Glossary
Unique Entity ID (UEI)
The Unique Entity ID (UEI) is a twelve-character alphanumeric identifier assigned by the federal government through SAM.gov to identify an entity receiving federal contracts or financial assistance. SAM.gov states that as part of registration, the entity is assigned a Unique Entity ID.
It replaced the proprietary DUNS number as the federal government's entity identifier in April 2022. Unlike DUNS, it is issued by the government, and it is free. It is assigned alongside your CAGE code.
The short version
- The UEI identifies a legal entity in the federal award system. Registration in SAM.gov is what produces it.
- It is free. Any service charging for a UEI or for SAM registration is charging for a free process.
- Registration must be renewed annually or it becomes inactive, which can block award.
- Subrecipients of federal grants generally need one too, which is how the requirement reaches organizations that never bid federally.
Why it matters to a bidder
For a state and local bidder, the UEI matters at exactly one moment: when federal money touches the contract.
- Register before you need it. SAM registration requires entity validation documentation and can take days to weeks. It is not something to start when a bid is due Friday.
- Calendar the annual renewal. An expired registration is a common reason an otherwise successful bidder cannot be awarded, and it is entirely avoidable.
- Match your legal name exactly. The name and address in SAM should match your incorporation documents and your bid forms. Mismatches cause payment and eligibility problems downstream.
- Keep your CAGE code record aligned, since it is assigned through the same registration.
A real example
A nonprofit is selected by a county as a subrecipient for a federally funded workforce program. The county cannot execute the subaward because the nonprofit has no active SAM registration and therefore no UEI. Entity validation takes eleven days because the organization's registered address differs from the address on its incorporation filing. The program start slips a month. The nonprofit had never bid a federal contract and did not know the requirement existed.
How state and local differs from federal
Federally, no UEI means no award. Full stop. State and local procurement generally does not use the UEI at all. States maintain their own vendor registration systems with their own identifiers, and a city typically wants a state vendor number, a W-9 and a local business license rather than anything from SAM.
The requirement crosses over through grant funding. When a state agency, county, city or district passes federal money down as a contract or a subaward, the recipient must generally be registered and identified in the federal system. In practice this means the vendors most often caught unprepared are exactly the ones with no federal experience: local nonprofits, small service firms and regional contractors picking up grant-funded work. If a solicitation's federal provisions section asks for a UEI, treat it as a signal that Davis-Bacon and other federal conditions may apply, and register now rather than at award.
Common questions
Is the UEI the same as a DUNS number?
No. The UEI replaced the DUNS number as the federal entity identifier in April 2022. It is government-issued and free.
Do I need a UEI to bid on state contracts?
Generally no, unless the contract is funded with federal money and the solicitation requires it.
How long does registration take?
Plan on days to weeks. Entity validation against your incorporation records is the step that most often causes delay.
Does it expire?
Registration must be renewed annually. An inactive registration can prevent award and payment.