Subpart 4.18 - Commercial and Government

Entity Code

Parent topic: Part 4 - Administrative and Information Matters

4.1800 Scope of subpart.

(a) This subpart prescribes policies and procedures for identification of commercial and government

entities. The Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code system may be used, among other

things, to–

(1) Exchange data with another contracting activity, including contract administration activities and

contract payment activities.

(2) Exchange data with another system that requires the unique identification of a contractor entity;

or

(3) Identify when offerors are owned or controlled by another entity.

(b) For information on the unique entity identifier, which is a different identifier, see 4.605 and the

provisions at 52.204-6, Unique Entity Identifier, and 52.204-7, System for Award Management.

4.1801 Definitions.

As used in this part–

Highest-level owner means the entity that owns or controls an immediate owner of the offeror, or

that owns or controls one or more entities that control an immediate owner of the offeror. No entity

owns or exercises control of the highest level owner.

Immediate owner means an entity, other than the offeror, that has direct control of the offeror.

Indicators of control include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: ownership or

interlocking management, identity of interests among family members, shared facilities and

equipment, and the common use of employees.

4.1802 Policy.

(a) Commercial and Government Entity code.

(1) Offerors shall provide the contracting officer the CAGE code assigned to that offeror's location

prior to the award of a contract action above the micro-purchase threshold, when there is a

requirement to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) or a requirement to have
a unique entity identifier in the solicitation.

(2) The contracting officer shall include the contractor’s CAGE code in the contract and in any

electronic transmissions of the contract data to other systems when it is provided in accordance with

paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(b) Ownership or control of offeror. Offerors, if owned or controlled by another entity, shall provide

the contracting officer with the CAGE code and legal name of that entity prior to the award of a

contract action above the micro-purchase threshold, when there is a requirement to be registered in

SAM or a requirement to have a unique entity identifier in the solicitation.

4.1803 Verifying CAGE codes prior to award.

(a) Contracting officers shall verify the offeror’s CAGE code by reviewing the entity’s registration in

the System for Award Management (SAM). Active registrations in SAM have had the associated

CAGE codes verified.

(b) For entities not required to be registered in SAM, the contracting officer shall validate the CAGE

code using the CAGE code search feature at https://cage.dla.mil.

4.1804 Solicitation provisions and contract clause.

(a) Insert the provision at 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting, in all

solicitations that include–

(1) 52.204-6, Unique Entity Identifier; or

(2) 52.204-7, System for Award Management.

(b) Insert the provision at 52.204-17, Ownership or Control of Offeror, in all solicitations that include

the provision at 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting.

(c) Insert the clause at 52.204-18, Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance, in all

solicitations and contracts when the solicitation contains the provision at 52.204-16, Commercial

and Government Entity Code Reporting.

(d) Insert the provision at 52.204-20, Predecessor of Offeror, in all solicitations that include the

provision at 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting.