Grants.gov - PUBLISHING APPLICATION PACKAGES

· Agency CFDA Number
· Opportunity Number
· Opportunity Title
· Competition ID
· Open Date
· Grace Period
· Agency Contact Information
· Form Package
· Application Instructions

How does my sub-agency get started on Grants.gov?

As the agency administrator, you will be able to create your agency’s organization in Grants.gov. When creating a sub-agency, follow the steps outlined in either the user guide or the training materials. Once you have created the sub-agency, you would provide the sub-agency users with their Agency Enrollment Code.

The Agency Enrollment Code for a particular sub-agency will incorporate all of the enrollment codes for the agencies above it. For example, the Office of Community Services (OCS) within the Administration of Children and Families (ACF), which is a sub-agency of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) could have an Agency Enrollment Code of the following: HHS-ACF-OCS.

What is an Agency Enrollment Code, and who needs one?

Grants.gov has assigned an agency enrollment code to each of the federal grantor agencies as an identifier within the Grants.gov system. This enrollment code links grantor users to their particular grantor agency and enables the grantor agency "Super User" to assign rights and responsibilities to members of their agency. The agency enrollment code is required for grantor registration and is only given to members of a grantor agency responsible for managing opportunities, application review, generating reports and other grantor functions at Grants.gov. This is NOT required for applicants applying for grants.

How does one become a sub-agency administrator?

This is up to the Agency Administrator to control. If Grants.gov receives a request from an agency user to either register to use Grants.gov or become a sub-agency administrator, we will direct them to the Agency Administrator to determine if they should be registered to use the system.

I don’t think our agency is registered on Grants.gov. How do I create my agency in Grants.gov?

Grants.gov will perform the initial set-up of the agency and establish the agency’s enrollment code. From there, the Agency Administrator will be able to set-up sub-agencies and other agency users.

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Creating Forms

How do I create a form?

To create a form, work with your Agency Administrator and the Grants.gov Agency Program Advisor. Typically, a form can take up to three to four months for development. If you need the form for a package, you will need to allow for this development time in your planning processes.

Will Grants.gov obtain OMB approval for me?

No. Agencies are responsible for obtaining OMB approval prior to submitting the forms to Grants.gov for development. OMB approval is not needed if the Agency uses the SF-424 family of forms, because these forms have been approved for government-wide use.

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Creating/Modifying/Deleting Application Packages

How can I create a new application package?

To create new application packages to be posted at Grants.gov , click the Manage Opportunities link on the left of your screen.

This will take you to the Manage Opportunities screen.

This screen below displays the current opportunities for the agency /agencies that you represent.

Click the Create Opportunity button above the listed application packages.

This will take you to the New Grant Opportunities Properties screen where you begin to enter information about the new opportunity. See the Grantor Guide for more details.

How can I modify an application package?

To modify an application package that is published at Grants.gov , click the Manage Opportunities link on the left of your screen.

This will take you to the Manage Opportunities screen. This screen displays the current opportunities for the agency /agencies that you represent.

Select the application package that you want to modify by clicking in the circle in the first column of that application’s row.

Click the Modify Opportunity button above the listed application packages. This will take you to the Existing Grant Opportunities Properties screen.

Select the appropriate application package by checking the box next to the package and click Modify. See the Grantor Guide for more details.

Will I be able to make any modifications to application packages once they are published?

Yes. You can easily modify an application package any time. Please keep in mind that if you make any significant changes to an existing application package, applicants who have already downloaded that application package may need to download and complete a new application package. Applicants who have signed up for notifications of changes will be automatically notified via email.

How do I delete an application package?

To delete an application package that is published at Grants.gov , click the Manage Opportunities link in the For Agencies section, on the left of your screen.

This will take you to the Manage Opportunities screen.

This screen displays the current opportunities for the agency /agencies that you represent.

Select the application package that you want to modify by clicking in the checkbox in the first column of that application’s row.

Click the Modify Opportunity button above the listed application packages.

This will take you to the Existing Grant Opportunities Properties screen.

Select the appropriate application package by checking the box next to the package and clicking Delete.

Click the Cancel button to return to the previous screen without deleting the listed template (s).

Click the Delete button to permanently remove the listed application package. See the Grantor Guide for more details.

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Posting My Application on Grants.gov

How do I get my application package requirements to Grants.gov?

You can use the Manage Application Package Templates screen of Grants.gov to create a new application package template that can be used to create multiple opportunity specific application packages.

How will applicants find my agency’s application packages?

Applicants will find your agency's application packages by using the Find Grant Opportunities section of Grants.gov.

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Software/Technical/Downloads

I’m getting an error message that my CFDA Number is not being recognized?

Grants.gov uses a nightly extract from the CFDA Catalog to update its information. If the CFDA has not updated its catalog yet, Grants.gov may not have the information necessary to recognize the CFDA Program Number. If you are the agency administrator, please contact your Grants.gov agency program advisor. Grants.gov may be able to manually insert this information. If you are not the agency administrator, work with that designated person in your agency to resolve the issue.

How do you create a template?

Not everyone will have the ability to create a template. If an agency user has the right to create templates, the link for this functionality will be listed at the left-hand side of the website after the user has logged into Grants.gov. If a user does not have that functionality listed, either the administrator will need to grant that ability or the administrator will need to set-up a template for the user to use. The template functionality allows an agency to reuse the same application package without having to set-up the necessary forms each time in order to help minimize user error when publishing a package.

What is the purpose of data analysis?

Data analysis allows an agency to provide its form requirements for a specific grant program to Grants.gov. By following this process, agencies can clearly communicate to Grants.gov about how fields on a form are used and what rules, if any, should be enforced on each field. Agencies benefit directly because Grants.gov will accurately reproduce their forms resulting in higher quality submissions. In addition, data analysis provides a mechanism for each agency to review forms used by other agencies, which may result in consolidation or elimination of some items.

I do not intend to use XML. Do I still have to perform the data analysis when we request Grants.gov to develop an agency specific form?

Yes. The data analysis process stays the same even if you do not intend to use XML. For example, we will use a field’s maximum character length to determine how much data an applicant should enter into a field.

How do I get started with data analysis templates (DAT)?

a) Review all of your programs and determine which ones may be good candidates for Grants.gov – considerations should include:

The number of expected applications
Forms already in production that could be re-used in your application package
The programs that contain forms that could be re-used with other programs

b) Review the available resources
c) Begin constructing your data analysis templates

What tools/resources are available to assist my agency with completing the data analysis template?

Grants.gov Tools

1) Guide for Data Analysis & Forms Development Guide

This guidebook explains in detail how to complete a data analysis template. It includes a sample template.

2) Data Analysis Template

a. This is a blank data analysis template that will allow you to get started now.
b. http://www.grants.gov/GovtWideFormsInfo

3) Grants.gov Forms Repository

This is a repository containing all forms currently available on Grants.gov. All of these forms are available for your use.
b. https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormsMenu

4) Data Element Library

a. Contains the data definitions for commonly used fields (e.g., address, contact information, application organization details, program details)
b. Guide for Data Analysis and Forms Development

Agency Tools
1. Application instructions. The instructions that you currently provide to your applicants often have very descriptive information about how your forms should be completed.

2. Application forms. The application form often contains descriptive information about how your forms should be completed. If not, try completing the form and document any detail that is not clearly stated.

3. Database Dictionary. If you enter all or part of your application information into a database, your database dictionary will contain much of the required information about your data fields. Please ask your IT staff for additional help.

4. Completed application forms. Review of past, successful submissions will often clarify any undocumented form requirements.

What type of skill set and coordination is needed to develop the data analysis template?

Completing the data analysis template requires:
a) Familiarity with the form’s instructions and types of entries that are acceptable, including:

Which fields should be mandatory, conditionally mandatory or optional
Rules for each conditionally mandatory field (e.g. If 4a is yes, then complete 4b, etc.)
Expected field lengths
Field formats (e.g., Assurance number must be in format mm-yyyy-####)

b) An understanding of the form’s relationship to other forms in the application package (e.g., the ‘From Date’ on the SF-424 is the same as the ‘Start Date’ on your agency-specific form)

Is there a sample data analysis template that my agency can review?

