Recently the General Services Administration (GSA) announced that new and renewing vendors registering in the System for Award Management (SAM) are now required to include a notarized letter appointing their authorized Entity Administrator associated with the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) in addition to entering or updating records online. The letter must be an original and must be signed and notarized. Instructions on submitting a notarized letter to SAM can be found on the SAM homepage.
The General Services Administration (GSA), which administers the SAM system, added the requirement for a notarized letter to safeguard registrants against fraudulent activity that has recently occurred and is under active investigation.
Vendors are encouraged to start the registration or renewal process as early as possible, at least 60 days before your registration expires, to ensure timely approval their application. USDA also recommends that vendors retain copies of their notarized letters and proof of submission to provide the contracting officer, if necessary.
USDA requires that vendors maintain a current SAM registration to be eligible for awards and to receive payments for procurements under USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). Specific guidance is provided in solicitations and is available from the applicable contracting officer.
SAM.gov is an official website of the U.S. government maintained by the General Services Administration (GSA). For questions on how to access or use SAM, contact the GSA help desk at 866-606-8220, option 1.
For other questions related to this change, contact AMS Small Business Coordinator Andrea Lang at (202) 720-4237 or Andrea.Lang@ams.usda.gov.
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