Frequently Asked Questions

Topics

• Administration 
• Login
• MFA 
• Registration
• Security

Administration 

Can SAM updates automatically assign Administrator status?

No. If a SAM record is updated after registration, the SAM Point of Contact listed on the confirmation page during registration must activate the account and assign the user to the Administrator group.

To retrieve Points of Contact information, visit SAM.gov and see Understanding the SAM Connection.

Why can't a user be seen in Administration? 

Confirm that registration occurred on the correct Symphony website and for the same company.

Can an account be moved to another company?

Yes. If an account was registered under a different company, Submit a Ticket with the email address and the correct UEI/CAGE code to have the account moved or revoked. 

How can a user’s account be disabled?

Administrators can disable accounts by selecting the "Delete" option under User Status in their administration link. Refer to Using Symphony’s Administrative Features for guidance.

Why can't registration proceed after an account is deleted?

If an account is deleted, the system does not permit re-registration with the same email. (See Administration Basics).

How can users be added to a company?

Users must self-register with the correct UEI and CAGE code, as adding others on their behalf is not permitted. 

Note: Registered users are managed through the Administration component, and accounts registered incorrectly will not be visible.

Can additional Administrators be assigned?

Yes, additional users can be assigned to the Administrator group to activate accounts, as depicted in Figure 1.

Figure 1. User Management screen

How many users can register for Symphony?

There is no limit to the number of users. They will all be able to work in Symphony if their accounts are active.

How do I invite users to my company in Symphony?

Users must be invited outside of Symphony, as self-registration is required.

Where are key roles, such as Contract Manager, assigned?

Roles like Contract Manager and Program Manager are assigned in the proposal submission or contract management section. 

Note: These roles are not available in the Administration link and users can only select from a company's registered users in Symphony. 

How can profile information be changed?

All users can sign out or update their profile information from the top-right icon. A user can change their password and add or update an authenticator app by scanning the QR code for login. Name changes are not supported.

Login

Can an account be linked to multiple companies?

No. An email can only be linked to one company. 

For access to multiple companies on one Symphony website, a user must register with a unique email for each company. Shared emails are not supported.

Who is my administrator?

SAM.gov Points of Contact are authorized users for organizations. POCs can be viewed on SAM.gov, as shown in Figure 2. (See Understanding the SAM Connection).

Note: A "SAM administrator" cannot be verified. 

Figure 2. The SAM.gov Points of Contact section

Why did I get an Authentication Failed message?

If the Authentication Failed, use the Forgot Password link to reset the account. 

If the reset email doesn't arrive in a few minutes and isn't in the spam or trash folder, start a new registration. In cases of duplicate registration, Contact us.

Why is my account inactive?

New accounts remain in Initial status until activated by a registered SAM POC for their company or system administrator.

• Staff users in this status cannot sign in without proper approval. See Understanding the SAM Connection for more information on finding the administrator list at SAM.gov. 
• If your name is listed as a SAM POC, download or save a copy of the SAM record with the Points of Contact name and email address after registering in Symphony. Contact us and provide the SAM UEI and a copy of the POC information so that we can verify your access.

How does an administrator activate an account?

Administrators can change a user’s status from Initial to Active through the Administration section:

1. Sign in to Symphony
2. Navigate to the Administration section
3. Select the row for the user to manage
4. Change the user status to Active
5. Save changes

For additional details see Using Symphony's Administrative Features

Why hasn't anyone received a notification about my registration?

Notifications are only sent if the SAM POC has registered on the same Symphony site. 

• Contact a SAM POC and request that they register, sign in, and activate your account. See Inactive Accounts.

Who was notified about my registration?

If no one received an activation email, SAM POC(s) must be invited outside of Symphony. 

• Request that the SAM POC(s) sign in or register themselves for the same Symphony website and then the POC(s) can activate your initial registration. See Gaining Administrator Access.

Why can't my SAM POC sign in? 

• There is a mismatch in the information from SAM.gov.
• SAM POC's account has not been activated. See Verification steps below.
• The user needs to be activated by another administrator. 

