How to register to apply for federal grants

Before you can submit your first federal grant application, you have to get registered — and the system that trips people up is rarely the application itself. It’s the chain of free government accounts you set up beforehand. Here’s every step in plain English, what each one is for, and roughly how long it takes, so a slow approval never costs you a deadline.

The registration chain, step by step

Federal grant registration is a sequence — each step unlocks the next. Most grants go to organizations, so the path below is written for one. If you’re an individual applying for yourself, see the note after the steps.

1. 1

   Form a legal entity and get an EIN

   Most federal grants are awarded to organizations, so you first need a legal entity (a nonprofit, business, or similar) and an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS. The EIN is free and is usually issued immediately when you apply online. Individuals applying for themselves can skip the entity and SAM.gov steps, but only for opportunities that explicitly allow individual applicants.

2. 2

   Register your entity in SAM.gov to get a UEI

   Register your organization in SAM.gov, the System for Award Management. This is free and gives you a Unique Entity ID (UEI) — a 12-character alphanumeric ID that makes your organization eligible to receive federal awards. Official guidance says to allow up to 10 business days to become active, but in practice it often takes 2 to 8 weeks. Start at least 30 days before any deadline.

3. 3

   Create a Login.gov account

   Login.gov is the secure sign-in service used to access Grants.gov. Creating an account takes only a few minutes — you verify an email address and set up a password and two-factor authentication.

4. 4

   Create your Grants.gov profile and get authorized

   Using your UEI, create a profile in Grants.gov and connect it to your organization. Your organization assigns roles to its users, including the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) — the person allowed to submit applications on the organization's behalf. Getting the right role authorized can take a day or two depending on who manages your account.

5. 5

   Find the opportunity and submit

   Once your SAM.gov registration is active and your Grants.gov profile is ready, find the opportunity, complete the application package, and submit it through Grants.gov before the deadline. Grants.gov checks your SAM.gov registration live at submission, so it must be active at that moment.

SAM.gov vs Grants.gov: which comes first

These are two different systems, and people often mix them up. SAM.gov handles entity registration and identity — it issues your UEI and makes your organization eligible to receive federal awards. Grants.gov is the portal where you actually find opportunities and submit applications. You register in SAM.gov first, then build your Grants.gov profile using the UEI that SAM.gov gave you. For a fuller breakdown, see our guide on SAM.gov vs Grants.gov.

What about the UEI? (And whatever happened to DUNS?)

If you’ve seen older instructions mention a DUNS number, those are out of date. The DUNS number was retired on April 4, 2022 and replaced by the Unique Entity ID. DUNS was a 9-digit number issued by a third-party company; the UEI is a 12-character alphanumeric ID issued and managed by SAM.gov itself, for free, with no third party involved. You get your UEI simply by registering your entity in SAM.gov — there is no separate sign-up. See UEI vs DUNS for the full story.

Organizations vs individuals

The five steps above describe the path for an organization — a nonprofit, a business, a research institution. Organizations must register in SAM.gov to receive federal awards.

An individual applying for themselves does not need a SAM.gov registration — but they can only apply to opportunities that explicitly allow individual applicants, and they still need a Login.gov account and a Grants.gov profile to submit. Most federal grants are aimed at organizations, so always check the eligibility section of each listing first. Not sure what you qualify for? See which grants you’re eligible for before you start the registration clock.

One more habit worth building: SAM.gov registration must be renewed every year, so set a reminder. An expired registration is treated just like no registration — it has to be active when you submit. For more on the timeline and what can slow it down, read how long SAM.gov registration takes.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to register before I can apply for a federal grant?

Yes, in almost every case. Organizations must register in SAM.gov to get a Unique Entity ID and set up a Grants.gov profile before they can submit. The one exception is an individual applying for themselves on an opportunity that specifically allows individual applicants — they do not need a SAM.gov registration.

How long does the whole registration process take?

The slowest step is SAM.gov. Official guidance says to allow up to 10 business days, but in real life it often takes 2 to 8 weeks, and entity-validation issues can add more time. The EIN, Login.gov, and Grants.gov steps are fast by comparison. Plan to start at least 30 days before any deadline.

Does registration cost anything?

No. Getting an EIN from the IRS is free, and SAM.gov registration — including your UEI — is completely free and managed by the government. Third-party services sometimes charge roughly $300 to $3,000 for 'mandatory' registration that is actually free. The government will not email you demanding payment to register.

What's the difference between SAM.gov and Grants.gov?

SAM.gov is where you register your organization and get your UEI, which makes you eligible to receive federal awards. Grants.gov is the portal where you find opportunities and submit applications. You register in SAM.gov first, then build your Grants.gov profile using your UEI.

Related guides

• How Long Does SAM.gov Registration Take?
• SAM.gov vs Grants.gov: What's the Difference?
• UEI vs DUNS: What Changed and What You Need Now

UseGrants is an independent aggregator of public records, not a government agency and not affiliated with SAM.gov or Grants.gov. Always confirm the current process and requirements on the official .gov site before you apply.