Key Details: The federal government is undertaking a significant systems consolidation that will affect access to procurement tools for government contractors. The General Services Administration (GSA) is retiring some standalone procurement systems and migrating its functions into the centralized System for Award Management (SAM.gov). Specifically, the Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System (eSRS) and certain components of the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) are being phased out at the end of February as their capabilities are migrated to SAM.gov. These changes are part of a long-term modernization effort to create a more efficient user experience for federal award management.
SAM.gov is the U.S. government’s primary portal for managing federal awards and contracting processes. All businesses that want to compete for or perform on a federal contract are required to register their entity and create an account in SAM.gov. Contractors can use SAM.gov for a wide range of tasks in the procurement cycle once registered:
SAM.gov is the central portal for federal contracting and enables contractors to maintain a single profile to access a broad spectrum of acquisition-related functions.
The upcoming SAM.gov changes are part of the GSA’s Integrated Award Environment (IAE) modernization efforts. The ultimate goal is to have a consolidated, modern platform for managing all stages of federal awards.
Migration of eSRS (Subcontracting Reporting) into SAM.gov
The eSRS is the online platform that large federal prime contractors and applicable subcontractors use to report on their small business subcontracting efforts. Certain federal regulations require many large prime contractors (generally, those “other than small” businesses) to file periodic reports documenting the subcontract work they have allocated to small businesses and other socio-economic categories. The GSA will discontinue the eSRS on February 20, 2026. After this, the site will redirect users to a new module on SAM.gov.
During the changeover period, contractors may experience temporary functionality gaps. As such, contractors should plan ahead to avoid compliance risks, such as completing any pending subcontracting reports and downloading necessary historical data from eSRS before the February 20, 2026, decommission date. The GSA has noted that contractors should perform the following steps for a smooth transition. Contractors should note that this only applies to active eSRS users.
Additionally, the GSA noted that the transition to SAM.gov will introduce changes to the reporting requirements and processes previously done in eSRS:
Contractors should familiarize themselves with the new module in SAM.gov when ready, as well as the new reporting processes.
Transition of FPDS into SAM.gov
The FPDS is the database that houses information on federal contracting actions and has been a public-facing website. This tool has been critical in helping government contractors and analysts review government spending trends. While FDPS primarily serves as a repository for government contract data entry, its online search features have been widely used for market research. The GSA’s modernization plan consolidates FPDS’s functionalities into SAM.gov, and the FPDS website will be discontinued on February 24, 2026. All users who need to research federal contract awards or trends must create a SAM.gov account and use the search tool there moving forward.
GSA’s consolidation of eSRS and FPDS into SAM.gov is a significant change in the federal contracting marketplace. Proper preparation and awareness are key to maintaining compliance. Contractors are encouraged to review the action plan below to stay ahead:
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Peter T. Ryan co-founded Ryan & Wetmore in 1988 with business partner Michael J. Wetmore. Peter provides clients with the best strategies for success. His expertise extends across various industries. Peter obtained a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Baltimore and a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from the Catholic University of America.
About Rosie Cheng
Senior Finance Consultant
Rosie Cheng is a Senior Finance Consultant at Ryan & Wetmore. She focuses on government contracting services and produces many of the firm’s government contracting newsletters. Rosie earned her Master of Science in Management from Georgetown University and a BBA from William and Mary.