On November 12, 2024, the Department of Defense (DoD), General
Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) will issue an
interim rule amending FAR 52.204-7 to clarify that an
offeror's failure to maintain System for Award Management (SAM)
registration during the period between proposal submission and
contract award does not render the offeror ineligible for award.
Providing welcome relief to agencies and contractors alike, the
interim rule requires only that an offeror be registered in SAM at
the time of offer submission and at the time of contract award.
The interim rule comes in response to Court of Federal Claims
(COFC) and GAO decisions that have strictly enforced the language
of FAR 52.204-7 stating that "[a]n Offeror is required to be
registered in SAM when submitting an offer or quotation and shall
continue to be registered until time of award" and required
contractors to maintain active SAM registration throughout