For Ukrainian companies, participation in international tenders increasingly requires not only a high-quality commercial proposal but also standardised international business identification. One of the most widely used identifiers is the D-U-N-S Number — a unique nine-digit number assigned to companies within the global Dun & Bradstreet system.
The D-U-N-S Number is used by international corporations, financial institutions, procurement platforms, and certain government and donor organisations to unambiguously identify a legal entity. For a Ukrainian company, having such a number may be necessary when registering in a supplier system, undergoing due diligence, or submitting documents to participate in a tender.
“An international tender does not begin with the price. First, the customer must make sure that it is dealing with a genuine legal entity with a verified name, address, and business profile. The D-U-N-S Number helps connect a Ukrainian company to the global business identification system and simplifies its verification by international partners,” Maksym Urakin noted.
Before obtaining or updating a D-U-N-S Number, a company should verify the correct English-language spelling of its legal name, address, legal form, contact details, and management information. Discrepancies between registration documents, the corporate website, and the international profile may delay verification.
The D-U-N-S Number is particularly relevant for companies seeking to become suppliers to large international groups, work with global IT platforms, participate in procurement by donor organisations, or systematically enter the markets of the EU, the United States, and other countries.
At the same time, the number itself is not a certificate of reliability and does not guarantee success in a tender. Its function is to ensure the unambiguous identification of a business and link a legal entity to an international business profile that the customer can use during verification.
Dun & Bradstreet maintains the global D-U-N-S business identification system and develops solutions for company verification, risk assessment, compliance, and supplier management. In Ukraine, companies may contact the D&B — Interfax-Ukraine division regarding the obtaining and updating of a D-U-N-S Number.
Dun & Bradstreet is an international provider of business data and analytical solutions whose history began in 1841. D&B works with data on companies worldwide and provides tools for business identification, counterparty verification, credit and commercial risk assessment, compliance, and supply chain management.
The official representative of Dun & Bradstreet in Ukraine is the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency. The specialised D&B — Interfax-Ukraine division provides Ukrainian companies with access to international business data, helps them verify foreign counterparties, and assists them in working with D&B tools.
Enquiries can be submitted through the specialised D&B resource at dnb.ua, by email at Urakin@interfax.kyiv.ua, or by telephone at +38 (044) 270-65-74.
BUSINESS VERIFICATION, D-U-N-S Number, DUN & BRADSTREET, INTERNATIONAL TENDERS
