SAM.gov

What is SAM.gov?

SAM.gov, the System for Award Management, is the official US government portal for federal procurement. If you want to sell to the US federal government, this is where it happens.

Run by the General Services Administration (GSA), SAM.gov consolidates what used to be scattered across multiple systems: contract opportunities (formerly FedBizOpps), entity registration, wage determinations, and federal assistance programs. It's the front door to over $700 billion in annual federal spending.

The platform is completely free to use. That's worth emphasising because there's an entire industry of paid services claiming to provide "access" to federal opportunities. You don't need them. SAM.gov is the authoritative source, and it costs nothing.

Who runs SAM.gov?

The General Services Administration (GSA) operates SAM.gov as part of its Integrated Award Environment (IAE). GSA is the US government's acquisition arm, responsible for managing federal buildings, fleet, and procurement policy.

The current SAM.gov launched in 2019, consolidating several legacy systems including FedBizOpps (FBO), the System for Award Management, and parts of USAspending.gov. If you've worked with federal procurement before 2019, you'll remember the old systems. SAM.gov is the unified replacement.

What contracts are published?

SAM.gov publishes federal contract opportunities above the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT), currently set at $250,000. Below this threshold, agencies have more discretion and may not post publicly.

What you'll find:

• Requests for Proposal (RFPs)
• Requests for Quotation (RFQs)
• Requests for Information (RFIs)
• Sources Sought notices
• Pre-solicitation notices
• Award notices
• Justification and Approval documents (sole source awards)

The platform also includes federal grants and assistance programs, though these operate under different rules than procurement contracts.

Scope: Federal only

SAM.gov covers federal agencies only. State and local government procurement is handled separately by each state, often through platforms like BidNet, Bonfire, or state-specific portals.

This matters because federal spending, while substantial, represents only a portion of total US public procurement. State and local governments collectively spend trillions annually. We monitor Texas, Florida, New York City, and other major state/local sources alongside SAM.gov.

Registration requirements

To bid on federal contracts, you must register in SAM.gov and obtain a Unique Entity ID (UEI). This replaced the DUNS number in 2022. Registration is free but involves several steps:

• Obtain a UEI (instant, done through SAM.gov)
• Complete your entity registration (can take 7-10 business days for validation)
• Submit representations and certifications
• Renew annually

Registration is required even just to access some contract documents. Plan ahead if you're new to federal contracting.

Strengths

• Comprehensive: All federal contract opportunities in one place
• Free: No paywalls, no premium tiers
• Award data: Includes historical contract awards for competitive intelligence
• Set-asides visible: Clearly shows small business, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB set-asides
• API available: Programmatic access for automated monitoring

Limitations

• Federal only: No state or local opportunities
• Below-threshold gaps: Contracts under $250K may not appear
• Search complexity: The interface can be overwhelming for newcomers
• NAICS dependency: Requires understanding NAICS codes to search effectively
• No cross-reference to subcontracting: Prime contract subs often not visible

Our coverage

We monitor SAM.gov daily, pulling new opportunities and matching them against your profile. Combined with our coverage of state and local portals, you get visibility across all levels of US public procurement.

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