The System for Award Management (SAM) is combining eight federal procurement systems and the Catalog for Domestic Assistance (CFDA) into one database. SAM simplifies the entire procurement system. Instead of registering on the old CCR website for CCR and ORCA, all will be done on SAM. For further information, go to www.sam.gov.

The overarching benefits of SAM include streamlined and integrated processes, elimination of data redundancies, and reduced costs while providing improved capability. With SAM, one user ID and password will provide access to all the capabilities associated with registering to do business with the government, representing or self-certifying as a small business, and viewing business opportunities (the last to be added later). Also, representations and certifications now on ORCA will be available on SAM.

The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 establishes a 5 percent government-wide goal for contract awards to small, women-owned businesses. The Small Business Administration (SBA) is determined both to establish aggressive goals and to develop meaningful initiatives in cooperation with other SBAprogram areas and other agencies to ensure that these new goals are achieved.In February 2011, SBA inaugurated the Women-Owned Small Business Contracting Assistance Program (WOSB). Many NAICS codes where women are “substantially underrepresented” are eligible for set-asides and other assistance. See www.sba.gov/wosb or contact the Government Contracting SBDC for more information.

For SBA procurement assistance, a business generally is considered small if it is a business entity organized for profit, located in the United States, and which operates primarily within the United States or which makes a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through payment of taxes or use of American products, materials or labor. The business entity must further qualify under the criteria set forth in the SBA Small Business Size Standards Regulation, Title 13, Part 121 of the Code of Federal Regulations. In making a detailed definition, the SBA may use a number of criteria, including the number of employees, annual receipts, affiliates, or other applicable factors.

The 8(a) program name is from Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act. The Act, as amended by Congress, created the 8(a) program so that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) could help small companies owned and operated by socially and economically disadvantaged persons develop their businesses.One of the business development tools of the 8(a) program is the award of Federal contracts. Under the program, SBA acts as a prime contractor and enters into contracts with other Federal Government Departments and agencies. In its role as a prime contractor, SBA awards subcontractors for their performance by certified companies.
SBA also has another set-aside program, the HUBZONE Program, for some small businesses in high-unemployment areas. Contact the Government Contracting SBDC for more information.

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is a highly competitive three-phase award system that provides qualified small business concerns with opportunities to propose innovative ideas that meet the specific research and development needs of the Federal Government. Contact the Government Contracting SBDC for more information.

If a contractor abandons a contract or fails to perform satisfactorily, the contracting officer may terminate the contract for default and charge the contractor the excess reprocurement costs ( i.e., the difference between the original contract price and the ultimate cost to the government). Contact the Government Contracting SBDC for more information.
During the application process, you will be asked which certifications you'd like to apply for two times. The first time is to indicate which certifications you intend on applying for. After you've entered your Ownership & Control information you'll be asked a second time, but this time you'll only be presented with certifications you are actually eligible to apply for. Both times, you can select to apply for as many certifications as you'd like.

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) small business/simplified acquisition threshold is $150,000. Every effort is exerted to award contracts under $150,000 to small business, as long as adequate price competition exists. All Federal government procurements over $25,000 are now required to be posted on the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website, sam.gov . Contact the Government Contracting SBDC for more information.

Check the Federal Procurement Data System, www.fpds.gov , to see who has purchased your products or services in the past. Procurement Forecasts on each agency’s website are also helpful. The Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website, sam.gov , also shows current and recent procurements for all sorts of items. The Center for Government Contracting SBDC has other databases that can also assist. Contact the Government Contracting SBDC for more information.

Although these terms (spans) are still used, two of them now have different meanings than they did in the past. IFB now refers to Sealed Bidding and RFP now refers to Negotiated Procurement. RFQ still refers to requesting oral or written prices on small purchases. Contact the Government Contracting SBDC for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions