If you’re a business that is interested in selling to the federal government, the first thing you will need is a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). UEI numbers are distributed through and maintained by SAM.gov, the System for Award Management. Once assigned, your UEI is permanent; even if your corporation’s ownership or location changes, the associated UEI will remain the same.
The entity registration process in SAM.gov can be convoluted, but this article can serve as a resource to understand the process better.
First Step: Gathering the Information
The following information is what you’ll need to begin the UEI registration process:
- Legal Business Name
- Physical Address (no P.O. boxes)
- Start Year or Year of Incorporation
- State of Incorporation (for U.S. entities)
- National Identifier (for non-U.S. entities)
Once you have this in order, the next steps will take you to SAM.gov. While you will be asked for more information throughout the registration process depending on what level of registration you pursue, this base information will be used by SAM.gov to validate your entity, so it’s critical that this is correct.
Second Step: Using the SAM.gov Portal
Your SAM.gov login will be done through Login.gov, so you can link your account if you have one. If you don’t have a Login.gov account, the process isn’t difficult and creating a new login for SAM.gov will automatically redirect you to create one under Login.gov.
After you log in to SAM.gov, navigate to the “Create New Entity” page that is linked through the “Get Started” button on the home page. You’ll select your goal in creating a UEI and then follow the prompts to enter the above information and SAM.gov will then search for your entity among public records. If the entity match found isn’t correct or isn’t present, you’ll be prompted to provide some more information to SAM.gov. The Federal Service Desk is available for those who are having trouble validating their entity in SAM.gov.
You May Need Documentation to Prove Your Entity Information
During registration, SAM.gov may prompt you to provide documentation proving information about your entity. When this happens, the documents you need to supply will depend on the information you need to verify. Generally, it will fall into one of three categories:
- Entity name and/or address can be verified by:
- Articles of Incorporation
- Bank Statements (make sure to redact non-necessary information)
- Dept. of Treasury IRS letter assigning your EIN
- Utility Bill
- Start Year and State of Incorporation can be verified by:
- Articles of Incorporation
- Dept. of Treasury IRS letter assigning your EIN
- Secretary of State Certificate of Filing
- National Identifier (for non-U.S. entities) can be verified by:
- Screenshot/PDF file of your business profile in your country’s official online business registry
- Government-issued proof of tax identification number, employer identification number, or other identifier issued by your government
- Government-issued tax receipt/return
This list of valid supporting documentation is not exhaustive, rather it describes the most common documents entities opt to provide. A full list of acceptable documents can be found on the Federal Service Desk’s website.
Third Step: Get Your UEI
Once you’ve matched your entity in SAM.gov and submitted the supporting documentation, there will be a wait of a few days while your submission is manually reviewed by the Entity Validation Service.
After their review is done, you’ll receive an email alert to finish your registration in SAM.gov. Follow this link and you will be guided through prompts to confirm your key entity data once again. The last question you’ll be prompted to answer is whether you would like your entity to be publicly searchable; if you choose no, only federal government users will be able to view your information (that can be changed later if you decide). After this page you’ll receive your UEI number.
“All Awards” Additional Requirements
The preceding information applies to the process for obtaining a UEI only, but there is a more rigorous process that follows for entities that want an “All Awards” registration. Businesses that want to be prime contractors on federal awards, including the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program, will need to follow this registration path.
There are four major sections to the “All Awards” process:
- Core Data: SAM.gov SAM.gov will first request detailed information on your business, including but not limited to your taxpayer identification number, your CAGE Code, ownership details, predecessor details, and financial information.
- Points of Contact: You’ll list some mandatory points of contact, as follows:
- Accounts Receivable POC
- Electronic Business POC
- Government Business POC and Alternate
- Past Performance POC
- Past Performance Alternate POC and Alternate
- Electronic Business POC
- Assertions: Here you will verify your applicable NAICS Codes, size metrics, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) information, and Disaster Response.
- Representations and Certifications: You’ll review and acknowledge your compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). You’ll do the same for the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) if applicable (if you’re applying for a government-wide acquisition contract like a GSA Schedule, it is required).
This is a broad strokes outline of the “All Awards” registration process, and SAM.gov has an entity registration checklist on their webpage if you would like more detailed information on what you will be asked for. You can also reach out to Winvale’s team of consultants for our industry knowledge on this process.
Need Help with Obtaining a Unique Entity Identifier?
Registering with SAM.gov and obtaining a UEI is often the first major roadblock prospective vendors encounter when trying to obtain a GSA Schedule. If you’ve found yourself stuck on this process, don’t worry, it’s not an uncommon experience. SAM.gov has resources available to prospective contractors that are stuck, such as the Federal Service Desk or the entity registration checklist.
Winvale has a team of proposal writers that specialize in the Schedule Acquisition process from start to finish, including obtaining a UEI and registering through the “All Awards” process. We are available to help you navigate this step and others.
