Your first federal grant application

Before you apply

1. Register in SAM.gov. See SAM.gov registration and UEI. Grants.gov says you can't start applying until it's active.
2. Choose the main contact. Grants.gov calls this person the E-Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC). They create a Grants.gov account with the same email address used in SAM.gov.
3. Add your organization in Grants.gov using your UEI, and give roles to the people who will work on applications. The person who submits needs the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) role.

The steps of a federal grant

Grants.gov describes three phases:

• Pre-award. The agency posts a funding notice. You check you're eligible, complete the application package, and submit it through Grants.gov. Grants.gov notes that "completing a grant application can take weeks." The agency then screens and reviews applications, which can also take time.
• Award. The agency tells applicants whether they were selected. Recipients get a Notice of Award and start the project once funds arrive.
• Post-award. You send regular financial and program reports, and the agency may do site visits or audits. The grant closes after the final reports are reviewed.

What to expect

• Start registration as early as you can. Grants.gov says it can take weeks if information can't be verified.
• Read the funding notice from start to finish. Each agency adds its own requirements.
• Learn the reporting rules before you apply. Grants.gov's checklist lists this as an early step.
• Check whether the award would bring you over the federal single audit threshold. See Audit or financial statements.