Attention: This One Error Can Eliminate Your Grant Application
You’ve spent weeks refining your federal grant proposal. You’ve aligned your goals with the agency’s mission, gathered strong letters of support, and reviewed every detail. Then, without warning, your proposal is tossed out before review. Why? Your SAM.gov registration wasn’t active at the time of submission.
A recent case in the Court of Federal Claims shows just how serious this issue is, even if your proposal is otherwise perfect, no active registration means no eligibility.
The TL;DR
A recent federal court case underscores that proposals, whether for contracts or grants, require active SAM.gov registration at the time of submission. If your SAM profile lapses, your proposal can be rejected without review. Fixing it after submission won’t help.
What Happened and What Grant Seekers Can Learn
In a now well-circulated case, a contractor lost out on a U.S. Army award because their SAM.gov registration lapsed by just a few days. The protest went all the way to the Court of Federal Claims. The verdict? Too bad, so sad. The law clearly states you must be actively registered in SAM.gov at the time of proposal submission—not before, not after.
Why should grant seekers care about a contracting case?
Because federal grant opportunities (e.g., SBIR, NIH, NSF, ARPA-E, USDA, EDA, and more) also require active SAM.gov registration at the time of submission. The same rules apply. And the same harsh consequences are likely.
If You’re Applying for Federal Grants, This Could Happen to You
Many startups, universities, nonprofits, and small businesses assume that once they’ve registered with SAM.gov, they’re all set. But registration must be renewed annually, and any lapse, even by a day, can render you ineligible.
SAM.gov registration is more than a bureaucratic checkbox. It’s a non-negotiable requirement. Here’s why:
- Every agency checks SAM.gov status before awarding a grant
- Some proposal portals (like Grants.gov or Research.gov) require a SAM.gov-linked UEI to even submit
- If your entity is not active and compliant, you are legally not eligible for funding, even if your proposal scores well
Don’t Let This Be You
A lapse in SAM.gov registration can lead to:
❌ Automatic disqualification from consideration
❌ Loss of eligibility for multi-million-dollar awards
❌ No option to fix after submission
❌ Months of work wasted
Even worse? You might not know your registration lapsed unless you’re actively monitoring your status. That’s the silent danger.
Easy Steps to Stay Compliant and Grant-Ready
To prevent this issue from ruining your funding chances, take the following steps now:
✅ Check your SAM.gov status today – Make sure your entity is “Active” and that no updates or validations are pending.
✅ Mark your calendar – SAM.gov must be renewed annually, and the process can take several weeks. Set alerts for 90, 60, and 30 days before expiration.
✅ Assign a compliance lead – Make someone responsible for managing registrations and reminders.
✅ Confirm before submission – Check your status the day you submit. If it’s not active, do not hit “Submit” until it is.
✅ Get expert help – We regularly guide clients through this process. Don’t guess—ask for help if you need it.
Don’t Let a Missed Box Derail Your Entire Grant Strategy
Don’t let a preventable SAM.gov issue cost you the opportunity to grow your business or make a difference.
Ready To Take the Next Step?
We assist our clients in locating, applying for, and evaluating the outcomes of non-dilutive grant funding. We believe non-dilutive funding is a crucial tool for mitigating investment risks, and we are dedicated to guiding our clients through the entire process—from identifying the most suitable opportunities to submitting and managing grant applications.