Any city applying for federal funding needs an active SAM registration. Your city becomes an "entity" in the SAM system.

SAM.gov

Registration and validation are required to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number - more on this here. Also, if your city only plans to be a subgrantee, you may only need a UEI number, not SAM registration.

Check status: Entity Registration Status

• Article: How can I find out if an entity is registered in SAM.gov?
• Article: Where do I go on SAM.gov to view, manage, or deactivate an existing entity registration?

Renewal: Your city must renew its registration every 365 days to remain active. This takes 5 minutes, and you can make updates to your registration anytime or during renewal.

New registration: This can take an average of 7-10 business days to process. Start now!

• Checklist: Entity Registration Checklist (pdf) - Jump to page 12 for Financial Assistance Awards Only recipients.

Validation: Once your entity (city) is registered, it must be validated. This step is to confirm the correct legal business name and physical address of the city; additional documentation may be required.

• Video: Validating Your Entity in SAM.gov (YouTube)
• Article: Why is my entity registration not showing as active yet?

SAM registration is free; beware of scammers.