SAM.gov & Vendor Support Center Update
There are some new updates to SAM.gov, and the Vendor Support Center that contractors need to know about to keep contracts and registrations up to date!
GSA is now mandating that only authorized negotiators can register new contracts with the Vendor Support Center. Vendors will still need the contract number and Unique Entity ID number to do so. This does not apply to VA contracts. New contracts can be registered here. Once a contract is awarded, an administrative modification must be submitted through eMod to add more negotiators to the contract.
The GSA Interact Post on this topic can be found here.
Additionally, there have been some changes inside of SAM regarding the assignment of user roles.
All SAM.gov users have specified roles, with each type of role offering different levels of ability to interact with the system. Beginning March 3, 2023, Entity Administrator roles can only be held by employees, officers, or board members of the organization. This ensures that first and foremost the company itself maintains control of its registration. Third parties can still be utilized to update registrations on a company’s behalf should they choose to do so, but these third parties will not have the comprehensive privileges inside of SAM.gov that the Entity Administrator holds.
As of March 3, 2023, when an entity is registered or updated, you must attest to your affiliation with the entity. If you are not an employee, officer, or board member of the entity, you will no longer be able to hold the Entity Administrator role. Third parties will be designated the Data Entry role only. With that role, you can continue to register new entities, manage updates, and renew entity registrations, but you can't manage user roles.
Entities assigning Entity Administrator roles using an Entity Administrator Appointment Letter, (sometimes known as the notarized letter process) will no longer be able to assign the Entity Administrator role to a non-employee.
Below are some FAQs that GSA has addressed concerning this change:
My entity currently uses a third party to manage SAM.gov registrations. What are the next steps?
If you use a third party, or non employee to manage the SAM.gov registration, you will need to have an Entity Administrator who holds a position (i.e. employee, office, or board member) within your entity. Entities need to establish an employee, officer, or board member as an Entity Administrator if they don’t have one already. There are two ways to do this.
1. Send an Entity Administrator Appointment Letter to the Federal Service Desk (FSD) appointing an administrator, or
2. Ask your outside Entity Administrator to assign the role to someone in your entity before March 3, 2023.
Once you have an Entity Administrator who is an employee, officer, or board member of your organization, they should assign at least one additional administrator as a backup.
If you are the third party who manages other company’s registrations what are the next steps?
The Data Entry role will still allow you to carry out your previously held duties.
Before you complete the next registration update for your client, ask who they would like to serve as the Entity Administrator role. View the steps to assign a role in SAM.gov here. This is much easier than having the Client submit an Entity Administrator Appointment letter. If you do not designate a new Entity Administrator prior to an update, the entity will need to send an Entity Administrator Appointment Letter to FSD.gov to assign a new Entity Administrator.
Read more about what you can do with a Data Entry role here. There are only two things you won’t be able to do with the Data Entry role: assign roles to others and deactivate the entity’s registration.
My entity has an employee, officer or board member currently serving as an Entity Administrator. What are the next steps?
Entities that already have an employee, officer or board member as the Entity Administrator managing their SAM.gov registration do not need to take any action.
To view your current roles, sign in to SAM.gov and go to your Workspace. Locate your Profile and then select “My Roles”. Roles are assigned by entity for each SAM.gov domain. Read this guide for more about SAM.gov roles and permissions. If you have any troubles making the change, reach out to FSD.gov.
GSA strongly encourages all entities to have at least one backup employee assigned as Entity Administrator.
As aways if you have any questions regarding these updates or about the general management of your GSA contract, please don’t hesitate to reach out at info@elevategsa.com.