Purpose of DUNS
A DUNS number is a unique nine-character number used to identify your organization. The federal government uses the DUNS number to track how federal money is allocated.  
 
 
You will need all of the information listed below to obtain a DUNS number:
Name of organization
Organization address
Name of the chief executive officer (CEO) or organization owner
Legal structure of the organization (e.g., corporation, partnership, proprietorship)
Year the organization started
Primary type of business
Total number of employees (full and part-time)
 
NOTE: At some point, the DUNS Number will be replaced by a “new, non-proprietary identifier” requested in, and assigned by, the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). This new identifier is being called the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), or the Entity ID. Grants.gov has begun preparing for this transition by educating users about the upcoming changes and updating field labels and references to the DUNS Number (the current identifier) within the Grants.gov system. Users should continue using the DUNS Number in UEI fields until further notice. To learn more about SAM’s rollout of the UEI, please visit gsa.gov/entityid.
 
How long does it take to obtain a DUNS number?
Allow up to 10 business days to obtain a DUNS number.