Should I Put My Cage Code On My Website
Often, small businesses owners are concerned about sharing their CAGE code on their company website and other marketing material. Go ahead and put your CAGE code on your website it was designed specifically to be a publicly available unique identifier.
Unlike your social security number and your Employer Identification Number which are sensitive information and should not be publicly shared, the CAGE code was designed to be used in the many publicly accessible systems used by the United States federal government.
For example, USA Spending and the Federal Procurement Database System provide data about contract awards made by federal government agencies. This information includes the terms of agreement, amount of the award, and details about the company that won each award. These tools use the CAGE code as a way of keeping the information in sync among the governments systems.
Protect your social security number. Protect your employer identification number. But proudly and broadly share your CAGE code. Thats one way a federal buyer can research you to see if you are procurement ready and evaluate any of your past performance.
Why Do You Need A Cage Code As A Gsa Schedule Contractor
As mentioned before, obtaining a CAGE code is a prerequisite for selling to the government. Your CAGE Code supports the procurement and acquisition processes. In addition to being used here in the U.S., CAGE Codes are used internationally through the NATO Codification System . This could be useful if youre a company that sells products internationally.
If you need help finding your CAGE Code or if you need help with any other requirements in the GSA Schedule acquisition process, reach out to one of our consultants! Our consultants are well-versed in the government contracting world, and are always here to help you acquire a GSA Schedule contract and help you maintain it.
About Carter Bowman
At Winvale, Carter is involved with both the Business Development and Consulting departments where he assists with blog writing, analytical research and marketing for program initiatives and events. While assisting different Winvale teams, Carter has helped draft summaries and reports, worked on a variety of marketing strategies, and contributed to the daily needs and responsibilities of his team members.
3951 Westerre Parkway, Suite 250Richmond, VA 23233
For Internationally Located Sam Registrants:
NATO Commercial and Government Entity Codes are CAGE Codes for entities located outside the United States and its territories. Assignment of NCAGE Codes is part of the NATO Codification System , and is required for all foreign entities before completing a SAM registration. Prior to requesting a NCAGE Code, please review the US Instructions for NSPA NCAGE document. You may apply for a NCAGE Code using the NATO Codification Tool.
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Commercial And Government Entity Code Information
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Do I Have To Pay To Get A Cage Code
DLA does not charge for CAGE codes. To apply for and receive a CAGE code is FREE.
Companies wishing to sell products and services to the federal government can obtain a CAGE code when they register their company in the System for Award Management it happens automatically if you do not already have a CAGE code.
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Commercial And Government Entity Code
The Commercial and Government Entity Code, or CAGE Code, is a unique identifier assigned to suppliers to various government or defense agencies, as well as to government agencies themselves and various organizations. CAGE codes provide a standardized method of identifying a given facility at a specific location.
CAGE Codes are used internationally as part of the NATO Codification System , where they are sometimes called NCAGE Codes.CAGE codes are referenced in various databases of the NCS, where they are used along with the supplier’s part number to form a reference which is held on the National Stock Number record. This reference enables users of the NCS to determine who supplies any given part.
The information associated with the entities – name, address, phone numbers, etc. – is catalogued in the H4 and H8 Handbooks. The National Codification Bureau of each NATO or NATO-sponsored Nation is responsible for maintaining the CAGE code information for entities in these respective countries. There are on the order of 3 million entities in this catalog, of which around 2.6 million are US entities.
Within the US, any organization wishing to be a supplier to the DoD is issued a CAGE Code by Defense Logistics Information Service , the organization serving as the US NCB. An entity issued a CAGE code must renew it every five years.
A Changes To Far Part 4
1. FAR 4.1202. A new provision for ownership or control of offeror is added to the list of representations and certifications under FAR 4.1202.
2. Addition of FAR subpart 4.18, Commercial and Government Entity Code. A new subpart is added to include scope, policy, and definitions for the subpart. Offerors are required to provide their CAGE codes to the contracting officer, to represent if they are owned by another entity, and, if so, give the legal name and CAGE code for the entity, unless a condition listed at FAR 4.605 applies and the acquisition is funded by an agency other than DoD or NASA. The subpart also gives instruction to contracting officers to verify the CAGE codes provided.
3. A definition of âCommercial and Government Entity codeâ is provided. The definition encompasses both the CAGE code for entities located in the United States or its outlying areas, and the NCAGE code if the code is assigned by a NATO Codification Bureau or NATO Support Agency .