Yes. A sample template is provided in the Guide for Data Analysis and Forms Development.

Can I include attachments as a requirement in my data analysis template?

Yes. Your data analysis template provides a way for you to include all of your file attachment requirements.

I have completed data analysis of a program. I am ready to submit the results. What should I do?

You should email the following items to your assigned Agency Program Advisor.

1. List of forms that will be required to publish your program (NOTE: some of these forms may already be in production)
2. Expected number of applicants for the program
3. Data analysis template for each form requiring development
4. Copy of each original form (usually submitted as a Word, Excel, or PDF document). If this is a new form, you should create a mock up of the form.
5. Copy of the application instructions, if available
6. Desired production date (NOTE: You should allow at least 2-3 months for development but timeframes are determined on a case-by-case basis depending on form complexity and number of forms in the development queue.)

How will my forms be prioritized for development?

Grants.gov is an agency-centric initiative and as such we prioritize our work based on a combination of factors:

Which programs have the highest number of expected applicants
Which programs contain forms that can be reused
Which programs are ready for development

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Viewing Forms

How can I view the forms that Grants.gov has created?

Grants.gov has all of the forms listed on the website within the Forms Repository: https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormsMenu
If you find the form you need is not listed, contact the Agency Point of Contact (POC) to begin the forms development process. If you are the Agency POC, contact your designated Grants.gov Program Advisor.

I’m trying to look at the forms as I’m putting a template together. How can I look at the forms?

You can look at all of the forms listed on the website within the Forms Repository. You can obtain the repository at the following link:
https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormsMenu

How can I look at a form that is already part of a package?

You can look at all of the forms listed on the website within the Forms Repository. You can obtain the repository at the following link:
https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormsMenu

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Reusing Forms

Is it possible to reuse an existing form?
Yes. There are four types of forms that are currently available for your use:

1. Standard forms. OMB has approved Standard Forms such as the SF-LLL, SF-424, SF-424A-D, and the Faith-Based EEO form for government-wide use.

2. Agency-specific forms. You may reuse forms created by other agencies if the fields on those forms are the same as the fields on one of your existing OMB-approved forms. If necessary, Grants.gov will change the form name, title, and agency logo to meet your needs.

3. Grants.gov forms. Grants.gov provides “attachment forms”, which allows your applicant to include supporting documentation. The attachment form allows the applicant to attach a pre-existing file (Word, Excel, PDF, etc.) such as a budget narrative, project narrative or other miscellaneous documents to supplement the application package.

4. Government wide forms. The SF-424 was established as the core government-wide standard data set and cover sheet form. From the base SF-424 form, several additional coversheets and forms to address grant information needs for grant programs requiring less applicant information and specific applicant communities applying to mandatory, research and related, and individual program grants.

May I reuse an existing form but add my agency’s name to it?

Yes. Just let us know when you submit your data analysis templates for development.

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OMB Approval of Forms

Do I need OMB approval for my forms?

Yes. Pre-approved OMB forms do not need to go through another approval process. For forms that have not been approved by OMB, please follow your existing approval process.

I’ve signed up for Grants.gov under my sub-agency and I have my username and password, but when I sign-in, nothing appears on the left navigation pane. What’s wrong?

The Agency Administrator needs to log-in and assign you ‘roles’, which will provide you the ability to use the system. They will be able to select the roles that you perform. Once the roles have been assigned to your username, the left navigation pane will reflect what functions you can perform in Grants.gov.

My agency requires that all applications be signed. Does Grants.gov handle electronic signatures and has the signature undergone legal review?

Grants.gov does provide electronic signatures on those forms with a signature block (e.g., SF424, Certifications and Assurances); but, you should continue to adhere to the policies set forth in your agency regarding electronic signatures for grant applications.

What file formats are supported for applicants for uploading files?

Currently, using the standard attachment forms provided by Grants.gov, there are no restrictions on file types. If you would like to restrict your applicants to certain formats (e.g., Word, Excel, PDF), please specify the particular format within your agency-specific instructions.