What Is a UEI Number and Why It Matters for GSA Registration
The Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) is the 12-character alphanumeric ID assigned to every entity registered in SAM.gov. It replaced the DUNS number in April 2022 as the primary identifier for federal contracting and grants. Every company applying for a GSA Schedule contract must have a UEI assigned and an active SAM.gov registration. Without a UEI and active registration, your eOffer submission cannot be processed.
How the UEI Replaced DUNS
For decades, federal contractors used a DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) number assigned by Dun and Bradstreet as their federal identifier. The SAM.gov transition to UEI eliminated this dependency on a private commercial entity. UEIs are issued directly by SAM.gov during the entity registration process — you no longer need to contact Dun and Bradstreet or pay for any services to get a federal contractor identifier. If you have a prior DUNS number, your UEI was automatically assigned when SAM.gov transitioned in April 2022.
Finding Your UEI
Log in to SAM.gov with your account and navigate to your entity registration. Your UEI is displayed in the registration summary. You can also search sam.gov for your company name and see the UEI in the public record (note: some entity details are not publicly visible, but the UEI and CAGE code are). Your UEI is printed on your SAM.gov registration confirmation and on any award documents that reference your entity.
| Identifier | Issued By | Status (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| UEI | SAM.gov (federal) | Current standard |
| DUNS | Dun and Bradstreet | Retired April 2022 |
| CAGE Code | DCSA/DLA | Active (separate from UEI) |
UEI and Your GSA Schedule Contract
Your GSA Schedule contract is permanently linked to your UEI. If your company undergoes a name change, address change, or organizational restructuring, your UEI stays the same — you update the associated information in SAM.gov. A merger, acquisition, or significant ownership change that creates a new legal entity may require a new UEI and a novation of your Schedule contract. The novation process transfers your existing Schedule to the new entity with CO approval — it is not a new application, but it does require documentation of the transaction and approval before the new entity can accept new orders.