USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. National • March 2018

DUNS and SAM Update

 2018 Omnibus Act Nixes Requirement for Farmers

Effective March 23, 2018, landowners and producers 

who participate as a legal entity in Natural Resources 

Conservation Service (NRCS) financial assistance 

programs and conservation easement programs are now 

exempt from the requirement to obtain a Data Universal 

Numbering System (DUNS) number and be registered 

with the System for Award Management (SAM). The 

Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 (2018 Omnibus 

Act), exempted landowners and producers participating in 

NRCS conservation programs from these requirements. 

About the Data Universal Numbering 

System (DUNS)

A DUNS number is a unique nine-character identification 

number provided by the commercial company Dun & 

Bradstreet (D&B), a provider of business information 

reports. The information required to obtain a DUNS number 

includes the business/organization name, type, location, 

number of employees, and contact information. The Office 

of Management and Budget publishes regulations requiring 

entities conducing business with the Federal government 

to obtain a DUNS number and register the number in SAM. 

As mentioned previously, the 2018 Omnibus Act exempted 

NRCS conservation program participants from these 

requirements.

Who still needs a DUNS number?

NRCS does enter into a number of Federal contracts, 

grants, and agreements with parties that are not 

landowners or producers and thus these entities continue 

to be subject to the DUNS and SAM registration and 

reporting requirements. The exemption does not apply to 

any current or future agreements or federal contracts with 

eligible entities, project sponsors, vendors, partners, or 

other non-exempt landowners or producers, including those 

listed below: 

• All partnership agreements entered into with partners 

under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program 

(RCPP). Covered program agreements entered into 

with producers and landowners are exempt.

• All agreements with eligible entities under the 

Agricultural Land Easement component of the 

Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEPALE);

• All agreements with eligible entities under the Farm 

and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP);

• All Watershed Operations agreements entered into with 

project sponsors; 

• All Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWPP) 

agreements entered into with a project sponsor, 

including Recovery and Floodplain Easements; 

• Partnership agreements under the Wetland Reserve 

Enhancement Program (WREP) component of ACEPWetland Reserve Easement (WRE); and

• All cooperative, contribution, interagency, or 

partnership agreements or Federal contracts used by 

NRCS to procure goods or services, including but not 
limited to: easement valuation services (appraisals, 

area-wide market analyses, appraisal technical 

reviews), title and closing services, due diligence 

services, restoration design and implementation, 

easement boundary surveys, monitoring services, and 

technical assistance services.

If you are entering into a cooperative, contribution, 

interagency, partnership agreement, a federal contract, 

or grant agreement with NRCS and you use an Employer 

Identification Number (EIN), also referred to as a Tax 

Identification Number (TIN), you will need a DUNS number 

and be registered with SAM. These entities must register 

in SAM to receive payments. If you enter into the contract, 

agreement, or grant with NRCS as an individual person 

and use your social security number as your TIN, you DO 

NOT need to obtain a DUNS number or SAM registration.

How to Obtain a DUNS Number

You may request a DUNS number online at: http://fedgov.

dnb.com/webform.

When you request a DUNS number, identify yourself as a 

federal grant applicant or prospective applicant. After you 

provide the information listed above via fax or the on-line 

application, you should receive an email confirmation. 

D&B can assign a DUNS number within one business day.

Managing your DUNS Number

There is no need to establish a new DUNS numbers in the 

future for specific programs or agencies, just be sure to 

update or validate the information on your current listing.

D&B periodically contacts organizations with DUNS 

numbers to verify the information is still current. D&B 

is only checking the information you have provided 

(listed above). Please remain vigilant in protecting your 

personal information. Do not provide social security, bank 

information, or anything that could lead to identity theft to 

“cold calls” or questionable mail requests.

Obtaining a DUNS number may place you on D&B’s 

marketing list, which is sold to other companies. If you DO 

NOT want your name or organization to be included on 

this list, simply request to be omitted (Op-Out) from the 

list during the DUNS application process. This will also 

remove your company’s information from being displayed 

in SAM’s public search.

Registering with System for Award 

Management (SAM)

Once you have a DUNS number, you must also register 

with SAM and complete other reporting requirements. 

SAM is a free government-wide registry for vendors doing 

business with the federal government which replaced 

Centralized Contractor Registration (CCR). After receiving 

the DUNS number, it is the participant’s responsibility to 

maintain current information on SAM. If you had an active 

record in CCR, you have an active record in SAM.

Information Required to Register 

with SAM

Begin the SAM registration process at www.sam.gov . 

You will need your DUNS number to begin. After entering 

your DUNS number, SAM will retrieve the name and 

address information from D&B. You will then be prompted 

for the following information:

EIN number: If you already have an EIN number, it will 

take 3 to 5 business days to clear the EIN/SAM match 

process. A newly assigned EIN cannot be immediately 

validated in SAM. You must wait until you receive the CP575 notice from the IRS confirming that the EIN is active 

and valid for use before registration with SAM can be 

completed. This process may take 2 to 5 weeks. Once a 

match is confirmed, you can enter the remaining required 

information to complete your registration.

Statistical information about your business: This may 

include information regarding receipts and number of 

employees.

Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT): Information for 

payments and invoices, including the following; 

• ABA Routing number for your bank

• Account Number and Type, or Lockbox number

• Automated Clearing House (ACH) point of contact

• Remittance point of contact

• Accounts receivable point of contact

References for EIN, DUNS Number 

& SAM

EIN Contact Information: (800) 829-4933.

D&B Contact Information: (866) 705-5711; www.dnb.

com .

SAM Contact Information: (866) 606-8220; www.sam.

gov