What is a Unique Entity ID (UEI)?
A Unique Entity ID, usually shortened to UEI, is the 12-character alphanumeric identifier SAM.gov assigns to an organization, business unit, nonprofit, government body, or other entity. It replaced the DUNS number as the federal government's primary entity identifier in April 2022.
Federal systems use the UEI to connect records that refer to the same registered entity. SAM registrations, prime awards, assistance awards, exclusions, and reported subawards may all carry a UEI, which makes it more reliable than matching by business name alone.
UEI vs. SAM registration
A UEI and a SAM registration are not the same thing. SAM.gov allows an organization to request a UEI without completing a full entity registration. That option supports activities such as some subaward reporting where the organization needs an identifier but does not intend to apply directly for a federal award.
A UEI therefore does not prove that an entity has an active SAM registration, is eligible for an award, or has received federal money. Registration status and award history must be checked separately and tied to their own source dates.
UEI vs. CAGE code and DUNS number
The UEI identifies an entity across federal award systems. A CAGE code identifies a commercial or government entity at a particular location and remains widely used in procurement and defense systems. One organization can have multiple UEIs or CAGE codes when it operates through separate legal entities, divisions, or locations.
The DUNS number was a privately issued identifier formerly used in federal award systems. The government-owned UEI replaced it for entity identification. Historical award files may still contain DUNS fields, but new federal records use the UEI.
How to use a UEI
Use the exact UEI whenever it is available. Legal names change, abbreviations collide, and parent companies may have many registered subsidiaries.
- ·Look up the entity's SAM registration and its source-specific status date.
- ·Match prime and assistance awards to the same registered entity.
- ·Check SAM.gov Exclusions by identifier instead of relying only on a name.
- ·Distinguish subsidiaries and divisions that share a brand name.
How this registry uses UEIs
federal.contractors keys each entity profile by UEI. The profile then connects that identifier to observed award history, SAM registration fields, CAGE codes, exclusions, and source dates. When a name search returns several profiles, each result represents a distinct UEI and must be evaluated separately.
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