System for Award Management (SAM) Registration
A complete walkthrough of the SAM registration process — required to submit federal grant proposals.
Agencies register in SAM to submit grant proposals to the federal government through grants.gov. SAM.gov registration is valid for 365 days from approval and must be renewed annually. We recommend completing this renewal process at least 30 days prior to expiration. Once registered, see our guide on submitting proposals in Grants.gov and our federal grant submission checklist.
Registration Phases
Pre-Registration
- Business Name and Address (must match IRS records)
- Have EIN from the IRS
- State filing documents (such as articles of incorporation)
- Bank routing/account numbers
- NAICS codes for business
- EBiz Point of Contact (ED, CFO, or other responsible position) should create an individual Login.gov account with agency email address
- Assign Entity Administrator (typically EBiz POC if internal staff or officer) with Login.gov credentials
Entity Registration / Validation
- Get Started > Register Entity > Create New Entity
- Complete Questionnaire — registering for federal contracts, federal assistance (grants), or both. Recommend selecting both (All Awards)
- Agency address, business start date, fiscal year-end
- EIN, IRS consent for validation
- Banking information for awards (routing/account numbers)
- Select primary/secondary agency NAICS codes
- Product Service Codes (if bidding on contracts)
- Business Size Classification
- Name, address, and incorporation details
- Entity Validation by SAM — if validation is not immediate, upload support documents such as agency articles of incorporation
- Unique Entity ID (UEI) assigned to agency upon validation — required to submit federal applications
Core Data & Assertions
- Agency address, business start date, fiscal year-end
- EIN, IRS consent for validation
- Banking information for awards
- NAICS codes and Product Service Codes
- Business Size Classification
Representations & Certifications
- Complete required Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) legal certifications for your agency
- These relate to business identity, size, socioeconomic status, tax compliance, and others
Points of Contact
- Assign required agency Points of Contact: Government Business POC, Electronic Business POC, and alternatives if needed
- Select searchability of your agency in SAM (public is recommended)
Final Review and Submission
- Review all completed sections for accuracy
- Submit SAM Registration
- Record confirmation number upon submission
Federal Validation & Approval
- SAM system will send a series of emails as registration and approval steps are completed
- IRS Matching / Validation (1–5 business days)
- CAGE Code assignment (3–7 business days)
- SAM review and approval (up to 20 business days)
- If prompted, applicants complete a notarized Entity Administrator letter and submit through the Federal Service Desk (FSD) portal within 30 days
Key Roles in SAM and Grants.gov
SAM Entity Administrator
Required role to create and edit all SAM.gov information.
E-Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC)
Assigns/approves all roles in grants.gov, including AORs.
Expanded Authorized Organizational Representative (Expanded AOR)
Assigns roles to others. Authorized to submit all organization proposals created in grants.gov workspaces.
Standard AOR
Authorized to assign roles and submit proposals only in specific grants.gov workspaces where they are AOR.
Workspace Manager and Participants
Create and populate workspace. No submission privileges.
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