Federal Registration Roadmap

Complete these registrations before applying to any US federal grant, SBIR, or contract. Missing even one will get your application rejected.

Start today: July 21, 2026

SAM.gov takes 7–14 days — your earliest federal application date is approximately:

August 8, 2026

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steps complete

Find your NAICS code

Required for SAM.gov registration. Pick the closest industry:

Get your EIN

Instant online

IRS

Your Employer Identification Number is the federal tax ID for your entity. Required before registering anywhere else. Apply online in 15 minutes — you get the number immediately.

Required for

SAM.gov registration
All federal grants
Bank accounts

You'll need

Legal business name
Business address
Responsible party's SSN
Business structure (LLC, Corp, etc.)

Tip: If you used the Formation Wizard, your entity name and state are already decided. Have that info handy.

Apply for EIN at IRS.gov →

Register in SAM.gov

7–14 business days

General Services Administration

SAM (System for Award Management) is the master federal vendor registry. Every federal grant and contract requires an active SAM registration. You'll receive a UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) and CAGE code. Renews annually.

Required for

All SBIR/STTR programs
NIH, NSF, USDA, DOE grants
USAID contracts
DoD contracts

You'll need

EIN (from step 1)
NAICS code (see selector below)
Banking info for direct deposit
Business address + point of contact
Fiscal year end date

Tip: Start SAM.gov registration the day your entity is formed. The 7–14 day processing window is the most common reason founders miss grant deadlines.

Register on Grants.gov

1–3 days after SAM

HHS / Federal Grants Portal

Grants.gov is the central portal for civilian federal grant applications (NIH, NSF, USDA, NEA, NEH, and 25+ agencies). Requires an active SAM registration. You'll also need to designate an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR).

Required for

NIH grants
NSF grants
NEA and NEH grants
USDA grants
Most civilian federal grants

You'll need

Active SAM.gov registration
UEI from SAM.gov
Authorized Organizational Representative designated

Tip: The AOR role can be you as founder. You'll need to verify the AOR via email after SAM registration is confirmed.

Register on SBIR.gov

1 day

Small Business Administration

SBA's SBIR portal tracks your company's SBIR/STTR participation history. Required for NSF SBIR, DOE SBIR, USDA SBIR, and EPA SBIR. NIH uses eRA Commons instead (next step).

Required for

NSF SBIR/STTR
DOE / ARPA-E SBIR
USDA SBIR
EPA SBIR
DOD SBIR

You'll need

Active SAM.gov registration
UEI number
Business size certification (<500 employees)

Tip: Only US-owned small businesses with fewer than 500 employees qualify for SBIR/STTR. At least 51% US-owned.

Create eRA Commons account

1–2 days

National Institutes of Health

NIH's electronic Research Administration system. Required for NIH SBIR/STTR Phase I & II, NIH R01, and Fogarty International grants. The Principal Investigator (PI) must have a personal eRA Commons account linked to your institution.

Required for

NIH SBIR/STTR Phase I & II
NIH R01 Research Grants
NIH Fogarty International Grants

You'll need

Grants.gov registration
Principal Investigator personal info
Institution/org already registered in eRA Commons

Tip: If your org is new, you'll need to request an institutional account from NIH before the PI can register.

Register on Research.gov

1 day

National Science Foundation

NSF's portal for grant applications and management. Required for NSF SBIR, NSF CAREER Award, and NSF Convergence Accelerator. Your organization and PI both need accounts.

Required for

NSF SBIR/STTR
NSF CAREER Award
NSF Convergence Accelerator

You'll need

Active SAM.gov registration
Grants.gov registration
PI personal account

Tip: NSF requires your organization to be registered before any individual PI can submit.

All registered? You're federal-ready.

Go back to find and auto-apply to federal grants matching your profile.

Find Federal Grants →