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Department of Defense Waiving SAM registration requirements for emergency response vendors

Due to the emergency situation caused by the hurricanes, contracting offices are using authority to waive the requirement for SAM registration in purchases that directly support the emergency response.  If you’re helping a vendor who is not yet registered in SAM but needs a CAGE code, the expedited process instructions are below. 

(information on selling to disaster response agencies)

Subject: Obtaining CAGE codes for vendors responding to the Hurricanes

Hello everyone – obviously we expect that there will be many offices responding to the hurricanes with emergency purchases where SAM registration is waived per FAR 4.1102(a)(3)(iii) and part 18.102.  We want to get the below instructions out for how you can still help your vendors obtain CAGE codes (if they don’t already have one) that are required per FAR 4.1804 for other than micro-purchase actions:

1 – Go to https://cage.dla.mil

2 – Choose ‘Request or Update a CAGE Code’ and hit Begin on the next page

The user will then be taken through a series of pages where they provide the data necessary to set up a CAGE code, but before they get to those elements, they have to answer a few more questions.  In order for the CAGE website not to just direct them to go register in SAM, the users need to answer exactly as follows:

1. Question – Do you have a registration for this same entity in process at System for Award Management (SAM)?  Answer – No
2. Question – Do you plan to receive contract payments or grants from the U.S. Government?  Answer – No
3. Question – Are you a NON-U.S. entity (government or commercial)?  Answer  No (note – if the entity really is foreign, answer Yes, but realize that the user will be directed to contact his/her home country codification bureau)
4. Question – Are you requesting a new CAGE Code?  Answer – Yes
5. Question – Do you have a previous business?  Answer – No
6. Question – Please choose your Entity Type   Answer either – (1) U.S Commercial Company/Firm, Organization or Government Entity (non-federal) OR (2) Sole Proprietor Business
7. Question – Please choose a Primary Purpose for this CAGE   Answer -Other
8. Question – Please describe the primary purpose for this CAGE  Answer – Provide Urgent Hurricane Irma Support (or Harvey or Jose as appropriate)

From here on, the user is just providing their name, address, etc.information.  Should be simple from here.

Be aware – when a user requests a CAGE code be established via this method (instead of through registering in SAM), it goes into manual processing at DLA in Battle Creek.  It’s very important that the user enter ‘hurricane’ in the purpose field after they choose other.  The CAGE team is going to search for that term in each request that comes in and move those to the top to be worked.

For non-GPC actions, it’s important that the vendor get a CAGE code assigned and it be included in the contract when its distributed to ensure that their eventual payment is streamlined and not held up for manual action.  Note also that without a valid CAGE code, an action will fail Procurement Data Standard (PDS) validations.

If these are going to be on-going contracts (such as reconstruction), it would behoove the vendors to eventually actually get registered in SAM (they can use the CAGE code that will be assigned in this process when they do so) even if they’re not technically required to do so because the contract was initially exempted due to the emergency.  Being registered in SAM will just make the whole invoicing and payment processes run a bit smoother if the contract lasts for a while.

Lisa Romney, Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy Office of Acquisition Technology and Logistics