On January 26, 2023, HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing Programs published a Notice titled Unique Entity Identifier Replaces Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System for Identification of Federal Awards. The Notice provides background on the federal government’s transition from the Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Number System (DUNS Number) to the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

HUD cannot obligate funds to an owner entity or grantee that has not registered its “unique entity identifier” with the federal government’s System for Award Management (SAM.gov). On April 4, 2022, the unique entity identifier changed from the DUNS Number to the UEI. In addition to listing the types of HUD owner entities and grantees to which this requirement applies, the Notice identifies resources available to assist with the transition and addresses current and future TRACS implications.

Concurrent with TRACS Release 203A, the DUNS Number fields will be removed and replaced with UEI data fields. HUD will notify owners in advance of the date that the UEI will become a mandatory submission in TRACS.