What is a Cage Code and Why Every Business Needs One
What is a Cage Code?
The CAGE Code is a five-character ID number used by the Federal Government to identify vendors. It’s like a vehicle identification number for your company. Just as every car must have a VIN to be tracked and registered, every contractor must have a CAGE Code to be identified in federal procurement systems. It is obtained at teh same time you recevie your Unique Entity Identifier number, which will eventually replace tege CAGE Code.
A CAGE Code is Mandatory
Obtaining a CAGE Code is mandatory in order to do business with the Federal government through a GSA Schedule or any other federal contract.
How CAGE Codes are used?
The CAGE Code is used to support a variety of automated systems throughout the government and provides a standardized method of identifying a given facility at a specific location. The code may be used for
faster payment of invoices
a facility clearance,
a pre-award survey,
automated bidders list,
identification of debarred bidders, etc.
How do I get a CAGE Code - sam.gov
You obtain a CAGE Code by registering your business in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). Registration in SAM is mandatory for companies that want to do business with the federal government, whether through a GSA Schedule or any other federal contract.
SAM registration provides government agencies with essential details about your company and serves as the central database where they verify your information. It also enables agencies to pay your invoices electronically if you’re awarded a contract.
When you complete your registration in SAM, your business will automatically be assigned a CAGE Code. While this does not guarantee you will win a government contract, it is a required first step before you can compete for federal opportunities.
Importantly, there is no fee to register in SAM, and the process is relatively straightforward. As a result, most businesses do not need to hire a third-party registration service to complete this task.
To locate your organization’s CAGE Code, start by using the Search Records function on SAM.gov. Enter your organization’s full legal name to see if it appears in the results. If nothing comes up, try using a shorter or alternate version of the name, as your company’s registered legal name may differ slightly from the name you commonly use.
You can also search by location (such as city or ZIP code), or by entering your organization’s DUNS number. Since the DUNS is unique to each business, it will cross-reference directly with the associated CAGE Code. If your business still does not appear, it likely means your company has not yet registered in SAM.
What is my SAM Code?
Occasionally, some agencies mistakenly ask vendors for a “SAM Code.” To be clear, no such code exists. What they are actually seeking is either your
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), or your
CAGE Code.
If you’re ever asked for a “SAM Code,” simply provide your UEI and CAGE Code instead.
CAGE Code for Bidding on Government Contracts
Obtaining a CAGE code is just one small part of the process of winning government contracts.
Before you begin bidding on government contracts, the following free resources will help you understand the process of developing federal government contract bids as well as ways to shorten the time to obtain a government contract.
