This Wednesday, May 23, Central Contractor Registration (CCR) will go the way of the space shuttle and the dodo. The first stop for new government contractors, along with the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), Federal Agency Registration (FedReg) and Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) will be going dark. Data will be migrated over the Memorial Day weekend and the new consolidated database, the System for Award Management (SAM), will go live on May 29.
SAM is waiting for its big debut. Screenshot: SAM.
Deltek Chief Knowledge Officer Ray Bjorklund believes, “Overall, this consolidation of systems is a good thing. It will reduce administrative burdens on both government procurement offices and contractors. The risk of incorrect data will decline as data will be entered once and cross-populated to all of the systems that need to consume it.” This cross-checking of data does mean contractors should be more careful in choosing North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes and self-certifying.
Any firms that have expiration dates for re-certification during the six-day dark period should be notified via email of an automatic 60-day extension.
While the CCR component is getting the most press, Bjorklund does caution about moving forward with any teaming plans during the dark period, because users will be able to find out whether any potential subcontractors are listed in EPLS with the target agency.
Agencies have gotten word that the implementation of SAM will be delayed for another 60 days…expect the switch to be activated late July.