Overview

Amazon sellers who want to highlight their diversity certifications on the marketplace need to first establish profiles with two federal systems: SAM.gov (System for Award Management) and the SBA (Small Business Administration). This process involves identifying your industry classification codes, obtaining a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), completing your SAM.gov registration, and optionally filling out an SBA profile if you qualify as a small business. While the process requires some effort upfront, it can unlock visibility and credibility benefits for certified diverse-owned businesses selling on Amazon.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• NAICS codes are required first — Before registering anywhere, you need to identify your six-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code, which classifies your business type for federal statistical and regulatory purposes.
• UEI has replaced DUNS numbers — As of April 2022, the federal government no longer uses DUNS numbers. Your 12-character Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) is now assigned automatically and for free when you register on SAM.gov.
• SAM.gov registration is mandatory — A complete SAM.gov entity registration is necessary for Amazon to verify your diversity certification status. The process takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour if you have all documents ready.
• Processing takes 7-10 business days — After submitting your SAM.gov registration, expect a wait of at least one to two weeks before your profile becomes active, and potentially longer if your information is flagged for manual review.
• SBA profile is conditional — You only need to complete an SBA profile if your NAICS codes qualify you as a small business under SBA size standards.
• No third-party fees required — Your UEI is assigned directly by the government at no cost. Sellers should avoid any company claiming to charge for this service.

Step-by-Step Registration Process

The registration process follows four main steps that must be completed in order. First, visit the U.S. Census Bureau's NAICS lookup tool at census.gov to find the six-digit codes that best describe your business operations. You can search by keyword related to your product category or business type. These codes serve a dual purpose: they classify your business for federal data collection and determine your eligibility for small business designations in specific industries. You may select multiple NAICS codes if your business spans several categories.