The System for Award Management (SAM) is a government-wide database primarily used for vendors looking to bid on government contracts or receive federal funding. Upon its creation, the vision that the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) had for SAM was one of consolidation. In turn, SAM has been consolidating the functions of many government programs over time. A few programs that have been absorbed within SAM are FedBizOpps (FBO), the Central Contractor Registry (CCR), and the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS). In this article, we explore the creation of SAM and the history of these particular programs and their new home within SAM.
The Creation of the System for Award Management (SAM)
SAM was launched in 2012 to consolidate multiple government programs involving federal contract work. The programs consolidated in phase 1 in conjunction with SAM’s launch were Central Contractor Registration (CCR), Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), and Excluded Parties List System (EPLS). The need for consolidation arose because federal contract opportunities have varying requirements, but a core set of data is universally valuable for all of these programs. Instead of companies having to input the same information for each contract bid, the government now had a database to secure this information.
What Was the Central Contractor Registration (CCR)?
Until the Launch of SAM in 2012, the federal government relied on the information contained within the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) supplier database when selecting companies to award federal contract work. With SAM, this database was more widely accessible.
What is the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS)?
Also absorbed within SAM within phase 1 was the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS). The EPLS is a list of people, vendors, and suppliers prohibited from receiving federal assistance, contracts, or subcontracts from the U.S. government. The EPLS continues to be maintained by the GSA within SAM.
SAM Continues to Consolidate
As was the plan from the inception of SAM, additional consolidation has occurred since its launch in 2012. One notable acquisition within SAM was FedBizOpps (FBO). In 2019 GSA continued the SAM consolidation efforts when SAM absorbed FedBizOpps (FBO).
What was FedBizOpps?
As mentioned above, FedBizOpps was permanently moved to its new home on SAM.gov in 2019. FedBizOpps was the central clearinghouse for federal government contract opportunities, and it was here where all federal agencies posted their requests for information, proposals, and other procurement notices.
FAMR Keeps You Informed on SAM’s Changes
As you can see, everything to do with the federal government contracting space has been in flux for several years now. The professionals at FAMR can help you stay up to date with every change the GSA makes, thereby ensuring your SAM registration is a breeze. FAMR will continue to monitor the future additions to SAM and update this piece as needed.