How to Receive Verification as a SAM POC from the Help Desk

To complete the help desk verification process, follow these steps:

1. Log in to SAM.gov
2. Use the Search option
3. Select All Domains
4. Choose Entity Information
5. Search for your company and click on its name
6. Go to the Points of Contact tab
7. Confirm that names and email addresses are listed and match the registered information
8. Submit a ticket with the entity record (download or print screen) showing your role as a Point of Contact

Why can't my Administrator see my account? Why can't I see a user?

Users must be registered for the same company on the right Symphony website. Contact us if there is a mismatch in the UEI and CAGE code.

Why can't I see a new solicitation?

There are multiple instances of Symphony available on different websites. Use the link in the solicitation (Request for Proposals (RFP)). 

MFA 

Which authenticator app should be used?

Google Authenticator is recommended for retrieving the six-digit codes each time users sign into Symphony. It's free, easy to use, and supports multiple accounts. 

Where is my text message code?

SMS delivery can be delayed. Disabling Wi-Fi may expedite delivery if it takes more than 2-3 minutes to arrive.

How do I change my MFA method?

Submit a ticket with the preferred MFA method, and we will provide a QR code or update the phone number for text messages.

Can MFA codes be sent via email?

No. Email codes are not allowed due to security requirements.

Why is my MFA code incorrect?

The code is expired or does not match the Symphony registration. Submit a ticket with the preferred MFA method, and we will provide a QR code or update the phone number for text messages.

Registration

Why is registration required?

Users must be registered to be activated and assigned permissions. Ensure you register with the correct link for the Contract Vehicle you need to access.

Where is the registration validation code?

If you don't get an email, check the spam or trash folders and confirm that the email address is receiving messages. It could come from one of the following:

• noreply@gsa.gov
• symphony@apexlogic.com

What company should I register for?

Register using the SAM.gov UEI and CAGE code for the company or Joint Venture that will be prime for the proposal.

If the company has a contract award, register with the contract holder’s UEI and CAGE code.

What should I do if I register for the wrong company?

Submit a Ticket with your email address and provide the correct UEI/CAGE for registration and the account can be moved or revoked. 

Can I register with a subcontractor or JV Member's company?

No. Only register with the prime offeror's SAM UEI and CAGE code.

Note: Subcontractors and Joint Venture members are added as Team Members in Symphony. Organizations cannot share the company assets they assemble with another company or across different contract vehicles.

Can registration proceed without the SAM UEI?

No. An active SAM UEI is required for Symphony registration. 

Can registration proceed without a CAGE code?

CAGE codes are optional unless multiple CAGE codes are assigned to the UEI. If omitted, the account may register incorrectly.

What does "organization cannot be found" mean?

This issue may stem from SAM system availability. If you receive an error message, double check the UEI and retry the process or check for SAM notices regarding the systems status.

How can I switch multiple email addresses to an organization? 

Submit a ticket and we can move accounts individually or as a group to the correct UEI and CAGE code.  

How can I register for multiple companies? 

If you need to register for multiple companies on one Symphony website, you must have a unique email for each company, and you should not use a group email address. An email can only be linked to one company per Contract Vehicle.

Security

Does Symphony accept the following document types?

• Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)
• For Official Use Only (FOUO)
• Sensitive but Unclassified (SBU)

Yes. CUI, FOUO, and SBU documents may be submitted in Symphony. 

Note: Classified or encrypted documents are not permitted. Password-protected documents must be approved by the requesting agency.

What are the document size limits?

Files must be under 20MB (see Figure 3) unless they are for Alliant 3. 

Symphony will allow users to attach as many files as they need to support the claims.

Figure 3. The 20MB file size limit

Document upload rules: 

1. File names cannot exceed 250 characters.
2. Files cannot be combined into a "zip" folder
3. You can not drag and drop from Sharepoint or other Cloud Drives. Files must come from your computer.

What security protocols are in place to protect my proprietary data? 

Symphony is hosted on cloud.gov with a FISMA Moderate 3-year ATO. All data is encrypted in transit and rest. Details can be requested from the GSA IT Security office. 

Need help? Contact us  

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