FAST_FY26_Grants.gov Instructions_061026.pdf

U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

ON GRANTS.GOV

INSTRUCTION PACKAGE & FUNDING

OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCMENT

Office of Investment and Innovation

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: SBA-OIIFT-26-001

Opening Date: June 2, 2026

Closing Date: July 22, 2026

IMPORTANT:

ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY via

Grants.GOV. If your organization has not already done so, it must register with Grants.gov before applying for this notice of funding opportunity.

THE REGISTRATION PROCESS, WHICH MAY TAKE UP TO 1-2 WEEKS, MUST BE COMPLETED TO

SUBMIT AN APPLICATION ELECTRONICALLY. IT IS STRONGLY SUGGESTED THAT YOU START THE

REGISTRATION PROCESS IMMEDIATELY.

If you experience any problems registering with Grants.gov, please call the

Grants.gov Support Line at 1-800-518-4726 or go to Grants.gov . The hours of operation are

Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Eastern Standard Time excluding Federal holidays.

1. Registering with Grants.gov

SBA requires the use of the Grants.gov website for submission of all grant application packages. If your organization has not already done so, it must register with Grants.gov before it can apply for this Funding Opportunity

Announcement. Registration creates a profile of basic information about your organization including the staff members who are authorized to submit applications on its behalf. These steps take a number of days, so please do not wait until the last minute if you have a deadline approaching! If you have problems registering with Grants.gov, call the help desk at 1-800-518-4726 or email at support@grants.gov. The phone line is open 24/7 except for federal holidays.

http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

1. Find your institution's Unique Entity Identifier

All institutions applying for federal grants are required to provide a UEI number. The federal government has adopted the use of UEI numbers to keep track of how federal grant money is dispersed.

Ask your grant administrator or chief financial officer to provide your institution's UEI number. Research universities and most colleges, independent libraries, and large organizations already have UEI numbers.

If your institution does not have a UEI number, please contact https://sam.gov/content/home. If your organization is not registered, you can register online or apply by phone 1-866-606-8220. For international calls dial

1-334-206-7828.

TIME IT TAKES

1-2 business days

TIPS

Record and protect your UEI number and have it available for quick reference in the following steps.

2. Register your institution with System of Award

Management (SAM)

SAM is a government-wide registry for organizations that seek grants from or otherwise do business with the federal government. SAM will house your organizational information, allowing Grants.gov to verify your identity and to pre-fill organizational information on your grant applications. Ask your chief financial officer, grant administrator, or authorizing official if your organization is already registered with SAM. When your organization registers with SAM, you must designate:

This is the most cumbersome step. We recommend that you allow at minimum, 3 days to gather information and prepare the application.

Remember SAM.gov now requires a notarized letter formally appointing the authorized Entity

Administrator for your entity before they will activate your SAM.gov entity registration. This can take some time to complete.

Allow up to 10 business days after you submit your registration including the

Notarized letter for it to become active in SAM and an additional 24 hours before that registration information is available in other government systems.

The SAM site uses terminology that is more appropriate for profit-making organizations than for non-profits. Do not be confused by terms such as vendor, contractor, etc.; just provide the requested information.

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsam.gov%2Fcontent%2Fhome&data=05%7C01%7CTraci.Giddens%40sba.gov%7C6dd13d84584b4d42286608da3db18192%7C3c89fd8a7f684667aa1541ebf2208961%7C1%7C0%7C637890129826346039%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=e4%2FFsxxllw3U1csH%2FieN8xQd7nq5D7RcGFAlaEklFLo%3D&reserved=0

1) SAM Point of Contact (SAM POC). This individual is responsible for maintaining the accuracy and timeliness of the information in SAM's registry. Upon successful registration, SAM POC will receive a T-PIN (Trading Partner

Identification Number) that will enable him or her to update your organization's SAM information as necessary.

3. Register with Grants.gov

Finally, your organization's AOR(s) must register with

Grants.gov at Register | GRANTS.GOV

Registration creates an account on Grants.gov that enables your organization to name and confirm authorization for one or more AORs and then allows the

AOR(s) to submit applications on your organization's behalf.

Up to 2 business days.

PI/PDs & AORs will receive usernames and passwords after they submit their recipient user registration form.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html

2. Accessing & Submitting Required Forms on Grants.gov

This section provides the guidelines and instructions for the forms that are required for the grant program to which you are applying. These forms must be completed to submit your application.

They can be found on Grants.gov. The SF-424 part of your application must be submitted via the electronic form on Grants.gov. The other requested items for your application may be uploaded as an attachment.

Grant Forms - Instructions and Guidelines

This section provides the guidelines and instructions for the forms that are required for the grant program to which you are applying. These forms must be completed to submit your application.

They are the:

SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance - this form asks for basic information about your organization.

SF-424(A), Budget Information - this form is the NFE's estimate of the total cost of performing the project or activity for the upcoming program year of this proposal. This form can be completed on

Grants.gov.

All proposed costs reflected in the budget must be necessary to the project, reasonable and otherwise allowable under applicable cost principles and Agency policies.

Additional Information to be Submitted

Cover Letter

Technical Proposal

Other attachments and exhibits: resumes, contracts and consulting agreements, organizational chart, milestones chart, Governor’s (or authorized designee’s) Letter of Endorsement, (if applicable) summary of FAST Program Achievements

Budget Narrative

Cost Policy Statement

Match Documentation

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement from Cognizant Agency or Extension Letter

Glossary (if applicable)

Authorized Organizational Representative - The individual(s), named by the applicant/recipient organization, who is authorized to act for the applicant/recipient and to assume the obligations imposed by the federal laws, regulations, requirements, and conditions that apply to grant applications or awards. (This person must sign the SF-424 and Notice of Award.)

Non-Federal Entity - A state, local government, American Indian tribe, institution of higher education, or nonprofit organization that carries out a federal award as a recipient or subrecipient.

Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) - The individual primarily responsible for achieving the technical success of a project, while also complying with the financial and administrative policies and regulations associated with the grant.

If you have any questions about this request, please send questions to the designated e-mail box FAST@sba.gov.

Useful Links and Resources (if applicable)

• System for Award Management (SAM): https://sam.gov/SAM

• Register with Grants.gov: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html

• Grants.gov website: www.Grants.gov

• Grant Help Desk e-mail: support@grants.gov

• Grant Support Line: 1-800-518-4726 mailto:FAST@sba.gov https://sam.gov/SAM https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov