Overview
This section prescribes the specific provisions and clauses that contracting officers must include in solicitations and contracts to ensure proper reporting, disclosure, and maintenance of Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) codes. It establishes a mandatory link between System for Award Management (SAM) registration and the requirement for offerors to provide data regarding their ownership, control, and entity history.
Key Rules
- Trigger for CAGE Reporting (52.204-16): This provision must be included in any solicitation that requires a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) or registration in the System for Award Management (SAM).
- Ownership and Control Disclosure (52.204-17): If a solicitation requires CAGE code reporting (52.204-16), it must also include this provision to identify the offeror’s immediate and highest-level owners.
- CAGE Code Maintenance (52.204-18): This clause is required in both solicitations and contracts whenever the CAGE reporting provision is present, ensuring the contractor keeps their CAGE information current throughout the life of the contract.
- Predecessor Identification (52.204-20): This provision is mandatory whenever CAGE reporting is required, forcing offerors to disclose whether they have taken over the assets or operations of a prior entity within the last three years.
Practical Implications
- Interdependence: These clauses function as a regulatory "package"; because most federal solicitations require SAM registration, contractors should expect to see all four CAGE-related provisions and clauses in nearly every formal solicitation.
- Due Diligence: Offerors must maintain accurate corporate hierarchy data and historical records of organizational changes, as the FAR requires explicit disclosure of ownership and predecessor entities during the proposal process.