About Digital Certificates

You are required to have a digital certificate for access into the eOffer/eMod applications and to sign the final documents electronically. GSA requires an ACES Business Representative Certificate because this certificate ties the individual with the certificate to the company they work for. However, effective Jan 1, 2013, if you have a DOD ECA certificate you may also use it to access the eOffer/eMod applications.

GSA realizes that it has a lot of vendors who also do business with DOD and who are required to have a DOD ECA certificate as well. To minimize the cost of doing business for our vendors, GSA is now allowing its vendors that have both certificates to only have to maintain one certificate and be able to use it with both organizations.

What is a digital certificate?

A digital certificate is an electronic credentials that:

• Asserts the identity of an individual
• Enables eOffer/eMod to verify the identity of the individual entering the system and signing documents.
• Encrypt or decrypt data to ensure that it is securely transmitted.
• A packet of information that is stored on a web browser or on a token.
• Create digital signatures which are verifiable.

How to get a digital certificate?

• IdenTrust
• Operational Research Consultants (ORC)

• It will take between 7 and 14 days for a digital certificate to be issued after you have notarized you paperwork and submitted it to the company.
• Digital certificates must be updated every two (2) years.
• It is imperative that affected contractors keep their digital certificates current. An expired digital certificate will delay the ability to submit an electronic offer or modification

Types of Certificates accepted for access and signature within the eOffer/eMod applications

ACES Business Representative Certificate
DOD ECA certificate

How to get a Digital Cert if you are a foreign company?

If you are a Foreign Company trying to do business with the General Services Administration using eOffer/eMod and need a digital certificate, follow the instructions below:

Complete the application on the http://aces.orc.com/ site for a "Aces Business Representative Certificate". Complete the Aces Business Representative application. The form does not currently accept foreign addresses, so in the field for the address put Virginia, 22030, United States. In the text box below put the actual foreign address. Submit the form and print the documents to be notarized. Then have the form notarized through one of the following methods:

• Go to a US Embassy and have the documents notarized.
• If they are in the US they can go to any notary, or they can to go the ORC office and have the documents reviewed.

If they have questions and need to speak to someone at ORC, they can use the number below or email them.

The ORC ACES Customer Service Team
aceshelp@orc.com
(888) 816-5503

They need to tell the person they are speaking with that they need a ACES Business Representative Certificate and that they are a foreign company.