Join the thousands of small businesses with CAGE Codes earning federal contracts, funding, and other benefits from the government’s System for Award Management. Connect with our specialists today for seamless assistance to help you through the registration process!
Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Codes are five-digit ID numbers that are assigned by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) as a necessary part of the SAM Registration process. They not only identify your business or organization but also specific locations, meaning you could have multiple CAGE Codes assigned to different offices or facilities. The federal government uses these to recognize businesses and other legal bodies they interact with.
CAGE codes create the foundation of how organizations engage with the federal government. They’re used to obtain everything from the clearance needed to operate facilities to the federal grants and contracting opportunities that drive their business.
While there is no cost for an organization that chooses to acquire a CAGE code themselves, many opt to use dedicated registration services instead. This alleviates the dozens of hours of clerical labor involved and guarantees the success of their registration.
Obtaining a CAGE code is part of SAM Registration and means your business will become eligible to access a share of valuable federal funding and contracting opportunities. Furthermore, if your organization qualifies as a small business, operates in a HUBZone, or is owned by women, socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, or veterans, having a CAGE code will make it eligible to be certified for an even greater range of exclusive federal contracts and benefits as well.
A CAGE code can be requested from the DLA, but unless an organization is already registered with the Systems for Awards Management database, there are other steps that must be taken first.
These include applying for a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number (previously referred to as DUNS number) through SAM.gov. Additionally, you’ll need to complete a fully-compliant SAM registration by submitting a detailed range of legal and financial information. Only then can you fill out the remaining online forms to apply for a CAGE Code from the DLA.
Each of these filing processes takes time to navigate and must be completed accurately. Otherwise, a faulty SAM registration could reduce a business’s ability to acquire federal contracts and grants once it CAGE code is finalized. Because an up-to-date CAGE code is required to receive federal payments, delays due to filing errors can also be harmful to businesses that have already completed a government contract or been awarded a grant.
While your CAGE Code expires after five years and needs to be renewed, your annual SAM Renewal also renews your business’ CAGE Codes at the same time. Essentially, if your SAM Registration is active and you’re renewing it each year, you shouldn’t have to worry about any CAGE Code renewals.
Unfortunately, many businesses are discouraged by the tedious federal registration process and rigorous requirements for acquiring a CAGE Code. This means that even though they qualify for these opportunities and benefits, they don’t get to take advantage of them.
FAMR is an independent consulting firm that specializes in registering businesses with the federal government and making sure they get access to the opportunities they deserve. Our team of experts is experienced in obtaining CAGE Codes and other federal registrations and certifications to help new organizations start getting contracts and funding today.
Let us guide your registration process to not only make sure your company gets its CAGE Codes quickly but also guarantee that it’s certified for any other relevant programs and exclusive federal benefits.
CAGE codes are often required for organizations to register in the System for Award Management (SAM), which is a centralized database used by the U.S. government for collecting, validating, storing, and disseminating data about entities that do business with the federal government.
A CAGE code is a unique number assigned to suppliers and contractors working with the federal government as a standardized way to identify vendors, which streamlines the procurement processes, management of contracts, while ensuring transparency and accountability.
The time it takes to receive a CAGE code can vary, but the process typically takes a few weeks. Factors such as the accuracy of the provided information and the volume of applications being processed can influence the turnaround time.
Once assigned, a CAGE code remains associated with the organization unless there are significant changes to the entity or a request to deactivate the code. However, it’s important to note that policies evolve and that other registrations or certifications linked to the CAGE code, such as SAM registrations, may have their own renewal requirements.
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