UEI

The Unique Entity Identifier is a 12-character alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies entities doing business with the federal government. As of April 2022, UEI replaced the DUNS number as the primary identifier in SAM.gov and federal procurement systems.

The UEI is generated by SAM.gov during entity registration or renewal and is assigned at no cost to the registrant. Unlike the DUNS, which was managed by Dun & Bradstreet, UEI is fully controlled by the federal government. Contractors must reference their UEI on proposals, contracts, and invoices. Parent-child relationships between business entities are also tracked through UEI in the entity hierarchy.