Creating or Updating your SAM/SBA profile

Note: If you already have a certificate, skip to step 3 mentioned below. Otherwise, continue reading.

To get a SAM.gov or SBA profile, you first need to identify your industry codes and your D-U-N-S® (Data Universal Numbering System) number. Once you have completed these tasks, you can log in to the Seller Central Certifications page to claim your Diversity certification(s).

For details on how to complete each of these tasks and list your diversity certifications, follow these steps:

Step 1: Identify your industry codes

Search the North American Industry Classification System to identify your six-digit industry code. These codes are used to classify business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. economy. NAICS codes are also used to provide small and large businesses standard determinations for specific industries.

To identify your NAICS code(s), go to http://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics:

1. In the search box on the top left side of the page, type the category that corresponds to your business.
2. Click Search to display a list of matching NAICS codes.
3. Choose the code(s) that best describes your business.

Step 2: Get Your DUNS Number

The D-U-N-S® (Data Universal Numbering System) number is a unique nine-digit identification number provided by the company Dun & Bradstreet (D&B).

D&B assigns a D-U-N-S® number for each physical location of a business. The process to request a D-U-N-S® number takes about 10 minutes. The D-U-N-S® number is free for all entities required to register with the federal government by a regulatory agency. This includes federal contractors, prospective government vendors and applicants, and recipients of federal grants. Under normal circumstances, when using the online D&B process, you can expect to receive a D-U-N-S® number within 1-2 business days.

Obtain a D-U-N-S® number here: http://www.dnb.com/government/duns-request/duns-request-guide.html

Or call: (866) 794-1577

Step 3: Register in SAM

Registering in the System for Award Management (SAM) will allow you to create a profile for your company that will appear on both the SAM.gov website as well as the Small Business Administration's Dynamic Small Business Database (DSBS). Amazon Business relies on these sources to verify your status as a certified business. If you have all the necessary information on hand, online registration takes approximately one hour to complete.

Note: You must have access to an email address to create a SAM User Account.

To create your user account go to www.SAM.gov:

1. Click on Create a User Account.
2. Choose Account Type:
   • Create an Individual User Account to perform tasks such as register/update your entity or create and manage records.
   • Create a System User Account if you need system-to-system communication or if performing data transfer from SAM to your government database system.
   • Complete the requested information, and click Submit.
3. Click DONE on the confirmation page. You will receive an email confirming you have created a user account in SAM.
4. Click the validation link in the email that contains the activation code within 48 hours to activate your user account. If the email link is not hyperlinked (that is, underlined or appearing in a different color), please copy the validation link and paste it into the browser address bar. You can now register an entity.
   • If you are a designated government official you can search For Official Use Only (FOUO) information and enter exclusions into the system.

   Note: Creating an user account does not create a registration in SAM, nor will it update/renew an existing registration in SAM.

If you are an organization, business, government agency or grantee (known in SAM as an "entity"), you must also register your entity in SAM. Log in to SAM with your user ID and password, and follow these steps:

1. Gather all of the required information needed to complete your registration.
   • D-U-N-S®
   • NAICS code
   • Business information such as address and phone
   • Employment Identification number (EIN) or Taxpayer Identification number (TIN)
2. Click on Register/Update Entity from the navigation panel.
3. Click Register/Update Entity near the bottom of the registration overview page.
4. Complete and submit the online registration.
   • It will take approximately 45 minutes to complete registration if you already have all the necessary information in hand depending upon the size and complexity of your entity.
   • You will be presented with disclaimers followed by a questionnaire determining the purpose of your registration.
   • To move forward with the SAM.gov registration, answer yes to the question Do you want to bid on government contracts. This is a precondition to setting up a profile on SAM.gov.
   • Go through and update each section of the SAM registration process. You have to go through each section of the SAM registration process from the beginning.

     Note: Make sure you fill out the Core Data located in the General Information Section where you can self-identify as a Woman owning a Small Business. Make sure to authorize your entity's information to be displayed in SAM's public search.

