The reason firms are required to register on SAM.gov in addition to Certify is that SAM.gov is how federal contract officers identify potential vendors for their contracts. In addition, prime contractors use SAM.gov to identify potential subcontractors and suppliers. States and local governments also consult the federal database of vendors. Therefore, firms must have active accounts in SAM.gov in order to apply for certification through SBA.
If a firm is having a hard time connecting a SAM.gov account to a Certify account, please make sure the DUNS, TIN, and MPIN match exactly with what's in SAM.gov. DUNS and TIN numbers should not contain any spaces or dashes and your MPIN is case sensitive. We have copied instructions below on locating your MPIN in your SAM profile. It is different from your SAM password.
To view your company's MPIN:
1. Go to the SAM Homepage: www.sam.gov.
2. Enter your Entity Administrator user ID and password, and then click the "Log In" button.
3. Locate your entity via the "Existing Entity Registrations" link under "Entity Registrations" in the left navigation pane.
4. Click the entity name in the Entity List.
5, Click "View" under "Registration Details."
6. From the Entity Dashboard select "Core Data."
7. Scroll down to the Business Information section to view the MPIN.
(Note: You must be the SAM Entity Administrator for the entity registration linked to your DUNS number in order to view the MPIN.)