What is the difference between a CAGE code and a UEI?
A UEI identifies the registered entity in SAM.gov; a CAGE code identifies a specific facility or location tied to that entity. UEI is the government-wide entity spine for registrations, awards, and exclusions. CAGE is a five-character DLA code often used in defense and procurement records beside the UEI.
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- SAM.gov: entity registration
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Full name: Commercial and Government Entity Code vs Unique Entity ID
Short explanation
A Unique Entity ID is the 12-character GSA identifier for a registered entity in SAM.gov. A CAGE code is a five-character Commercial and Government Entity code maintained by the Defense Logistics Agency and tied to a location or facility. Procurement data often carries both. For entity resolution, UEI is usually the entity spine, while CAGE helps connect location-specific awards, exclusions, or supplier records to the correct entity.
Related tool: CAGE code lookup
How it’s used
- SAM.gov registration: the UEI identifies the registered entity, while CAGE records can identify associated contractor locations.
- Procurement screening: CAGE-only queries need a source-backed CAGE-to-UEI match before award, exclusion, and FAPIIS records can be joined safely.
- Fonteum's procurement screen accepts exactly one UEI or CAGE and reports only confirmed source-key matches, with no name-only guessing.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a CAGE code the same as a UEI?
- No. A UEI identifies the SAM.gov entity. A CAGE code identifies a facility or location associated with a government supplier.
- Which identifier replaced DUNS in SAM.gov?
- The UEI replaced DUNS as the government-owned entity identifier across SAM.gov and federal award systems.
- Can a procurement record have both CAGE and UEI?
- Yes. Many procurement records carry both fields, and matching is strongest when both point to the same registered entity.
Explore in Fonteum
How Fonteum sources, resolves, and publishes data tied to this term.