Guides
The checks behind supplier compliance
What each rule or list is, what to check and how often, what a reviewer expects to see, and what Watch does about it. General information, dated and sourced; not legal advice.
Screening a subcontractor
Pre-award subcontractor screening checklist
What to check before a subcontract award, which rule asks for it, where to look and what to keep, from identity and exclusions to Section 889 and CMMC.
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How to check if a company is debarred or suspended
Search SAM.gov for a debarred or suspended company in six steps: what to search, how to read a record, what a clean result misses, and what to save.
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UEI vs CAGE code: identifying the right company
What a UEI and a CAGE code each identify, who assigns them, why neither is a SAM.gov registration, and how to match a supplier to the right record.
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SAM.gov registration expiry: catching it before it lapses
Why SAM.gov registrations expire, what a lapse means for a supplier, and how to hear about an expiring or expired registration before it causes trouble.
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Exclusions, integrity records and sanctions
Debarment vs suspension vs proposed debarment
How debarment, suspension, proposed debarment and voluntary exclusion differ: the evidence, the length, and what each means for a prime.
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SAM.gov exclusions in 2026: what the data shows
678 SAM.gov exclusions took effect from January to September 2026: which agencies issued them, how many were pending, and what it means for screening.
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SAM.gov exclusion monitoring for your suppliers
What a SAM.gov exclusion is, why one search isn't enough, how a linked exclusion differs from a name match, and how to keep a dated record of each check.
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FAPIIS and integrity records: what they are and how to watch them
FAPIIS is retired, and its records live on as integrity records in SAM.gov: what they contain, who reviews them, and why a prime should look.
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Checking suppliers against the Consolidated Screening List
What the trade.gov Consolidated Screening List covers, why its matches are by name, and how to screen suppliers with a person deciding each possible match.
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Clauses and flow-down
Section 889 for subcontractors: clauses, numbers and flow-down
What Section 889 asks of a prime and its subs, why the clause now has three numbers, what flows down, and the record to collect from each sub.
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The FAR Overhaul: what changes for subcontractor screening
Where the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul stands for primes: what the Part 9 proposed rule keeps, what moves, what became of FAPIIS, and what to do now.
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FAR 52.209-6: subcontracting with excluded parties
What FAR 52.209-6 asks of a prime before subcontracting with a debarred or suspended company, the $45,000 threshold, the notice, and the record to keep.
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2 CFR 180 and 200: exclusion checks for subrecipients and contractors
What 2 CFR 180.300 and 200.332 ask of a grant recipient before a subaward or a contract under it, and how to keep a dated record of each exclusion check.
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CMMC flow-down to subcontractors (DFARS 252.204-7021)
What DFARS 252.204-7021 asks primes to flow down, where CMMC stands in October 2026 (Phase 2 suspended in July), and how to keep each sub's status on file.
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