GSA General Services Exclusion (SAM)

Protecting Against Fraud

The General Services Administration (GSA) maintains the System for Award Management (SAM).

SAM contains an exclusion list identifying individuals and entities debarred, suspended or otherwise declared ineligible for federal contracts, grants, loans, and other assistance programs.

Parties may be excluded from the GSA list for offenses such as:

  • Fraud, antitrust violations or embezzlement

  • Violating contract terms or poor performance

  • Ethics violations or conflicts of interest

  • Tax delinquency or other financial misconduct

This inquiry is also part of a comprehensive healthcare sanctions check.

Failing to screen new hires and contractors against SAM's exclusion records can lead to suspended contract payments, loan defaults, contract termination and your own potential suspension or debarment.

The list also includes individuals and entities that have been convicted of federal procurement fraud offenses, or that have been sanctioned by the government for engaging in illegal activities, such as drug trafficking or terrorism.

CI offers comprehensive GSA exclusion checks to safeguard your organization's eligibility. Our screenings search SAM's exclusions database along with other critical debarment sources, including:

  • Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Lists

  • State Debarment and Suspension Lists

  • Excluded Parties List System (EPLS)

  • Office of the Inspector General (OIG)

  • ...and over 2,000 additional exclusion sources

With thorough vetting against these crucial databases, you gain confidence that you are only working with fully eligible and responsible parties in line with federal contracting rules.

Protect your organization from severe penalties and reputational damage. Partner with CI for reliable GSA exclusion monitoring and contractor screening solutions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a GSA exclusion check?

A GSA exclusion check screens individuals and entities against the General Services Administration's (GSA) System for Award Management (SAM) exclusion list.

This federal database contains records of parties that have been debarred, suspended or otherwise deemed ineligible for being awarded federal contracts or receiving assistance like grants and loans.

When you run a GSA exclusion search on a potential employee, contractor, provider, vendor, or other associate, you are checking to see if that party appears on the SAM exclusion list.

This allows you to identify any parties that have been excluded by the GSA and other federal agencies for issues such as:

  • Fraud, embezzlement, or theft related to federal contracts or grants

  • Bribery, antitrust violations or other criminal offenses

  • Civil judgments for contract violations or poor performance

  • Tax delinquency or other financial misconduct

  • A history of unsatisfactory performance on federal contracts

  • Other offenses indicating a lack of business integrity

By screening against these GSA exclusion databases, you can avoid employing or doing business with individuals who have displayed unethical, illegal, or irresponsible behaviors.

Why are GSA exclusion checks important?

For organizations that receive federal funding, conducting GSA exclusion checks against the System for Award Management (SAM) database is critical.

Failing to properly vet new hires and associates against SAM's exclusion records can lead to severe penalties like suspension of contract or assistance payments, termination of agreements, potential loan defaults, and even debarment of your own organization from federal opportunities.

Additionally, not screening against these exclusions opens your organization up to compliance violations, federal fines, and reputation damage.

The SAM exclusion list allows you to screen out individuals due to fraud, legal violations, unethical conduct, and poor performance history.

What information is obtained?

A GSA exclusion report provides key details like the administrative authority that took the exclusion action, the particular database where the party's name is listed, and reason for exclusion.

The results also show whether the exclusion is currently active and in effect, or if there was a specific reinstatement date.

CI’s GSA Exclusion List search will instantly disseminate information on individuals that may be excluded from such contracts and/or benefits for various violations, including:

  • Fraud, antitrust violations, embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, false statements, or other offenses indicating a lack of business integrity

  • Conviction(s) or ongoing investigation(s) for a Federal or State offense relating to the distribution or possession of controlled substances

  • Sanctions pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Sanctions Regulations

  • Crimes relating to immigration

  • Sanctions pursuant to the Terrorism Sanctions Regulations

  • Sanctions pursuant to the Foreign Assets Control Regulations, which include:

    • Engaging in business with companies located in, controlled by, or organized in the nations of Cuba or Sudan;

    • The arrangement of illegal imports from North Korea or Burma;

    • Imports/Exports to/from Iraq;

    • Imports of “rough diamonds” from Liberia;

    • Imports of uncertified diamonds or the receipt of donations in the form of gifts or charitable contributions from Syria or North Korea;

    • Transactions with designated international narcotics traffickers, terrorists or foreign terrorist organizations or any persons deemed threatening to the stabilization efforts in the Balkans or Zimbabwe.

  • Debarment by the Comptroller General for violation of the Davis-Bacon Act, a law requiring contractors to pay no less than the prevailing wage for federal contracts exceeding in value $2,000.

  • Failure to fulfill the obligations under any bond; failure to disclose all bond obligations, misrepresentation of the value of available assets or outstanding liabilities; false or misleading statement, signature, or representation on a bond or affidavit of individual suretyship or any other serious dishonesty related to bond ownership or suretyship.

  • Declared ineligible by the Secretary of Education in accordance with the Higher Education Act and/or the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act based upon a failure to submit a certification of adoption and implementation of a drug prevention program.

  • A Contractor's or Subcontractor's failure to satisfy its obligations under the Equal Opportunity Clause or Affirmative Action Clause of a Federal contract or federally assisted construction contract.


If you are considering hiring a new employee, or if you are already an employer, and you are concerned about the possibility of fraud or other unlawful activity, we encourage you to use the OIG Exclusion List as part of your pre-employment background check.

Discover More with Commercial Investigations

HCCP simplifies exclusion testing by combining databases from GSA, OIG, OMIG, and more.

Stay informed about exclusions and prevent fraud with access to the OIG Exclusion List.

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