Who should be the entity administrator in SAM.gov, me or my bookkeeper, and what can each role do?

Question

My bookkeeper set up our SAM.gov registration for our small business last year using her personal login, and she is the only entity administrator. We are an IT services firm, NAICS 541519, and we are trying to win federal contracts. She is leaving next month, and I am trying to understand the SAM.gov roles and permissions before she goes. I heard that if the only administrator leaves, the registration can break. What roles are there in SAM.gov, and how do I add a new entity administrator? What happens if the bookkeeper leaves and she is the only administrator?

Darlene S. · Answer

Your SAM.gov registration doesn't break when she leaves. It stays active until its expiration date, but nobody can renew it, update the banking, or manage user roles without an Entity Administrator, so fix this before her last day.

SAM.gov entity roles come in three levels. The Entity Administrator views, updates, renews and deactivates the registration and assigns roles to other users. Data Entry can update and renew but can't manage users. Viewer is read only. SAM.gov only lets an employee, officer or board member of the entity hold the administrator role. That's how it works with my clients: I'm outside help, so I hold Data Entry and the owner is the administrator.

While she's still there:

- Create your own login.gov account with your work email and sign in to SAM.gov. Don't share hers.
- Have her assign you Entity Administrator from her workspace.
- Once the entity shows up in your workspace, remove her role, or drop her to Data Entry if she'll keep helping.

If she's gone before that happens, you'll need an Entity Administrator Appointment Letter: on your letterhead, physically signed in front of a notary by someone with signing authority, and attached to a Federal Service Desk ticket. Your name and contact details in the letter have to match your SAM.gov account exactly, or they send it back.

Grace L. · Answer

You should be the entity administrator in SAM.gov, Priya, because the system requires the Entity Administrator to be an officer or board member of your firm, and your bookkeeper is neither. Darlene is right that you will need to get that role transferred to you before your bookkeeper leaves. An active SAM.gov entity registration must be renewed every 365 days to stay active, and you need an Entity Administrator to do that. The contracting officer verifies your SAM.gov registration at the time of award, so an inactive registration can prevent an award. The Federal Service Desk ticket process for recovering the Entity Administrator role can take weeks.

Who should be the entity administrator in SAM.gov, me or my bookkeeper, and what can each role do?

2 answers

Your answer

Who should be the entity administrator in SAM.gov, me or my bookkeeper, and what can each role do?

2 answers

Your answer

Related questions