diff --git a/src/components/layout/app-sidebar.tsx b/src/components/layout/app-sidebar.tsx
index 84aeb606..e897bb89 100644
--- a/src/components/layout/app-sidebar.tsx
+++ b/src/components/layout/app-sidebar.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ import { Link, useLocation } from "react-router";
 import { Box, Drawer } from "@mui/material";
 
 import { BrandLockup, BrandMark } from "@/components/common/brand-lockup";
-import { getActiveNavPath, getSidebarWidth, navGroups, type NavItemDef } from "@/config/menu";
+import { useNavGroups } from "@/components/layout/use-nav-groups";
+import { getActiveNavPath, getSidebarWidth, type NavItemDef } from "@/config/menu";
 
 function getNavItemAppearance(isActive: boolean, isHover: boolean) {
   if (isActive) {
@@ -129,6 +130,7 @@ export function AppSidebar({ collapsed, mobile = false, open = true, onClose }:
   const width = getSidebarWidth(collapsed);
   const { pathname } = useLocation();
   const activePath = getActiveNavPath(pathname);
+  const navGroups = useNavGroups();
 
   return (
     <Drawer
diff --git a/src/components/layout/use-nav-groups.ts b/src/components/layout/use-nav-groups.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ca9e3661
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/layout/use-nav-groups.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import { useUpliftsCanApprove } from "@/domain/uplifts/use-cases/use-uplifts-can-approve";
+import { getNavGroups, type NavGroup } from "@/config/menu";
+
+/**
+ * Sidebar groups for the signed-in user. The APPROVALS group appears only
+ * when the backend's can-approve answer (UpliftService tier-role rule, the
+ * same authority behind uplift approve/reject) is true for either tier.
+ * Loading and error states stay closed so the entry never flashes for a
+ * user the backend would refuse.
+ */
+export function useNavGroups(): NavGroup[] {
+  const tier1 = useUpliftsCanApprove(1);
+  const tier2 = useUpliftsCanApprove(2);
+  const canReviewUplifts = tier1.data === true || tier2.data === true;
+
+  return getNavGroups({ canReviewUplifts });
+}
diff --git a/src/config/menu.ts b/src/config/menu.ts
index c5b6fce4..2c07d62a 100644
--- a/src/config/menu.ts
+++ b/src/config/menu.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import type { LucideIcon } from "lucide-react";
 import {
   // BarChart2,
+  BadgeDollarSign,
   BriefcaseBusiness,
   Building2,
   ClipboardList,
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@ import {
   BarChart3,
   Star,
   Users,
+  Wrench,
 } from "lucide-react";
 
 export type NavItemDef = {
@@ -59,6 +61,10 @@ export const navGroups: NavGroup[] = [
       { label: "Sites", icon: MapPin, path: "/locations" },
     ],
   },
+  {
+    title: "DATA MANAGEMENT",
+    items: [{ label: "Services", icon: Wrench, path: "/settings/services" }],
+  },
   {
     title: "TEAM",
     items: [{ label: "Team Members", icon: Users, path: "/team-members" }],
@@ -69,8 +75,21 @@ export const navGroups: NavGroup[] = [
   // },
 ];
 
