UseGrants
Get matched
← Back to all guides

UEI vs DUNS: what changed and what you need now

If you have applied for a federal grant before — or read an old guide — you may remember the DUNS number. It is gone. On April 4, 2022, the federal government retired the DUNS number and replaced it with the Unique Entity ID (UEI). The short version: you no longer need a DUNS number for federal awards, and the only ID that matters today is a UEI, which you get for free by registering in SAM.gov. Here is exactly what changed, why, and what to do now.

What changed, in one paragraph

For years, every entity doing business with the federal government needed a DUNS number — a 9-digit identifier issued by a private company, Dun & Bradstreet. On April 4, 2022, the government stopped using DUNS and switched to the Unique Entity ID, a 12-character alphanumeric code issued and managed directly by SAM.gov. The point of the change was to bring entity identification fully inside the government's own systems, with no third party in the loop. Old DUNS numbers are no longer used for federal awards.

DUNS vs UEI, side by side

DUNS (retired)

  • Format: 9-digit number.
  • Issued by: Dun & Bradstreet, a third-party company.
  • Status: retired on April 4, 2022.
  • Used today: no — no longer used for federal awards.

UEI (current)

  • Format: 12-character alphanumeric ID.
  • Issued by: SAM.gov directly — no third party.
  • How to get it: register your entity in SAM.gov.
  • Cost: free.

What you actually need now

Today the requirement is simple: a UEI, and you get it by registering your entity in SAM.gov. There is no separate place to “apply for a UEI” — it is assigned as part of your SAM.gov registration. You do not contact Dun & Bradstreet, you do not pay a vendor, and you do not need to do anything with an old DUNS number. If your organization had a DUNS in the past, you can simply leave it behind.

For context, the UEI is one link in the wider registration chain: form a legal entity and get an EIN from the IRS, register that entity in SAM.gov to get your UEI, create a Login.gov account, build your Grants.gov profile using the UEI and get the right role authorized, then find the opportunity and submit. For the full walkthrough with timing for each step, see How to register to apply for federal grants.

The one-line version

DUNS is retired. The only entity ID you need for federal grants is a UEI, and you get it for free when you register your organization in SAM.gov.

Where the UEI fits with SAM.gov and Grants.gov

The UEI is what ties your registration together. SAM.gov is where you register your organization and where your UEI is issued — it is your official identity and what makes you eligible to receive federal awards. Grants.gov is the portal where you find opportunities and submit applications, and you build your Grants.gov profile using that same UEI. So the order is fixed: get your UEI from SAM.gov first, then set up Grants.gov with it. If the two systems are easy to confuse, see SAM.gov vs Grants.gov.

One timing note worth planning around: a new SAM.gov registration is not instant. Official guidance is to allow up to 10 business days for it to go active, and in practice it often takes 2 to 8 weeks, so it is wise to start at least about 30 days before any deadline. Before you invest that time, it is worth confirming you can even apply — you can see which grants you qualify for in about a minute.

Getting your UEI is free.

There is no charge to register in SAM.gov or to get your UEI, and the government will never email you demanding payment. Because some people still expect a third-party step from the DUNS era, watch for services that charge roughly $300–$3,000 for “mandatory” registration that is actually free. For how to spot them, see Is SAM.gov registration free? UseGrants is an independent aggregator of public records, not a government agency and not affiliated with SAM.gov or Grants.gov — always confirm details on the official .gov site.

Frequently asked questions

What replaced the DUNS number?
The Unique Entity ID (UEI). The DUNS number was retired on April 4, 2022, and the federal government now uses the UEI to identify entities. The UEI is a 12-character alphanumeric ID issued and managed by SAM.gov for free — there is no third party involved.
Do I still need a DUNS number to apply for federal grants?
No. DUNS numbers are no longer used for federal awards. You need a UEI, which you get by registering your entity in SAM.gov. If you only have an old DUNS number, you do not have what you need today — register in SAM.gov to get your UEI.
How do I get a UEI?
You get your UEI by registering your entity in SAM.gov. The UEI is assigned for free as part of that registration — you do not request it from a separate site or a third-party vendor. Organizations must register in SAM.gov; an individual applying for themselves does not need a SAM.gov registration, as long as the opportunity allows individual applicants.
Is there a cost to get a UEI?
No. Getting your UEI through SAM.gov is completely free, and there is no third party to pay. The government will never email you demanding payment to register. Some services charge roughly $300 to $3,000 for help with a process that is free.

Related guides

Know which grants are worth registering for.

Before you spend time getting your UEI and setting up SAM.gov, find out exactly which grants fit your organization — then browse every open opportunity so you know what you're working toward.

See which grants you qualify forBrowse all open grants