📢November 2020 Update: GSA’s original goal was to phase out DUNS numbers by December 2020. However, they have recently announced the transition has been postponed until April of 2022. View more info on GSA’s website here.
Obtaining a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) has long been part of the registration process to do business with the federal government. Before a company or organization can receive federal contract awards or assistance, they must register in the System for Award Management (SAM). Before registering in SAM, a company must have a CAGE Code and DUNS number. A DUNS number is a nine-digit identification number that currently serves as the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) in SAM. For years, D&B has provided DUNS numbers as part of a contract the company held for entity validation services.
In February of 2017, GSA issued an RFI to start the process of replacing D&B, whose contract was set to expire in 2018. In August of 2018 GSA released the Request for Proposal for Entity Validation Services and in March of 2019 they announced an award to Ernst and Young LLP. The award is a potential five-year contract – a one-year base with four one-year options.
Over the next several months, GSA will transition from using DUNS numbers as the UEI in SAM, to using SAM Managed Identifiers (SAMMI). Stayed tuned for updates on the transition.