An Allocating Agent is an institution which allocates IGSN names on behalf of the IGSN registration agency of IGSN. An Allocating Agent may delegate technical functions and services to one or more data centres.

• Register IGSN
• Ensure persistent access
• ensure uniqueness
• provide harvesting interfaces
• Apply for namespaces from IGSN and assign sub-namespaces to its clients
• Persistence of the catalogue (includes contingency plan)
• operate registration services
• follow best practices (syntax, metadata)
• Participate in General Assembly
• Best effort at avoiding co-reference

• System for Earth Sample Registration (SESAR) http://www.geosamples.org

• CSIRO Australian Resources Research Centre http://www.csiro.au/en/Organisation-Structure/Divisions/Earth-Science--Resource-Engineering/arrc.aspx
• MARUM Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences, Univ. Bremen http://www.marum.de
• German Research Centre for Geosciences GFZ, Potsdam http://www.gfz-potsdam.de/portal/gfz/Services/Forschungsdaten
• Geoscience Australia
• Curtin University, De Laeter Centre for Geoschemistry