Omnibus Bill Eliminates Requirement for Farmers to Register in SAM for NRCS Funding

by Kristin Higgins - April 24, 2018

Farmers who receive financial assistance from Natural Resources Conservation Service programs will no longer need to register in the System for Award Management or obtain a DUNS number to qualify for funding, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday.

In a news release highlighting the streamlining of the government contracting process for farmers who participate in NRCS programs, the agency said the SAM registration requirement was intended for “billion-dollar government contractors, not everyday farmers trying to support their families.”

“This change greatly simplifies the contracting process for our customers and staff,” said Mike Sullivan, NRCS state conservationist in Arkansas, in the news release. “Conservation program participants will soon receive letters from their local NRCS office with more details.”

The Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center at the UA System Division of Agriculture has been helping farmers for several years register in SAM for free. Part of that process involved obtaining a Dun and Bradstreet Universal Number System (DUNS) number.

The change announced Tuesday was made possible by The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 (the 2018 Omnibus Bill) signed by President Trump on March 23. The Omnibus Bill eliminated the requirements.

However, DUNS/SAM registration is still required for:

• Partnership agreements entered through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
• All agreements with eligible entities under the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP)
• Agreements under the Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) component of ACEP.
• Partnership agreements under the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP) component of ACEP-Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE).
• Watershed operations agreements with project sponsors.
• Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) agreements with project sponsors, including Recovery and Floodplain Easements.
• All cooperative, contribution, interagency, or partnership agreements of Federal contracts used by NRCS to procure goods or services.

Businesses and others still needing assistance with SAM registration for government contracting purposes are encouraged to contact the Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center at 501-671-2390.