Pre-Solicitation Requirements

System for Award Management (SAM)

Kerry Dodd

Agricultural Marketing Specialist

Livestock, Poultry and Fish

Commodity Procurement Program

816-926-6539

kerry.dodd@usda.gov
Pre-Solicitation Requirements

System for Award Management (SAM) Part 1

• System for Award Management (SAM) is the primary Government repository for 

prospective Federal awardee and Federal awardee information and the centralized 

Government system for certain contracting, grants, and other assistance-related 

processes.

– http://www.sam.gov.

• 52.204-7 System for Award Management (Oct 2018)

– An Offeror is required to be registered in System for Award Management (SAM) 

when submitting an offer or quotation and shall continue to be registered until time 

of award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract, basic 

agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchasing agreement resulting 

from this solicitation.
Pre-Solicitation Requirements

System for Award Management (SAM) Part 2

– Registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) means that–

• (1)The Contractor has entered all mandatory information, including the 

unique entity identifier (UEI) and the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) indicator (if 

applicable), the Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code, as well as data 

required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 

(see subpart 4.14), into SAM;

• (2)The Contractor has completed the Core, Assertions, Representations 

and Certifications, and Points of Contact sections of the registration

• (3)The Government has marked the record “Active”.

– To remain active, Offerors must complete annual representations 

and certifications electronically in SAM.
Pre-Solicitation Requirements

System for Award Management (SAM) Part 3

– SAM registration, maintaining data and technical support are FREE.

– SAM Customer Support:

• Federal Service Desk (FSD)

– www.fsd.gov

– 866-606-8220
Pre-Solicitation Requirements

Data Universal Numbering System (D-U-N-S)

&

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)

Food Defense (FD)

Adele.l.croal@usda.gov

202-260-8672
Pre-Solicitation Requirements

DUNS/UEI Part 1

 Data Universal Numbering System (D-U-N-S):

– Dun & Bradstreet assigns the DUNS/UEI, which includes the physical 

address, entity type, and general entity information

– A unique nine-digit identifier used around the world to identify and access 

information on businesses working for the government – is issued to 

businesses free of charge

– commonly used by lenders or potential business partners to help predict 

reliability and/or financial stability of a business
Pre-Solicitation Requirements

DUNS/UEI Part 2

 Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):

– The UEI Applies to all offers that exceed the micro-purchase threshold and offers at or 

below the micro-purchase threshold if the solicitation requires the Contractor to be 

registered in the System for Award Management (SAM).

– maintained with the entity designated at SAM.gov for establishment of the unique entity 

identifier throughout the life of the contract. The Contractor shall communicate any 

changes to the unique entity identifier to the Contracting Officer within 30 days after the 

change, so an appropriate modification can be issued to update the data on the contract.

 Unique Entity Identifier Update (UEI) SAM:

By April of 2022, the federal government will stop using the DUNS number to uniquely identify 

entities. At that point, entities doing business with the federal government will use a Unique 

Entity Identifier (SAM) created in SAM.gov. They will no longer have to go to a third-party 

website to obtain their identifier. This transition allows the government to streamline the entity 

identification and validation process, making it easier and less burdensome for entities to do 

business with the federal government.
Pre-Solicitation Requirements Part 1

FOOD DEFENSE (FD)

PRIOR TO BID OPENING THROUHOUT THE PERFORMANCE

• 4A52.246-81 Food Defense Requirements (Aug 2021)

 (a) Current and potential Contractor(s) and subcontractor(s) shall have an approved food 

defense plan in place at the time of bid opening/proposal due date as specified in the 

solicitation. The approved food defense plan provides for the security of a plant’s 

production processes and includes the storage and transportation of pre-production raw 

materials and other ingredients and post-production finished product.

 The documented and operational food defense plan must be audited and approved by 

USDA, AMS prior to the bid opening date of the solicitation.

 All nonconformance(s) listed in the audit report for poultry and livestock products must 

be addressed in writing within 14 days to the Quality Assessment Division prior to the bid 

opening date of the solicitation.

 USDA will not grant/accept any waiver requests for the food defense audits.
Pre-Solicitation Requirements Part 2

FOOD DEFENSE (FD)

PRIOR TO BID OPENING THROUHOUT THE PERFORMANCE

 The plan shall address the following areas, where applicable:

 Food defense plan management;

 Outside and inside security of the production and storage facilities;

 Slaughter and processing, including all raw material sources;

 Controlled access to production and storage areas;

 Storage;

 Water and ice supply;

 Mail handling;

 Personnel security; and

 Transportation, shipping, and receiving (includes the sealing of any transport

conveyance for truck lot and less-than-truck lot quantities of finished product).
Pre-Solicitation Requirements Part 3

FOOD DEFENSE (FD)

PRIOR TO BID OPENING THROUHOUT THE PERFORMANCE

 The Food Defense Plan - must be included in the application package, and it will 

be audited by an AMS representative.

 Approved food defense audit is valid for twelve (12) months from the date 

of approval.

 Plant Survey or Plant Systems Audit (PSA) - All qualified contractors, and for Nonmanufacturers their subcontractors, are required to undergo and pass 

an annual plant survey or PSA.

 Approved plant survey audit/PSA is valid for twelve (12) months from the date of 

approval.