For those of you whose business is registered with the federal government, please read the post below from the Alliance of Supplier Diversity Professionals (ASDP):
On April 4, 2022, the Federal government transitioned from DUNS numbers to Unique Entity Identifiers (UEI). As a result, vendors will no longer have to obtain or maintain a DUNS number before registering in the System for Award Management (SAM). This change, however, doesn’t mean you should toss your DUNS number away. This article will explain why you should hold on to your DUNS number and what to expect from this transition.
Since 1963, Dun & Bradstreet has been assigning unique nine-digit identifiers to businesses and organizations across the globe. Known as a DUNS number, this vendor identifier has been an essential requirement of getting registered to do business with the federal government. However, Dun & Bradstreet does not just assign unique vendor numbers; the company also collects and sells data on millions of companies and organizations. Hence, your DUNS number will remain an important part of your business throughout its life, even if the federal government no longer uses it. Here are a few examples of how your DUNS number may continue to be utilized.
1. A lender may review the “Business Credit Report” associated with your DUNS number to determine your creditworthiness.
2. Another Dun & Bradstreet report, the “Supplier Evaluation Risk Rating,” will continue to be of interest to the federal government and other prime contractors and non-federal agencies.
3. If your business requires bonding, a bonding agent will likely look at various reports and data linked to your DUNS number to determine your bondability.
4. Other prime contractors and agencies outside the federal government, who already use DUNS numbers for vendor registration, will continue to do so.
DUNS Tip: It’s good to know what Dun & Bradstreet is reporting about your business credit score and rating. If your business credit score and rating are low, you can pinpoint the cause and take action to improve these numbers. The company offers several options to help you monitor your business credit score and rating. At the least, you should consider taking advantage of their Free subscription to see how your business fares right now.
In sum, you should keep your DUNS number handy. It’s like a social security number for your business that will be with your company throughout its life.
Now let’s talk about the federal government UEI and what you should do with it.
1. If your business is registered in SAM, it has already been assigned a UEI. Sign in to your SAM.GOV account, and when you pull up your entity information, you should see your UEI number.
2. If your business is not registered in SAM, the government will assign you a UEI as part of your vendor registration process.
3. Add your UEI to your capability statement and other marketing documents where you previously had your DUNS number.
4. Keep your DUNS number on your capability statement. Though not required, it may be helpful to primes and non-federal agencies who utilize DUNS for their vendor registration portals.
5. If you have a document where you keep corporate data such as DUNS numbers, EINs, UBIs, bank routing numbers, and the like, make sure to add your UEI to that list.
6. If you are not seeking a federal contract award but require a UEI, you can obtain it without going through the entire SAM registration process. Check out the recommended reading section below for additional helpful information about DUNS and UEI.