+// Approvals navigation is gated on the same server-derived authority the
+// uplift approve/reject API enforces (UpliftService.CanApprove tier roles,
+// exposed via GET uplifts/can-approve), so the sidebar never shows the queue
+// to a user the backend would refuse.
+const approvalsNavGroup: NavGroup = {
+  title: "APPROVALS",
+  items: [{ label: "Uplift Approvals", icon: BadgeDollarSign, path: "/uplifts" }],
+};
+
+export function getNavGroups({ canReviewUplifts }: { canReviewUplifts: boolean }): NavGroup[] {
+  return canReviewUplifts ? [...navGroups, approvalsNavGroup] : navGroups;
+}
+
 export function getActiveNavPath(pathname: string): string | undefined {
-  return navGroups
+  return [...navGroups, approvalsNavGroup]
     .flatMap((group) => group.items)
     .map((item) => item.path)
     .filter((path) =>
diff --git a/src/test/components/layout/app-sidebar-nav.test.tsx b/src/test/components/layout/app-sidebar-nav.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5075b777
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/components/layout/app-sidebar-nav.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+import { screen, within } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+import { AppSidebar } from "@/components/layout/app-sidebar";
+import { renderWithProviders } from "@/test/test-utils";
+
+const canApproveMock = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+
+vi.mock("@/domain/uplifts/use-cases/use-uplifts-can-approve", () => ({
+  useUpliftsCanApprove: canApproveMock,
+}));
+
+function renderSidebar(route: string) {
+  return renderWithProviders(<AppSidebar collapsed={false} />, {
+    route,
+    withAuth: false,
+  });
+}
+
+function sidebarLinks(): Record<string, string> {
+  const nav = document.getElementById("primary-navigation");
+  const links = Array.from(within(nav as HTMLElement).getAllByRole("link"));
+  return Object.fromEntries(
+    links.map((link) => [link.textContent ?? "", link.getAttribute("href") ?? ""]),
+  );
+}
+
+describe("AppSidebar navigation entries", () => {
+  it("shows Uplift Approvals for a user the backend says can approve uplifts", () => {
+    canApproveMock.mockReturnValue({ data: true });
+
+    renderSidebar("/");
+    const links = sidebarLinks();
+
+    expect(links["Uplift Approvals"]).toBe("/uplifts");
+  });
+
+  it("hides Uplift Approvals when the backend says the user cannot approve uplifts", () => {
+    canApproveMock.mockReturnValue({ data: false });
+
+    renderSidebar("/");
+    const links = sidebarLinks();
+
+    expect(links["Uplift Approvals"]).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it("hides Uplift Approvals while the backend answer is still loading", () => {
+    canApproveMock.mockReturnValue({ data: undefined });
+
+    renderSidebar("/");
+    const links = sidebarLinks();
+
+    expect(links["Uplift Approvals"]).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it("offers Services to every user", () => {
+    canApproveMock.mockReturnValue({ data: false });
+
+    renderSidebar("/");
+    const links = sidebarLinks();
+
+    expect(links["Services"]).toBe("/settings/services");
+  });
+
+  it("highlights the Uplift Approvals entry on /uplifts", () => {
+    canApproveMock.mockReturnValue({ data: true });
+
+    renderSidebar("/uplifts");
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole("link", { name: "Uplift Approvals" })).toHaveAttribute(
+      "aria-current",
+      "page",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("highlights the Services entry on /settings/services", () => {
+    canApproveMock.mockReturnValue({ data: false });
+
+    renderSidebar("/settings/services");
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole("link", { name: "Services" })).toHaveAttribute("aria-current", "page");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/test/config/menu.test.ts b/src/test/config/menu.test.ts
index ac75b38c..61184661 100644
--- a/src/test/config/menu.test.ts
+++ b/src/test/config/menu.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { getActiveNavPath } from "@/config/menu";
+import { getActiveNavPath, getNavGroups, navGroups } from "@/config/menu";
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 
 describe("getActiveNavPath", () => {
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ describe("getActiveNavPath", () => {
     ["/vendors/insights", "/vendors/insights"],
     ["/vendors/preferences", "/vendors/preferences"],
     ["/vendor-pos/42", "/vendor-pos"],
+    ["/settings/services", "/settings/services"],
+    ["/uplifts", "/uplifts"],
+    ["/uplifts/12", "/uplifts"],
   ])("selects one longest boundary-matching route for %s", (pathname, expectedPath) => {
     expect(getActiveNavPath(pathname)).toBe(expectedPath);
   });
@@ -17,4 +20,39 @@ describe("getActiveNavPath", () => {
   it("does not match partial route segments", () => {
     expect(getActiveNavPath("/vendor-posts")).toBeUndefined();
   });
+
+  it("does not highlight the Services entry from other settings tabs", () => {
+    expect(getActiveNavPath("/settings/dropdowns")).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+});
+
+describe("navGroups", () => {
+  it("always offers Services in a DATA MANAGEMENT group", () => {
+    const dataManagement = navGroups.find((group) => group.title === "DATA MANAGEMENT");
+    expect(dataManagement?.items.map((item) => item.path)).toContain("/settings/services");
+  });
+
+  it("does not include the approvals group by default", () => {
+    expect(navGroups.some((group) => group.title === "APPROVALS")).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("getNavGroups", () => {
+  it("adds the APPROVALS group with Uplift Approvals for uplift reviewers", () => {
+    const groups = getNavGroups({ canReviewUplifts: true });
+    const approvals = groups.find((group) => group.title === "APPROVALS");
+    expect(approvals?.items.map((item) => item.path)).toEqual(["/uplifts"]);
+    expect(approvals?.items[0]?.label).toBe("Uplift Approvals");
+  });
+
+  it("omits the APPROVALS group for users who cannot review uplifts", () => {
+    const groups = getNavGroups({ canReviewUplifts: false });
+    expect(groups.some((group) => group.title === "APPROVALS")).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps the approvals group after TEAM", () => {
+    const groups = getNavGroups({ canReviewUplifts: true });
+    const titles = groups.map((group) => group.title);
+    expect(titles.indexOf("TEAM")).toBeLessThan(titles.indexOf("APPROVALS"));
+  });
 });