GSA Registration

The federal government is the largest single purchaser of janitorial services in the United States. VA medical centers, military bases, federal office buildings, post offices, and courthouses all require contracted cleaning, and every dollar of that spending goes to vendors registered in SAM.gov.

Registration is free, takes about 10 business days to activate, and opens access to a market that most small cleaning businesses never pursue. This guide walks through the complete registration process.

Table of Contents

1. What SAM.gov Is and Why It Matters
2. What You Need Before You Register
3. Step-by-Step Registration Process
4. NAICS Codes for Cleaning Businesses
5. Annual Renewal
6. Common Mistakes
7. After Registration: Bidding on Federal Contracts
8. FAQ

What SAM.gov Is and Why It Matters

SAM.gov (System for Award Management) is the official federal government database of registered vendors authorized to do business with the government. Maintained by the General Services Administration, SAM.gov replaced the old Central Contractor Registration (CCR) and ORCA systems in 2012.

What SAM.gov registration enables:

• Submitting bids on federal janitorial contracts through SAM.gov, beta.SAM.gov, and contracting officer solicitations
• Receiving electronic contract payments through the government's payment system
• Being listed in the federal vendor database that contracting officers search when issuing small business set-asides
• Qualifying for GSA Multiple Award Schedule contracts (a separate process, but requires active SAM.gov registration)

NAICS 561720 contract volume by agency (FY2023):

What You Need Before You Register

Required before starting your SAM.gov registration:

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number) from the IRS: see Getting an EIN for Your Cleaning Business
2. Legal business name exactly as it appears on your IRS records
3. Business address (physical address, not P.O. box)
4. NAICS codes for your service types (primary: 561720)
5. Bank account information for electronic funds transfer (routing number + account number)
6. Business entity type (sole proprietorship, LLC, corporation)
7. Login.gov account: SAM.gov requires a Login.gov identity-verified account to register

Create a Login.gov account first: Go to Login.gov and create an account. Identity verification requires a state-issued ID or passport and a phone number for verification. This step takes 15–20 minutes.

Step-by-Step Registration Process

Step 1: Access SAM.gov Go to SAM.gov and sign in with your Login.gov credentials.

Step 2: Start a new entity registration Select "Register New Entity" from your workspace. Choose "I am registering to do business with the U.S. Government."

Step 3: Enter core entity information

• Legal business name (must match IRS records exactly)
• EIN
• Business address
• Entity structure (LLC, sole proprietor, etc.)
• Physical address (used for correspondence)

Step 4: EIN validation SAM.gov cross-references your EIN with IRS records. This validation takes 1–2 business days. If your LLC was recently formed, wait at least 4 weeks after IRS EIN issuance before attempting registration. The IRS records need time to propagate.

Step 5: Core data Enter financial information, Points of Contact, and business type qualifications. The Points of Contact section requires at minimum an Electronic Business contact and a Government Business contact. These can be the same person.

Step 6: NAICS codes and small business certifications Select your primary NAICS code (561720 for janitorial services) and any additional codes. The system will automatically calculate whether your business qualifies as a small business based on the SBA size standard for each NAICS code.

SBA size standard for NAICS 561720: $25 million in annual receipts. Almost all small cleaning businesses qualify as small businesses under this standard.

Step 7: Representations and certifications Complete the annual representations and certifications, a series of eligibility statements about your business, compliance with federal regulations, and business practices. Read each question carefully. False statements in federal representations are a federal crime.

Step 8: Submit and await activation After submission, total activation takes 7–10 business days. You'll receive email notification when your registration is active.

NAICS Codes for Cleaning Businesses

List all applicable NAICS codes in your SAM.gov registration, not just the primary. Contracting officers search by NAICS code when identifying small business sources.

Annual Renewal

SAM.gov registration expires annually. You must renew before the expiration date to maintain active status, inactive registrations cannot bid on or receive federal contracts.

Renewal reminders: SAM.gov sends email reminders at 90, 60, and 30 days before expiration. Do not ignore these, reactivating an expired registration takes the same 7–10 days as initial registration.

What happens if your registration lapses: You cannot submit bids while inactive. Active contracts can continue, but new awards cannot be made to inactive vendors.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Starting registration before your EIN is fully propagated New EINs take 4–6 weeks to fully appear in IRS cross-reference databases. Starting a SAM.gov registration immediately after receiving your EIN often results in EIN validation failures. Wait at least 4 weeks.

Mistake 2: Using a P.O. box for the physical address SAM.gov requires a physical street address. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

Mistake 3: Letting registration lapse Annual renewal is non-negotiable. Set a calendar reminder 90 days before your expiration date.

Mistake 4: Not updating DUNS to UEI transition If you registered before April 4, 2022, you may still have a DUNS number on file. SAM.gov now uses Unique Entity Identifiers (UEI). Verify your UEI is showing in your active registration.

Mistake 5: Paying a third party for free registration Multiple companies charge $300–$800 to "register your business" in SAM.gov. This is unnecessary. The registration is completely free at SAM.gov directly.

After Registration: Bidding on Federal Contracts

Once registered, find janitorial contract opportunities through:

• SAM.gov contract opportunities: search for NAICS 561720 solicitations in your target geographic area
• Opora Federal RFP Filter: filtered daily feed of NAICS 561720 solicitations with size, location, and set-aside type

Small business set-asides: Federal contracting law (15 U.S.C. § 644) requires agencies to set aside contracts below certain thresholds exclusively for small businesses. Sole-source contracts are available for 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, and WOSB-certified businesses. Review your eligibility for these certification programs after completing SAM.gov registration.