From SAM.gov and your UEI to set aside certifications and UNGM, the registrations that make you eligible to bid.
Before you can win government work you have to be eligible to receive it. That means being registered in the right systems and, where it helps, holding the right certifications. This is paperwork, but it is the gate to everything else.
To bid on federal contracts or receive federal assistance, you must register your entity in SAM.gov, the System for Award Management. Registration is free.
| Identifier | What it is |
|---|---|
| UEI | The Unique Entity ID, a 12 character code assigned in SAM.gov. It replaced the DUNS number in April 2022 and identifies your business across all federal awards. |
| CAGE code | A 5 character code assigned by the Defense Logistics Agency during SAM registration, used heavily in defense procurement. |
| Login.gov | The sign in service you use to access SAM.gov. |
The basic flow: create a Login.gov account, complete entity validation to receive your UEI, then work through the registration sections (business info, NAICS codes, banking, representations and certifications, and points of contact). SAM forwards your record to the Defense Logistics Agency, which assigns your CAGE code.
Codes tell buyers what you sell and drive which opportunities you match.
Certifications open lanes of work reserved for specific businesses. Most federal ones are administered by the Small Business Administration.
| Program | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| 8(a) Business Development | Small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. |
| WOSB / EDWOSB | Women owned and economically disadvantaged women owned small businesses. |
| SDVOSB / VOSB | Service disabled veteran owned and veteran owned small businesses, certified through the federal VetCert process. |
| HUBZone | Businesses located in and hiring from historically underutilized business zones. |
SLED work has its own front door. Depending on the jurisdiction you may need to register your business with the Secretary of State, enroll in one or more state or local vendor and supplier portals, and hold state level small, minority, or women owned business certifications. Each portal can ask for the same company data in a slightly different format.
To pursue United Nations tenders, register in the United Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM), the common vendor portal for UN agencies. You will classify your offering with UNSPSC codes and maintain eligibility and declaration requirements per tender.
BidBuster stores all of these identifiers and codes in your Master Profile once, then writes them into the right field on every federal, SLED, and UN form automatically. No more re keying your UEI and CAGE into every portal.
Store your IDs and codes in BidBuster and stop re keying them into every form.
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