4. The rule includes definitions of âhighest-level ownerâ and âimmediate owner.â The intent behind defining âownershipâ is to describe how entities relate to one another in terms of their hierarchical relationships. The final rule established the definitions as follows:
5. The term âbusiness entityâ was revised to the term âentityâ throughout the rule. In this context, the term âentityâ means a âlegal entityâ, such as those entities listed at FAR 4.102.
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B Analysis Of Public Comment
The respondent indicated that the purposes of the changes in the proposed rule are not clear and make commenting on the rule difficult. For example, how does this rule support greater traceability or integrity of the supply chain? What is the Government’s objective? Will contractors be required to have CAGE codes for every site at which work is performed? Does the proposed rule intend to add a CAGE code for the shipment function?
Response: The purpose of the rule, as stated in the background section of the preamble for the final rule is to support successful implementation of business tools that seek insight into Federal spending patterns across corporations facilitate traceability in the tracking of performance issues across corporations provide insight on contractor personnel outside the United States and support supply chain traceability and integrity efforts. The use of the CAGE code provides a Government-managed unique identifier for these entities and the final rule provides a mechanism for the entities themselves to identify their hierarchical structure to the Government.
The final rule requires a CAGE code assignment for the entity to whom the Government awards the contractual instrument, i.e., that entity noted on the front page of the contract document and the final rule requires obtaining the immediate and highest-level owner’s CAGE codes and legal names. The rule does not require CAGE code assignment to shipping and performance locations.
Iv Executive Orders 12866 And 13563
Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 direct agencies to assess all costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives and, if regulation is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that maximize net benefits . emphasizes the importance of quantifying both costs and benefits, of reducing costs, of harmonizing rules, and of promoting flexibility. This is not a significant regulatory action and, therefore, was not subject to review under section 6 of E.O. 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review, dated September 30, 1993. This rule is not a major rule under 5 U.S.C. 804.
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What Is A Cage Code
GSA Schedule | Government | 3 Min Read
As a GSA Schedule contractor, you are given a multitude of codes that signify your industry, business size, unique identification, and location. One of these essential codes is the CAGE Code. The Commercial And Government Entity Code, or CAGE Code, is a five-character ID used frequently in the government as an identifier for suppliers to the federal government. Why is it important for GSA Schedule contractors? Let’s cover what a CAGE Code is, why it’s important, and how you can get one.
Vi Paperwork Reduction Act
The Paperwork Reduction Act applies. The rule contains information collection requirements. The Office of Management and Budget has cleared this information collection requirement under OMB Control Number 9000-0185, titled: Commercial and Government Entity Code. In response to the notice of proposed rulemaking and the request for comment on the burden estimates, one respondent did question the burden estimates. The respondent indicated that the rule adds additional costs to the process not recognized in the rule. This relates to usability issues with SAM. The respondent indicated that, as a pilot, industry conducted hierarchy assessment and this took well over an hour without the additional revalidations required by SAM. The respondent requested that the FAR Council republish the rule for public comment after clarifying the issues raised.
2. Amend section 1.106 in the table following the introductory text, by adding in sequence, FAR segments â52.204-16â, â52.204-17â, and â52.204-18â and the corresponding OMB Control Number â9000-0185â.
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When Do Cage Codes Expire
CAGE codes expire every five years based on the last time you updated your entity registration in the System for Award Management tool.
If you update your SAM profile annually, youll automatically be renewing your CAGE code information.
Your CAGE code does not have an expiration date if your company received its CAGE code before August 26, 2016.
For Us Located Sam Registrants:
You do not need to have a CAGE Code prior to registering in the System for Award Management . Once you submit your Entity Registration for processing, SAM will send your entity information to the DLA for CAGE Code assignment. Once the DLA assigns the CAGE Code, SAM will receive and apply the code to the Entity Registration.
If the DLA needs any additional information for the assignment of your CAGE code, your Government Business Point of Contact will receive an email notification from the DLA. Please follow the instructions in the email to provide any requested information.
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B Changes To Far Subpart 123
With respect to commercial items, changes to the list of other required provisions and clauses at FAR 12.301 are included to reflect that CAGE code reporting and maintenance are applicable to commercial items. This is accomplished by including the new provision, FAR 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting, and the new clause, FAR 52.204-18, Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance.
