Applicant Registration

Organizations Must Register with SAM.gov and Grants.gov

SAM.gov

The System for Award Management (SAM.gov) is a government-wide registry for organizations doing business with the Federal government. SAM.gov centralizes information about grant recipients and provides a central location for grant recipients to change organizational information. Grants.gov uses SAM.gov to establish organizational authority for its users and to provide unique entity identification numbers. SAM registration must be renewed annually. 

First, you must register with SAM.gov to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). The UEI is a 12-character alphanumeric identifier assigned to all entities (public and private companies, individuals, institutions, or organizations) to do business with the Federal Government. Organizations will also need to designate an E-Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC). It can take 7-10 business days to fully complete the registration process required for most funding opportunities. There is no fee for registering with SAM.gov.

Grants.gov

After obtaining the UEI for the organization from SAM.gov, you must return to Grants.gov to continue registration. There is no fee for registering with Grants.gov. Your organization’s EBiz POC must:

1. Create a Grants.gov account with the same email address as used in SAM.gov for EBiz POC, and 

2. Add a profile with Grants.gov using the UEI obtained from SAM.gov.

The EBiz POC can then delegate administrative roles to other users. Read the Help article, Manage Roles for Applicant for instructions. 

Visit Learn Grants to find information about every phase of the grant management process, from applying and reporting to the award closeout.

Is My Organization already registered at SAM.gov?

To apply for grants to organizations through Grants.gov, your organization must be registered with the U.S Government through its System for Award Management (SAM.gov). Sign in and search to see if your organization is already registered.

If your organization is registered at SAM.gov, you can associate your SAM.gov account with your organization after you create your account. Your search results will include your organization’s “Unique Entity ID” or Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Ensure that your search results accurately reflect your organization. If so, note the UEI since you will need it to add a profile at Grants.gov.

If your organization is not registered at SAM.gov, go to SAM.gov | Entity Registrations to obtain a UEI.

Allow one business day after you register the Electronic Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC) name and EBiz POC email in SAM to receive a UEI. To receive federal funding, your SAM registration must be fully processed, which can take an average of 7-10 business days after all information has been entered in SAM.

Can I apply for Federal Grants as an Individual?

Most grants on Grants.gov are only available to organizations. However, some U.S. government agencies provide grants to unaffiliated individuals. For more information, visit Grants.gov Online Help | Grants.gov Variations for Individual Applicants.

What else will I need to create a Grants.gov Applicant Account?

To create a Grants.gov applicant account, you will need an email address, phone number, and organization name. In addition, you will need to create an account with Login.gov if you do not have one already. You will create a username and password and link your Grants.gov account with your Login.gov account. For more information about creating accounts on Grants.gov, see Grants.gov Online Help | Register.

Can I use one Grants.gov Account to apply for Grants for several organizations?

Yes. Once you have created a Grants.gov account (username and password), you will be asked if you want to add an individual or organization profile. This is where you will enter the organization name and UEI. After logging in, you can add profiles for additional organizations (you will need their UEIs) from the Manage Profiles tab on the My Account page.

How are my access and privileges provided on Grants.gov? 

When registering at SAM.gov, your organization must designate an individual as its Electronic Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC) and furnish their email address. This person can designate Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), Expanded AOR roles, Workspace Manager, and Custom roles. Users given the Expanded AOR role for an organization will be sent a notification to provide you with access to work on applications when you create a profile with the UEI for that organization. For more information about the EBiz POC and Expanded AOR, see Grants.gov Online Help | Manage Applicants.

How long does it take to gain access to work on an application for my organization?

You will have access as soon as you have been assigned an appropriate role by the Expanded AOR or have been made a participant in a Workspace.

How do I track role status?

To track role status, go to the Manage Profiles tab on the My Account page. You can review roles in the My Applicant Profile(s) table. See Manage Profiles for more information. 

How do I receive notifications about funding opportunities?

You can subscribe to a daily email from Grants.gov listing all new grant opportunities. You must register as an applicant to subscribe and receive notifications about funding opportunities. You can choose the agencies and types of opportunities that are relevant. For more information about customizing and receiving email notifications, see Manage Subscriptions.

Begin Grants.gov Registration