When starting out in government contracting, you can’t get too far into the process without a D-U-N-S number, which stands for Data Universal Numbering System.  It’s a unique nine-digit number for each location of your business and is completely free.  A D-U-N-S number is required to register with the federal government for contracts or grants.  You can’t join the CCR (Central Contractor Registration) without it!  Below is a basic overview of the D-U-N-S number from InsideUp:

The D-U-N-S number was created in 1962 and copyrighted by Dun & Bradstreet.  A D-U-N-S number has been assigned to over 100 million businesses worldwide.  The D-U-N-S number was adopted as a standard business identifier for federal electronic commerce in October of 1994.  It was also incorporated in the Federal Acquisition Regulation in April of 1998 as the official identification code for all procurement-related activities.  Start your process of acquiring a free D-U-N-S number today!