Using the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) in Grants.gov

Applicant users who have registered with the System for Award Management (SAM) are now seeing their Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) within Grants.gov.

Deadline Extended for Government Transition to Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)

The General Services Administration recently extended the deadline for completing the government transition from the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number to the New Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) to April 2022.

“By April of 2022, the federal government will stop using the DUNS number to uniquely identify entities registered in the System for Award Management (SAM),” reads the GSA Unique Entity Identifier Update page. “At that point, entities doing business with the federal government will use a unique entity identifier (UEI) created in SAM.gov.”

In the meantime, Grants.gov will continue preparing the system to accept the new applicant UEIs when they become available.

To stay up to date on the latest UEI news from GSA and to determine how you can prepare, please visit gsa.gov/entityid.

Video: An Introduction to UEI on the Grants.gov System

You may have noticed that the field previously labeled DUNS within Grants.gov is now labeled UEI.

What is this change all about?

Recently, Grants.gov has published several blog posts about this topic.  You can view those by clicking: What is the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)? and How Grants.gov Is Preparing for SAM’s Rollout of the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

Here’s what’s happening

The General Services Administration (GSA), is in the process of changing the current ID numbers, previously called DUNS Numbers assigned through System for Award Management, to a new Unique Entity Identifier or UEI number.

What is the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)?

This post is part of our “What Is…?” explainer series, which also covers topics like block grants and budget narratives.

The Unique Entity Identifier, or the UEI, is the official name of the “new, non-proprietary identifier” that will replace the D-U-N-S® number, according to the General Services Administration (GSA). The UEI will be requested in, and assigned by, the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).

How will the UEI be used by Federal Grant applicants?

How Grants.gov Is Preparing for SAM’s Rollout of the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)

May 7, 2020 Update: U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has relaxed the December 2020 deadline to replace the D-U-N-S® number with the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Grants.gov’s planned UEI-related system enhancements are dependent on GSA’s schedule. Please visit our UEI Forms and Maintenance Calendar pages for the latest information on UEI integration with Grants.gov.

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Last July, we wrote about SAM.gov’s planned introduction of the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), which is currently scheduled to replace the DUNS Number around the end of 2020. You can get the most up-to-date information about the UEI rollout on the GSA’s Unique Entity Identifier Update page.

In this post, we begin preparing Grants.gov applicants for what the UEI rollout will look like within the Grants.gov system – particularly, what users will see when working on an application or taking other actions within Workspace.

Resource: GSA Publishes Q&A About Upcoming Entity ID Rollout

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) recently published a set of questions fielded from users, along with answers, about upcoming changes to the unique entity identifier used to do business with the government.

Beginning in December 2020, the D-U-N-S® number will be replaced by a “new, non-proprietary identifier” requested in, and assigned by, the System for Award Management. This new identifier is being called the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), or the Entity ID.

Q&A Resource

Below are some examples from the new GSA Q&A resource:

Q: Will the GSA automatically assign the new UEI or does the vendor have to take action to register?
A: Existing registrants will be automatically assigned a new UEI. New registrants will be assigned a UEI as part of their SAM registration.

Q: For entities that receive a subgrant from a recipient of a federal award, will they be required to obtain a unique identifier from SAM.gov?
A: Yes. Sub-awardees will need to obtain a UEI to adhere to regulations. Instead of going to D&B for a DUNS number like they do today, the sub-awardee would go to SAM.gov to request a UEI. They will not be required to complete the full entity registration process.

GSA Provides Projected Timeline for Implementation of New Unique Entity Identifier Replacing D-U-N-S® Number

May 7, 2020 Update: U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has relaxed the December 2020 deadline to replace the D-U-N-S® number with the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Grants.gov’s planned UEI-related system enhancements are dependent on GSA’s schedule. Please visit our UEI Forms and Maintenance Calendar pages for the latest information on UEI integration with Grants.gov.

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The time is coming to say goodbye to the D-U-N-S® number.

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) recently published a resource page that outlines upcoming changes to the unique entity identifier used to do business with the government.

Beginning in December 2020, the D-U-N-S® number will be replaced by a “new, non-proprietary identifier” requested in, and assigned by, the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). This new identifier is being called the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), or the Entity ID.