5. After your registration is successfully submitted, you will receive a Congratulations message from SAM.gov and an email confirming that your registration is in process.
   • New registrations can take an average of 7-10 business days to process in SAM. This time frame might be longer if the information you provide is flagged for manual validation by either party.

     Note: You can review instructions on registration and updating procedures for Commercial and Government Entity Code (Cage) or a NATO CAGE (NCAGE).

   • If you notice that your registration has had a Submitted status for longer than 10 business days and you have not been contacted to correct or update your information, please contact the Federal Service Desk at 866-606-8220 or https://www.fsd.gov.

Step 4 (Optional): Fill out a Supplemental SBA Profile

If the NAICS code(s) you provided qualifies you as a small business by SBA standards, you will see a button that says Register or Update SBA Profile near the end of the SAM.gov registration process. Click that button to be directed to the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) Database.

As with SAM, you will populate each section and hit the Save and Continue button on each page until you are looped around to where you started. This means that you have completed the Small Business Administration (SBA) portion of your profile.

Note: The SBA Profile is not required for validation of your certifications on Seller Central.

If a Register or Update SBA Profile button does not appear in SAM.gov, Small Businesses can access DSBS via SBA's Global Login System (GLS). To update your SBA Supplemental Pages via SBA's GLS:

1. Go to https://eweb.sba.gov/gls/dsp_login.cfm.
2. You have to register and set up an account in the GLS system if you haven't already.
3. In GLS, you request access to PRO-NET/DSBS and click SBA Supplemental Pages.
4. Once you are granted access to PRO-NET/DSBS, you can click the link to update your SBA Supplemental Pages in DSBS.

SAM User Guide: https://www.sam.gov/sam/SAM_Guide/SAM_User_Guide.htm#_Toc330768974

FAQ

1. What does it cost to register a user account in SAM?

Because SAM is a federally mandated and funded program, there is no cost to obtain a user account.

2. How do I change the information on my SAM User Account?

To change user profile information for an Individual User Account:

1. Log in to SAM with your username and password.
2. Select My Account Settings.
3. Select Edit User Information.

To change profile information for a System Account:

1. Log in to SAM with the username and password.
2. Select System Account Settings.
3. Select System Profile.

Note: Users cannot change the username on an account.

3. How do I register to be eligible for contracts or Intra-Governmental transactions?

If you are registering on SAM.gov to be eligible for contracts or Intra-Governmental Transactions, enter your NAICS codes within the Assertions section of your entity registration on the Goods and Services page. In the Glossary on this page, you will find a link to the NAICS search page on the Census Bureau's website, or by using the keyword "NAICS" in the search box at the top of the Census.gov homepage.

4. What are Representations and Certifications?

Representations and Certifications are Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requirements that anyone wanting to apply for federal contracts must complete. The provisions require entities to represent or certify to a variety of statements ranging from environmental rule compliance to entity size representation.

5. How can I have my business included in the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS)?

At the end of your SAM entity management registration, if SBA's size standard indicator displays that your industry falls within the Small Business classification, a link to SBA's Supplemental page will be shown on the screen. If you click the link, you can enter your Small Business profile information on that page. This data will automatically populate the SBA database where your business information can be readily accessed through the Dynamic Small Business Search function.

6. I started a registration a long time ago but did not complete it. Do I need to start over?

Incomplete registrations (that is, registrations that have not been submitted) will be deleted from the system if 90 days have passed since you last updated your details. If your registration is deleted because of inactivity, you have to begin the entity registration process again.

7. How long does it take my SAM.gov profile to show up, or for changes to be processed?

It could take up to two weeks to process.

8. How do I know which data fields are mandatory in SAM?

Fields marked with an asterisk are mandatory in SAM.

9. How do I know if an entity is an 8(A) firm? Where is the Small Business 8(a) flag?

If SAM receives an affirmative response from the SBA confirming that the entity is an 8(a) firm, the certification will appear on the entity registration.

To view the SBA Certification search for the entity registration in SAM:

1. Click the View Details button from the entity's Search result.
2. Click Core Data under Entity Record.
3. Scroll down to the General Information section.

Note: If the firm is not 8(a) certified, then you will not see that certification listed in the General information section.