# Check a teaming partner's SAM registration and exclusions

To vet a teaming partner with an AI agent, give it the partner's UEI or CAGE code and ask it to call registration_status and exclusion_check. Together they say whether the SAM.gov registration is active, the expiration date, days left, the renewal window and whether an active exclusion matches, each with the date of the extract it read.

Primes and small businesses forming a team for a proposal. A partner whose registration lapses during evaluation, or who turns up on the exclusions list, can sink the bid. Checking both in one prompt before you sign a teaming agreement takes seconds and leaves a dated record you can paste into the capture file.

## The prompt

```
Check UEI ZXBCU6K5KL99 before we sign a teaming agreement: is its SAM.gov registration active, when does it expire, and is it on the exclusions list? Quote the data-as-of dates and link the SAM.gov record.
```

## What the agent calls

1. registration_status: Status, expiration date, days to expiry, renewal window and the exclusion flag SAM.gov carries on the registration.

```json
{"name":"registration_status","arguments":{"id":"ZXBCU6K5KL99","user_request":"vet teaming partner registration"}}
```

2. exclusion_check: Matches the UEI against the separate daily exclusions extract, which can be newer than the registration extract.

```json
{"name":"exclusion_check","arguments":{"q":"ZXBCU6K5KL99","user_request":"vet teaming partner exclusions"}}
```

## Sample output

Trimmed; field names and structure match the live response, values are shortened or illustrative.

```json
{
  "data": {
    "uei": "ZXBCU6K5KL99",
    "cage": "5S389",
    "status": "active",
    "expiration_date": "2027-10-20",
    "days_to_expiry": 341,
    "exclusion_flag": false,
    "renewal_window": "current",
    "can_receive_awards": true,
    "as_of": "2026-11-01",
    "record_url": "https://sam.gov/entity/ZXBCU6K5KL99/coreData"
  },
  "meta": {
    "credits_charged": 1
  }
}
```

## How to read the answer

- renewal_window reads current, renew_soon (within 120 days), renew_now (within 60 days) or expired. A partner in renew_now should renew before proposal submission, because evaluation often outlasts the registration.
- exclusion_flag comes from the registration record; exclusion_check reads the exclusions extract itself. Report both: they are refreshed on different days, and each answer states its own date.
- can_receive_awards is false when the registration is not active or an exclusion is flagged. It is a summary of the two facts, not a responsibility determination.

## Make it yours

- Give a CAGE code instead of a UEI; both tools accept either.
- Ask for get_entity as well to see the partner's NAICS codes and SBA certifications for the teaming narrative.
- Paste five partners at once and ask for a table; the agent makes two calls per partner.

## Pitfalls

- Name-only checks are risky: two firms can share a name. Always check by UEI or CAGE, and use exact-name exclusion checks only as a backup.
- The data is dated, not live. For an award decision, confirm on sam.gov on the day, and keep the dated answer as your screening record.

## The same job over REST

```bash
curl "https://samgovapi.io/api/v1/registration-status/ZXBCU6K5KL99" -H "Authorization: Bearer $SAMGOVAPI_API_KEY"
```

Plan: every plan. Credits: 1 credit per lookup; two calls per partner.

## Questions

### Is this check enough for FAR responsibility purposes?

No. It is a fast screen from the public extracts. The contracting officer's responsibility determination and your own compliance process decide; this gives you dated evidence to start from.

### What if the partner has no UEI?

Then it is not registered in SAM.gov. Registration is free at sam.gov and only the entity itself can register.

All recipes: https://samgovapi.io/agents/recipes.md

Independent. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by GSA, SAM.gov or any U.S. government agency. Registering in SAM.gov is free at sam.gov.