UNGM Basic vs Level 1 vs Level 2: What Each Registration Level Requires

BidClarity Editorial Team · Reviewed against official sources on 3 October 2026

Quick answer: UNGM (the United Nations Global Marketplace) has three supplier registration levels. Basic is mandatory: company details, countries of business, UNSPSC codes, the UN Supplier Code of Conduct and a Declaration of Eligibility. Level 1 adds a legal-status document, three references, and your owners and any intermediaries. Level 2 adds three reference letters and three years of audited financial statements, and your company must have been established for at least three years. Levels 1 and 2 are needed only when an opportunity requires them.

Three levels. Basic: the mandatory level, where every supplier starts; company details, countries of business, UNSPSC codes, eligibility declaration. Level 1: only when an opportunity requires it; legal-status document, three references, owners and principals, intermediaries if any. Level 2: only when an opportunity requires it; established three or more years, three reference letters, three years of audited financial statements. Level 1 needs Basic first; Level 2 needs Basic and Level 1. — Figure 1. Every supplier completes Basic. Level 1 and Level 2 are needed only when an opportunity asks for them. Source: UNGM Help Centre: What are the requirements for registration on UNGM? (updated 10 November 2022), What are the registration levels used by organizations on UNGM? (updated 25 September 2025).

Key facts

Basic: mandatory, and the only level 21 of the 28 organizations on UNGM's list use.
Level 1: optional; needs Basic first.
Level 2: optional; needs Basic and Level 1, and at least three years since your company was established.
When you need more than Basic: UNGM ties the level to the value of the potential contract. Each opportunity's details on UNGM say which level it requires.
Cost: registration is free of charge at every level.
Official source: the UNGM Help Centre.

Why UNGM has three levels

UN organizations need different amounts of due diligence on their suppliers. Basic is required by most organizations. Some organizations also use Level 1 or Level 2, and UNGM enables those levels automatically for them. UNGM's list names 21 organizations that use Basic only, among them UNDP, UNOPS and WHO, and 7 that also use Level 1 or Level 2: IAEA, IFAD, the UN Secretariat, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNRWA and WFP.

According to UNGM, Level 1 and Level 2 matter only for specific opportunities with larger contract values. The required level is shown in the opportunity details on UNGM, so read it before you prepare a bid. A Basic registration does not mean you meet every opportunity's requirements.

What Basic registration requires

Registration on UNGM is open to incorporated companies with market-ready products or services. Basic is the mandatory level, and it asks for:

acknowledgment of the UN Supplier Code of Conduct;
information about your company, such as its name, license number, address and contacts;
the countries where you do business;
your goods and services, classified with UNSPSC codes;
the Declaration of Eligibility, seven statements made on your company's behalf.

Enter your company name exactly as it appears on your certificate of incorporation or other legal documents. Once your profile is registered with at least one organization at Basic, it becomes visible to all UN staff, and you can take part in procurement opportunities.

What Level 1 adds

Level 1 needs a completed Basic registration. It adds:

a certificate of incorporation, or an equivalent document showing your legal status, in English;
contact details for three independent, non-affiliated references, preferably recent clients;
the names of your owners and principals, including any parent company, subsidiaries or affiliates, your chief executive or managing director, and anyone with a controlling interest;
the names of any intermediaries, agents or consultants you have used for UN contracts, bids or proposals.

What Level 2 adds

Level 2 needs Basic and Level 1, and your company must have been established for at least three years. It adds:

Three reference letters from three independent, non-affiliated recent clients. UNGM asks for letters less than 12 months old, issued and signed by the client and addressed to you. Each should describe what you delivered, how long the contract ran, and your performance. UNGM suggests using the same three references you gave at Level 1.
Financial statements for the last three years. UNGM's requirements page says audited or certified statements, or equivalent; its Level 2 guidance asks for audited statements with a signed audit report, balance sheet, income statement, statement of opinion and notes to the accounts. UNGM treats them as confidential, seen by a restricted number of UN staff, and asks you to update them every year.

The levels side by side

The UNGM Help Centre is the final checklist, because requirements can change.

What each UNGM registration level asks for
Requirement	Basic	Level 1	Level 2
Is it mandatory?	Yes	Only if an opportunity requires it	Only if an opportunity requires it
Company details, countries, UNSPSC codes, eligibility declaration	Yes	Done at Basic	Done at Basic
Certificate of incorporation or equivalent	No	Yes	Done at Level 1
Three references (contact details)	No	Yes	Done at Level 1
Owners, principals and intermediaries	No	Yes	Done at Level 1
Three reference letters	No	No	Yes
Three years of financial statements	No	No	Yes
Established at least three years	No	No	Yes

How to avoid registration delays

Attach your documents to the form. Files you upload to My Documents are not visible to UN staff until you attach them to the relevant registration form. My Documents is for registration documents only: do not put bidding documents there.

Use a certified translator. If a document is not in English, upload a translation by an external, independent certified translator, with an official stamp or signature. The translator cannot be affiliated with your company.

Match your legal name everywhere, and use references that are genuinely independent of your company.

Practical checklist

Complete Basic, with your exact legal name and accurate UNSPSC codes.
Check the registration level each opportunity requires.
Line up three independent references before you start Level 1.
For Level 2, confirm your company has been established for three years.
Ask your references for signed letters dated within the last 12 months.
Arrange certified English translations where needed.
Attach each document to its registration form.
Update your financial statements every year.

Where BidClarity fits

BidClarity helps suppliers decide which public sector opportunities are worth pursuing. Your UNGM registration, and the level each opportunity requires, stay with UNGM and the UN organization running the procurement.

To see which procurement sources BidClarity reads, and the status of each, see Procurement Sources.

See which open opportunities fit your company, and why.

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Common questions

Do I need Level 2 to use UNGM?

No. Basic is the mandatory level and is enough for most organizations. You need Level 1 or Level 2 only when an opportunity requires it.

Can a new company complete Level 2?

No. UNGM requires a company to have been established for at least three years before it can register at Level 2.

Does UNGM charge for registration?

No. UNGM says registration is free at every stage. UNGM Pro, which includes the Tender Alert Service, is a separate paid subscription.

Official sources

This guide is general information, not legal or procurement advice. The solicitation and the official sources control. If something here no longer matches them, report a correction.