Glossary
What is SAM.gov?
SAM.gov is the official federal system for registering to do business with the U.S. government and for posting contract opportunities. It is free to use. Govacha is not SAM.gov.
The System for Award Management is where a company gets a Unique Entity ID and keeps the registration that most federal awards require. The same site’s Contract Opportunities section is where federal notices are posted.
What you do there
Create a Login.gov account, start an entity registration, and keep it active. Registrations expire. An expired record can stop an award even after you have done the proposal work. The annual renewal is part of the job, not a surprise fee from a vendor.
Third parties sometimes charge to “help” with SAM.gov. The government site itself does not charge a registration fee. If someone claims to be SAM.gov and asks for a card, stop and go to the official address yourself.
What Govacha does not do
Govacha does not issue a registration, does not renew it, and does not log in as you. Contract search helps you work the notices after you know where they live.
Related: UEI, CAGE code, solicitation.