If you’re a business that is interested in selling to the federal government, the first thing you will need is a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). UEI numbers are distributed through and maintained by SAM.gov, the System for Award Management. Once assigned, your UEI is permanent; even if your corporation’s ownership or location changes, the associated UEI will remain the same.

One of the frustrating things we have witnessed over the years as GSA Schedule consultants is ensuring our client has an active SAM.gov registration at the time of offer submission, but the SAM registration lapses or gets close to expiring because GSA (or another federal agency) takes several months to review the contract. Since the System for Award Management (SAM) site has recently become infamous for being backed up and causing delays in contract submissions and awards, the federal government is creating an interim rule to resolve this issue.

Major change could be coming to the public sector soon—the Small Business Administration (SBA) released a proposed rule recently that could greatly impact small businesses. The proposed rule would expand the “Rule of Two” to apply to orders under Multiple Award contracts. Comments on this proposed rule are due by December 24, 2024, so let’s talk about this rule, what it means, and how it can impact small business contractors.

We think of the General Services Administration (GSA) as a federal agency that assists in acquisition and real estate, but did you know GSA also plays a large role in the presidential transition? In the ten weeks from election to inauguration, the president-elect will prepare to take over the executive branch including over 140 agencies, sub-agencies, and millions of personnel.

Every four years, as U.S. citizens, we elect a new President, Vice President, and an assortment of Congressional Representatives and Senators. Throughout the campaign trail, one of the most important, if not the top issue at hand will be government spending and budget. As taxpayers, it’s natural for us to want some insight and agency over how the government spends money and what initiatives they have on the horizon.

While the federal government goes to great lengths to protect sensitive information from cyberattacks and unwanted leaks, you may be surprised to know that most government information is public – if you’re willing to ask for it. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), you can request records or information from participating government agencies that may be useful to you. For example, as a government contractor, you can request lists of valuable industry contacts from an event or webinar you attended, or lists of bidders on government contracts. In this blog, we’ll talk about what a FOIA request is, how you can use it to your advantage as a government contractor, and the process for submitting one.