Register your business | GSA
Source: https://www.gsa.gov/small-business/find-opportunities/register-your-business
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:15
Register your business | GSA
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Register your business
In order to compete for federal contracts, you must register your business with key federal systems. This process establishes your business identity, lets agencies find you, and ensures you’re eligible for contract awards and subcontracts.
Where to begin and what you will need
Know your NAICS code
The
North American Industry Classification System
describes what your business actually does. Choosing one or more accurate codes that best match your products or services helps ensure your business appears in searches.
NAICS codes are:
Standardized codes used across government to classify industries
Often searched by agencies to find businesses that can fulfill their needs
➡️ Find your
NAICS code
Understand Size Standards
The Small Business Administration sets size standards that determine whether your business qualifies as small for contracting purposes. Qualifying as a
small business
can unlock set-aside opportunities and special considerations in federal contracting.
Size standards:
Are usually expressed in number of employees or average annual receipts
Vary by industry
➡️ Use the
SBA size standards tool
to check your small business size
Register in SAM.gov
The
System for Award Management
, or
SAM.gov
, is the primary method used to collect the following information from entities interested in obtaining federal government contracts:
Identifying information about the entity, to issue the
unique entity identifier
, or UEI, and commercial and government entity, or CAGE, code
Entity-level representations and certifications
Information necessary to receive payment under a contract, collect debts, or for government reporting purposes, such as taxpayer information
In most cases, offerors or quoters are required to have an active federal government contracts registration in SAM when they submit an offer or quotation, at the time of award, and throughout the life of the contract. To see comprehensive instructions and a checklist for entity registration, download the
entity registration checklist
.
When you register your business in SAM.gov, you will:
Create a user account
Provide business details (legal name, address, etc.) and obtain an UEI
Select your NAICS codes
Confirm size standard information (using SBA guidance)
Enter points of contact and payment information
Complete any required representations and certifications
Once your registration is active, your business becomes searchable governmentwide.
Submitting a registration
and getting a UEI are
BOTH FREE
. You do not need to pay a third party to complete your registration.
Registration tips you should know
Start early:
Registration can take up to several days to complete and validate.
Keep it active:
If required then you must maintain your registration, UEI, and CAGE code throughout the life of the contract through final payment.
Match information exactly
: Make sure your business name, address, and ownership details are consistent across IRS, SAM.gov, and SBA records.
Prepare supporting information:
You may need
Tax ID or EIN
Banking information for electronic payment
Corporate documents (if applicable)
Information about the SAM.gov Data Bank
SAM.gov reports support analysis of the federal award lifecycle. The
Data Bank
allows you to download or run reports on various domains. These reports:
Range from static pre-generated reports to fully customizable ad hoc reports
Can assist with analysis of federal spending and provide data by federal organization, geographical area, business demographics, and product or service type, among others.
Get your UEI
The UEI is now the
authoritative identifier
for those doing business with the federal government. There are differences between
registration and obtaining a UEI only
. Some entities who do business with the government may choose not to register in
SAM.gov
, for example, subcontractors. In this case, those entities cannot bid directly on federal contracts as prime contractors or seek federal assistance as a prime awardee. If this is the goal of your entity, you can go to
SAM.gov
and get a UEI only. The information required for getting a UEI without registration is minimal.
➡️ Learn more and
get your UEI
Tell us what you think
Print Page
Email Page
Last updated: Apr 17, 2026
Top
1
Choose a location
Error, The Per Diem API is not responding. Please try again later.
No results could be found for the location you've entered.
Get my location
OR
State
City (optional)
OR
ZIP
Rates for Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories and possessions are set by the
Department of Defense.
Rates for foreign countries are set by the
Department of State.
2
Choose a date
Select fiscal year
OR
Travel start date (mm/dd/yyyy)
Travel end date (mm/dd/yyyy)
Rates are available between 10/1/2023 and 09/30/2026.
The End Date of your trip can not occur before the Start Date.
Additional terms and conditions
Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations,
unless lodging is not available at the work activity, then the agency may authorize the rate where
lodging is obtained.
Unless otherwise specified, the per diem locality is defined as
"all locations within, or entirely
surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, including independent entities located within
those boundaries."
Per diem localities with county definitions shall include
"all locations within, or entirely
surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city as well as the boundaries of the listed counties,
including independent entities located within the boundaries of the key city and the listed counties
(unless otherwise listed separately)."
When a military installation or Government - related facility(whether or not specifically named) is
located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the
entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and / or counties,
even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.
