American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
CORRECTED ARRA Guidance for Securing D-U-N-S Number and CCR Registration
Corrected guidance has been provided by the federal government for carrying out the reporting requirements included in Section 1512 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). In the August 11 and August 18 Weekly Messages it was stated that all sub-recipients that receive ARRA funds, such as districts, regional offices of education, joint agreements and other local education agencies must secure a Data Universal Numbering System (D-U-N-S) number but did not have to register with the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) site.
We have recently learned that the information provided to us was in error. All sub-recipients that are awarded ARRA funds must secure a D-U-N-S number and register with the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) site. We apologize for the confusion this may have caused.
Q: What is a D-U-N-S number and who provides it?
A: Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) maintains a business database of information on businesses worldwide. D&B provides a D-U-N-S number, which is a unique 9-digit identification number for each physical location of a business organization. For school districts and other local education agencies this would be the physical location of the central administrative office. D-U-N-S number assignment is free for all entities required to register with the U.S. federal government for contracts or grants.
Most school districts already have a D-U-N-S number. Please check with your business office to determine if your district has a D-U-N-S number assigned, and if you do not, please register at http://www.dnb.com.
Q: What is a CCR?
A: The Central Contractor Registration (CCR) is the primary database for the federal government. CCR collects, validates, scores and disseminates data in support of agency acquisition missions. Since October 2003, it is federally mandated that any organization wishing to do business with the federal government under a Federal Acquisition Regulation-based contract must be registered with CCR before being awarded a contract. There is no cost to registrants. Additional information is available at http://www.ccr.gov.
Please check with your business office to determine whether your local education agency is registered with a CCR, and if not, access the CCR link and register. Note: You must have a D-U-N-S number before registering with CCR.
If your district needs to obtain a D-U-N-S number and/or register with CCR, please allow sufficient time to complete the process.
