Registration is free
Every registration below is free from the government. If someone charges you to register, you're paying for help, not for the registration itself.
1. SAM.gov and your Unique Entity ID
Organizations applying for federal grants register in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). Registration gives you a Unique Entity ID (UEI), the 12-character identifier that replaced the DUNS number in 2022. Registration must be renewed every year.
2. Grants.gov
Once your SAM.gov registration is active, register your organization on Grants.gov. The person named as your E-Business Point of Contact assigns roles, such as who can submit applications.
3. Agency systems
Some agencies also use their own systems, for example eRA Commons for NIH or Research.gov for NSF. The funding notice says which ones apply.
Individuals
People applying as individuals, not on behalf of an organization, register on Grants.gov as individual applicants and can only apply to opportunities open to individuals.
Plan for time
Allow several weeks for registration and identity checks, and don't wait until a deadline is near. Check the official SAM.gov and Grants.gov help pages for current steps.
Find grants you can apply for
Free search of open and forecasted federal grants from Grants.gov.