--- title: "SAM.gov registration and your UEI: the foundation of every award" canonical: "https://teamingindex.com/knowledge/sam-registration-and-uei" lastReviewed: "2026-11-08" markdown_url: "https://teamingindex.com/knowledge/sam-registration-and-uei.md" topic: "Getting started" summary: "Why an active SAM.gov registration is required to receive a federal contract, what the UEI and CAGE code are, how to keep your registration current, and how TeamingIndex uses SAM data." --- # SAM.gov registration and your UEI: the foundation of every award > Why an active SAM.gov registration is required to receive a federal contract, what the UEI and CAGE code are, how to keep your registration current, and how TeamingIndex uses SAM data. - Topic: Getting started - Last reviewed: 2026-11-08 - Canonical URL: https://teamingindex.com/knowledge/sam-registration-and-uei Every federal prime contract starts with **SAM.gov**, the System for Award Management. Under **FAR 52.204-7**, an offeror must be registered in SAM when it submits an offer and must stay registered through award, performance and final payment, unless a stated exception applies. SAM is also where the Government gets the data it uses to identify you, pay you and check your eligibility: your Unique Entity ID, CAGE code, NAICS codes, size representations and certifications. Getting it right, and keeping it current, is the cheapest compliance work you will ever do. ## UEI, CAGE and what SAM holds | Identifier or record | What it is | | --- | --- | | Unique Entity ID (UEI) | A 12-character alphanumeric identifier assigned by SAM.gov. It replaced the DUNS number for federal awards on April 4, 2022. | | CAGE code | A five-character Commercial and Government Entity code. U.S. entities receive one through the registration process; foreign entities use an NCAGE code. | | NAICS codes | The industry codes you list, with a small business size representation for each (see [NAICS size standards](https://teamingindex.com/knowledge/naics-size-standards)). | | Representations and certifications | Your annual FAR and DFARS representations (FAR 52.204-8), including size and socio-economic status, that apply to your offers. | | Points of contact | The people the Government contacts about your registration, payments and contracts. | | Financial information | Banking details for electronic payment. | SAM also records whether an entity has an **active exclusion** (suspension, debarment or other ineligibility), which primes check before subcontracting (see [SAM exclusions](https://teamingindex.com/knowledge/sam-exclusions-and-responsibility)). ## Choose the right kind of registration - **Full registration for all awards** is what you need to bid on prime contracts. - **Financial assistance only** registrations are for grants and similar awards, not contracts. - **A UEI without registration** is available for entities that only need an identifier, such as many subcontractors. Primes report first-tier subcontracts under FAR 52.204-10 using the subcontractor's UEI. If you plan to prime, register for all awards even if you are a subcontractor today. A partner may ask you to lead the next pursuit, and registration can take time. ## Renew every year A SAM registration must be renewed at least every **12 months**. If it lapses, you cannot receive a new award, and payments on existing contracts can be delayed. Renewal is not a formality: SAM may require entity validation when your legal name, address or other core data changes, and validation can take time when records do not match. > **Tip:** Start your renewal at least 60 days before the expiration date, and set a second reminder 30 days out. TeamingIndex flags registrations that expire within 60 days on your profile and in search, because primes notice them too. ## Registration is free SAM.gov registration costs nothing. Be wary of third-party services that charge fees or imply they are part of the Government; SAM.gov itself warns about them. If you use a consultant, make sure your company keeps control of its login and its data. ## Getting the details right - **Legal name and physical address** must match the records SAM's entity validation service checks. Mismatches are the most common cause of delays. - **List every NAICS code you pursue**, not just your primary one. Contracting officers and primes look for the code on the solicitation. - **Review size representations** whenever your receipts or headcount change, and after any merger or acquisition. - **Keep points of contact current.** Expired emails mean missed notices about your registration. - **Reconcile reps and certs** before every major proposal; they are incorporated into your offers. ## Annual SAM checklist - [ ] Registration active, for all awards, with an expiration date on the company calendar - [ ] Legal name, physical address and entity structure match your official records - [ ] NAICS codes complete, primary NAICS correct, and size representations accurate for each - [ ] Socio-economic statuses match your SBA certifications (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, VOSB/SDVOSB) - [ ] Representations and certifications reviewed and updated - [ ] Points of contact and banking information current - [ ] CAGE code and UEI recorded in your capability statement and proposal templates ## Common pitfalls - **Renewing at the last minute.** A validation request can turn a routine renewal into weeks. - **Stale size representations.** Representing as small under a NAICS code where you have grown past the size standard can lead to a size protest, or worse. - **Different names in different places.** Your SAM legal name should match your proposals, invoices and teaming agreements exactly. - **Assuming a subcontract does not need SAM.** Many primes require at least a UEI, and some require full registration from subcontractors. ## How TeamingIndex helps - Your TeamingIndex profile is **seeded from SAM.gov** and refreshed nightly, so your UEI, CAGE code, address, NAICS codes and statuses are already there. [Claim it](https://teamingindex.com/claim) with your UEI or CAGE code and a work email on your company's domain. - Every profile shows registration health: active, expiring within 60 days or expired. Entities with expired registrations or active exclusions are hidden from default search. - SAM.gov facts are corrected at the source: update SAM.gov and the next sync brings the change in. Capabilities, compliance credentials and contacts you curate on TeamingIndex are never overwritten by the sync. ## Official sources - [FAR 52.204-7: System for Award Management](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-7) - [FAR Subpart 4.11: System for Award Management](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/subpart-4.11) - [SAM.gov: Entity registration](https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration) - [FAR 52.204-10: Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-10) Not legal advice. TeamingIndex guides are general information to help you plan, not legal advice. Regulations, clauses and program rules change and solicitations can tailor them: always work from the current regulation and the clauses in your solicitation, and confirm decisions with your contracting officer or counsel.