opportunities and events on the ND APEX website.

Not from North Dakota? Find your closest APEX on the APTAC website, then click on your state.