Understanding The Gsa Schedule Game
The GSA contracting is a complex game with long and sometimes unobvious rules. If you want to understand the GSA Schedule game better, please subscribe to our GSA blog. Make sure to dive deeper into our articles, where we discuss ins and outs of the GSA contracting process, explain terms, give advices and share our 12 years experience with you!
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Gao Upholds Proposal Rejection Over Conflicting Cage Codes
Contractors with complex structures should beware.
Contractors with corporate structures involving more than one entity, such as parent and subsidiary, utilize multiple Commercial and Government Entity Codes. A recent Government Accountability Office ruling is a caution to these organizations. In the decision, GAO upheld an agency’s rejection of a proposal that used a CAGE Code of a subsidiary, which differed from the offeror’s CAGE Code, to satisfy the RFQ’s Facility Clearance requirements. This case presents yet another instance of GAO focusing on the precise legal identity of offerors in its decisions.
The solicitation in question was a Request for Quotations issued under a GSA Federal Supply Schedule contract. The RFQ required that contractors have and maintain a valid FCL, at the Secret level or higher, at the time of proposal submission, and that a Department of Defense Contract Security Classification Form be provided indicating this level of clearance.
The protester, BDO USA, LLC, submitted a quotation under its FSS Contract No. GS-16F-149CA. The CAGE Code corresponding to the FSS Contract was 32ZC7. However, in its cover letter, BDO USA identified a different CAGE Code, 6YTU0, and listed this CAGE Code on its DD 254. The addresses of the facilities associated with the two CAGE Codes were different as well.
To address the discrepancy the agency researched various contractor databases which revealed the following:
In response, BDO USA filed a protest at the GAO.
A Summary Of Significant Changes
1. Modification of the definitions within the new provision at 52.204-17 âownerâ has been deleted and the definitions of âimmediate ownerâ and âhighest-level ownerâ clarified so thatâ
a. Ownership is defined as having ownership or control, and the definition of immediate owner includes examples of the indicators of control and
b. An immediate owner has at most one highest-level owner.
2. Direction was added to paragraph of the provision to enable offerors comprised of more than one entity, i.e., joint ventures, to respond appropriately.
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What Is A Cage Code And Why Do Government Contractors Need One
A CAGE code is a five-character alpha-numeric, unique identifier assigned by the Defense Logistics Agency . CAGE codes are assigned to businesses, organizations, etc. that wish to pursue contracts or grants from the United States federal government.
In my 20 years as a government contractor, I knew enough to have my CAGE code, but never understood its purpose, especially when you consider the other unique IDs businesses use.
In researching this article, Ive realized the value and purpose of a CAGE code, where it is helpful to the government and how it ties together with the other unique identifiers used in federal government contracting.
Beware Of Companies Selling Sam Registration
Each year, hundreds of small businesses are convinced to spend money with a vendor promising online SAM registration and will help you get a CAGE code.
Some vendors even use scare tactics such as telling you the task is highly detailed, or a cumbersome registration process, or that you just dont have the time to learn the procedures.
The fact is, only you should fill out the SAM registration and along the way get your CAGE code. If you cannot complete the SAM registration process, then you really need to rethink selling to the federal government.
Selling to and supporting federal government agencies is detailed and regulation driven. Its no harder than anything else you had to learn but will take some time.
Keep your $500-1,000 instead of paying to have someone to register you in SAM and help you get a CAGE code. Spend it on web design.
If you have questions, talk to one of the many free resources available to you, e.g., Small Business Development Center, Womens Business Center, Procurement Technical Assistance Center, etc. They all offer their help with SAM registration at no additional cost.
I created a very detailed, free course on registering in SAM, getting your CAGE code, and getting started in federal contracting. It is a free course designed specifically to give you the start I wish I had when I started my small businesses years ago.
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Getting A Cage Code If Youre Not A Government Contractor
In this blog, Ive described getting a CAGE code from the perspective of a new government contractor. The process for them is straight-forward using the System for Award Management as well as being automated.
If you are not a government contractor or seeking federal government grants, you can still get a CAGE code. Instead of using SAM.gov, you would apply directly to the Defense Logistics Agencys Commercial and Government Entity Program Office through their website located here.
According to DLA, in addition to receiving government contracting or grants, you would need a CAGE code for:
- Facility Security Clearance
- Assignment of a Department of Defense Activity Address Code
The process to register directly with DLA will take 5-10 minutes and requires minimal information about your company and the reason for applying.
