P0-2: D-U-N-S number and Apple Developer Program (Organization)

Cordy commented

2026-09-10 17:39:38 +00:00

Owner

Manual task. Depends on P0-1 (entity must exist).

D-U-N-S number

Free in most jurisdictions, issued by Dun & Bradstreet. It verifies your organisation's identity, legal status and address.

Check whether Swiss Cairn GmbH already has one via Apple's D-U-N-S lookup tool at https://developer.apple.com/enroll/duns-lookup/.
If not, request one through that same tool. Use the exact registered name and address from the Handelsregister — a mismatch is the single most common cause of rejection.
Wait. Issuance can take up to ~2 weeks, then allow a further 2 business days for D&B to propagate the record to Apple before you attempt enrolment.

Apple Developer Program enrolment

Create (or reuse) an Apple ID for the organisation with two-factor authentication enabled. Use a role address like developer@swisscairn.ch, not a personal one — this account will outlive any individual.
Enrol as Organization (not Individual) at https://developer.apple.com/programs/enroll/.
You must have legal authority to bind the entity, or a signed authorisation letter from someone who does. Apple verifies this by phone.
Pay $99/yr.
Wait for approval: typically 3–5 business days, 7–10 if Apple requests extra verification.

After approval — create the signing identities

You need two certificates for distributing outside the App Store:

Developer ID Application — signs the .app bundle.
Developer ID Installer — only if you ship a .pkg.
Create an app-specific password (or an App Store Connect API key) for notarytool. Never use the plain Apple ID password.
Record the Team ID — it appears in every codesign command and in the Sparkle signing chain.

Do not lose these

The Developer ID private key and the Team ID are effectively irreplaceable identity. Losing the key means every existing install sees a new, untrusted publisher. Back the key up offline, in two places.

Acceptance criteria

D-U-N-S issued and visible to Apple.
Apple Developer Program membership active under Swiss Cairn GmbH.
Developer ID Application certificate created, private key backed up offline.
Team ID and notarytool credentials recorded in the password manager.

**Manual task.** Depends on P0-1 (entity must exist). ## D-U-N-S number Free in most jurisdictions, issued by Dun & Bradstreet. It verifies your organisation's identity, legal status and address. - [ ] Check whether `Swiss Cairn GmbH` already has one via Apple's D-U-N-S lookup tool at <https://developer.apple.com/enroll/duns-lookup/>. - [ ] If not, request one through that same tool. Use the **exact registered name and address** from the Handelsregister — a mismatch is the single most common cause of rejection. - [ ] Wait. Issuance can take up to ~2 weeks, then allow a further **2 business days** for D&B to propagate the record to Apple before you attempt enrolment. ## Apple Developer Program enrolment - [ ] Create (or reuse) an Apple ID for the organisation with **two-factor authentication enabled**. Use a role address like `developer@swisscairn.ch`, not a personal one — this account will outlive any individual. - [ ] Enrol as **Organization** (not Individual) at <https://developer.apple.com/programs/enroll/>. - [ ] You must have **legal authority to bind the entity**, or a signed authorisation letter from someone who does. Apple verifies this by phone. - [ ] Pay **$99/yr**. - [ ] Wait for approval: typically **3–5 business days**, **7–10** if Apple requests extra verification. ## After approval — create the signing identities You need two certificates for distributing outside the App Store: - [ ] **Developer ID Application** — signs the `.app` bundle. - [ ] **Developer ID Installer** — only if you ship a `.pkg`. - [ ] Create an **app-specific password** (or an App Store Connect API key) for `notarytool`. **Never use the plain Apple ID password.** - [ ] Record the **Team ID** — it appears in every `codesign` command and in the Sparkle signing chain. ## Do not lose these The Developer ID private key and the Team ID are effectively irreplaceable identity. Losing the key means every existing install sees a new, untrusted publisher. Back the key up offline, in two places. ## Acceptance criteria - D-U-N-S issued and visible to Apple. - Apple Developer Program membership active under `Swiss Cairn GmbH`. - Developer ID Application certificate created, private key backed up offline. - Team ID and notarytool credentials recorded in the password manager.