What is a DUNS number?

By Mark Dunlap, P1 Contributor

A DUNS number, which stands for Data Universal Numbering System, is a free, unique nine-digit number issued by Dun & Bradstreet to a single business entity.

Your number is yours alone, even if you go out of business. D&B does not reuse or reissue numbers to a second business.

Who can get a DUNS number?

The DUNS number is often called the "Social Security Number" for businesses, but there are millions more DUNS numbers than Social Security numbers and any business in the world can apply for and get a DUNS number. Just about anyone can get a DUNS number, including:

• Businesses
• Non-profits
• Government entities
• Self-employed individuals

Physicians, lawyers, and contractors, examples of self-employed professionals engaged in a specific commercial business activity, can obtain a DUNS number.

Why do I need a DUNS number?

The U.S. Federal government uses DUNS numbers to identify organizations and companies doing business with the government and provide consistent name and address data for its grant application systems. If you want to bid on government contracts or apply for government grants, you need a DUNS number.

Obtaining a DUNS number is the first step in registering with the Federal government procurement systems:

1. DUNS number

2. System for Award Management (SAM) registration

3. Grants.gov registration

You will also need a DUNS number when you register with any Federal agency-specific grant module, such as the National Institutes of Health eRA Commons; the National Science Foundation FastLane; and NASA NSPIRE. This is very important. If you do not complete all your registrations, you cannot submit your application.

Last fall, I worked with a company on a NASA grant application. My client had its DUNS number and registered with NASA NSPIRE. When we started submitting the application, we discovered they had not registered with SAM. We had seven days before the deadline, but it took eight days to get the SAM registration approved. Eight days, in itself, is a miracle. I tell folks to expect at least two weeks, and up to four weeks, to get their SAM registration approved.

How do I get a DUNS number?

You have two main ways to apply for a DUNS number. The first is to register through the Dun & Bradstreet website. The second way is to use the Government iUpdate website. You will need the same information, but from what I have read, the process is easier using the iUpdate website and the SAM website recommends using the iUpdate process.

What information do I need to register for a DUNS number?

You will need the following information to register for a DUNS number:

•    Legal name
•    Business headquarters name and address
•    Your DBA (Doing Business As), if your business is commonly identified by a different name than your legal business name
•    Business physical address: street, city, state, zip
•    Mailing address, if it is different from your physical address
•    Telephone number
•    Contact name and title
•    Number of employees at your physical location
•    Whether you are a home-base business

Dun and Bradstreet will then verify your identity to safeguard your organization’s data. They will use a series of challenge questions based on your geographical and demographic data. Once you have passed the challenge questions, you will create you user ID and password.

It usually takes between one and five days to get your DUNS registration approved, though it might take longer. Don’t wait until the last minute.

If you don’t know if you already have a DUNS number, you can go to DUNS number lookup. You can search by your organization name and location or by your telephone number. If your search comes up negative, you don’t have one.

You should also know the General Services Administration is looking at replacing the DUNS number, in use since the 1970s, with another identification system, once its contract with Dun and Bradstreet expires in 2018.