Skip to main content
Countdown to America's 250th Anniversary:
close
Official websites use .gov
A
.gov
website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A
lock
(
)
or
https://
means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
On this page
Register your business
In order to compete for federal contracts, you must register your business with key federal systems. This process establishes your business identity, lets agencies find you, and ensures you’re eligible for contract awards and subcontracts.
Where to begin and what you will need
Know your NAICS code
The
North American Industry Classification System
describes what your business actually does. Choosing one or more accurate codes that best match your products or services helps ensure your business appears in searches.
NAICS codes are:
Standardized codes used across government to classify industries
Often searched by agencies to find businesses that can fulfill their needs
➡️ Find your
NAICS code
Understand Size Standards
The Small Business Administration sets size standards that determine whether your business qualifies as small for contracting purposes. Qualifying as a
small business
can unlock set-aside opportunities and special considerations in federal contracting.
Size standards:
Are usually expressed in number of employees or average annual receipts
Vary by industry
➡️ Use the
SBA size standards tool
to check your small business size
Register in SAM.gov
The
System for Award Management
, or
SAM.gov
, is the primary method used to collect the following information from entities interested in obtaining federal government contracts:
Identifying information about the entity, to issue the
unique entity identifier
, or UEI, and commercial and government entity, or CAGE, code
Entity-level representations and certifications
Information necessary to receive payment under a contract, collect debts, or for government reporting purposes, such as taxpayer information
In most cases, offerors or quoters are required to have an active federal government contracts registration in SAM when they submit an offer or quotation, at the time of award, and throughout the life of the contract. To see comprehensive instructions and a checklist for entity registration, download the
entity registration checklist
.
When you register your business in SAM.gov, you will:
Create a user account
Provide business details (legal name, address, etc.) and obtain an UEI
Select your NAICS codes
Confirm size standard information (using SBA guidance)
Enter points of contact and payment information
Complete any required representations and certifications
Once your registration is active, your business becomes searchable governmentwide.
Submitting a registration
and getting a UEI are
BOTH FREE
. You do not need to pay a third party to complete your registration.
Registration tips you should know
Start early:
Registration can take up to several days to complete and validate.
Keep it active:
If required then you must maintain your registration, UEI, and CAGE code throughout the life of the contract through final payment.
Match information exactly
: Make sure your business name, address, and ownership details are consistent across IRS, SAM.gov, and SBA records.
Prepare supporting information:
You may need
Tax ID or EIN
Banking information for electronic payment
Corporate documents (if applicable)
Information about the SAM.gov Data Bank
SAM.gov reports support analysis of the federal award lifecycle. The
Data Bank
allows you to download or run reports on various domains. These reports:
Range from static pre-generated reports to fully customizable ad hoc reports
Can assist with analysis of federal spending and provide data by federal organization, geographical area, business demographics, and product or service type, among others.
Get your UEI
The UEI is now the
authoritative identifier
for those doing business with the federal government. There are differences between
registration and obtaining a UEI only
. Some entities who do business with the government may choose not to register in
SAM.gov
, for example, subcontractors. In this case, those entities cannot bid directly on federal contracts as prime contractors or seek federal assistance as a prime awardee. If this is the goal of your entity, you can go to
SAM.gov
and get a UEI only. The information required for getting a UEI without registration is minimal.
➡️ Learn more and
get your UEI
Tell us what you think
Print Page
Email Page
Last updated: Apr 17, 2026
Top
1
Choose a location
Error, The Per Diem API is not responding. Please try again later.
No results could be found for the location you've entered.
Get my location
OR
State
City (optional)
OR
ZIP
Rates for Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories and possessions are set by the
Department of Defense.
Rates for foreign countries are set by the
Department of State.
2
Choose a date
Select fiscal year
OR
Travel start date (mm/dd/yyyy)
Travel end date (mm/dd/yyyy)
Rates are available between 10/1/2023 and 09/30/2026.
The End Date of your trip can not occur before the Start Date.
Additional terms and conditions
Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations,
unless lodging is not available at the work activity, then the agency may authorize the rate where
lodging is obtained.
Unless otherwise specified, the per diem locality is defined as
"all locations within, or entirely
surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, including independent entities located within
those boundaries."
Per diem localities with county definitions shall include
"all locations within, or entirely
surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city as well as the boundaries of the listed counties,
including independent entities located within the boundaries of the key city and the listed counties
(unless otherwise listed separately)."
When a military installation or Government - related facility(whether or not specifically named) is
located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the
entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and / or counties,
even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.