opp18CS12-cfda16.603-cid18CS12-instructions.docx

How To Apply

Applicants must register in and submit applications through Grants.gov, a “one-stop storefront” to find federal funding opportunities and apply for funding. Find complete instructions on how to register and submit an application here. Applicants that experience technical difficulties during this process should call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or 606–545–5035, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays. Registering with Grants.gov is a one-time process; however, processing delays may occur, and it can take several weeks for first-time registrants to receive confirmation and a user password. NIC encourages applicants to register several weeks before the application submission deadline. In addition, NIC urges applicants to submit applications 72 hours prior to the application due date to allow time to receive validation messages or rejection notifications from Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely fashion any problems that may have caused a rejection notification.

NIC strongly encourages all prospective applicants to sign up for Grants.gov email notifications regarding this solicitation. If this solicitation is cancelled or modified, individuals who sign up with Grants.gov for updates will be automatically notified.

Note on file names and file types. Grants.gov only permits the use of certain specific characters in names of attachment files. Valid file names may include only the characters shown in the table below. Grants.gov is designed to reject any application that includes an attachment(s) with a file name that contains any characters not shown in the table below.

All applicants are required to complete the following steps:

NIC may not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the federal awarding agency is ready to make a federal award, the federal awarding agency may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

1. Acquire a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. In general, the Office of Management and Budget requires that all applicants (other than individuals) for federal funds include a DUNS number in their applications for a new award or a supplement to an existing award. A DUNS number is a unique nine-digit sequence recognized as the universal standard for identifying and differentiating entities receiving federal funds. The identifier is used for tracking purposes and validating address and point of contact information for federal assistance applicants, recipients, and sub-recipients. The DUNS number will be used throughout the grant life cycle. Obtaining a DUNS number is a free, one-time activity. Call Dun and Bradstreet at 866–705–5711 to obtain a DUNS number or apply online. A DUNS number is usually received within 1-2 business days.

2. Acquire registration with the System for Award Management (SAM). SAM is the repository for standard information about federal financial assistance applicants, recipients, and subrecipients. NIC requires all applicants (other than individuals) for federal financial assistance to maintain current registrations in the SAM database. Applicants must be registered in SAM to successfully register in Grants.gov. Applicants must update or renew their SAM registration annually to maintain an active status.

Applicants cannot successfully submit their applications until Grants.gov receives the SAM registration information. The information transfer from SAM to Grants.gov can take as long as 48 hours. NIC recommends that the applicant register or renew registration with SAM as early as possible.

Access information about SAM registration procedures here.

3. Acquire an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and a Grants.gov username and password. Complete the AOR profile on Grants.gov and create a username and password. Applicant organizations must use their DUNS number to complete this step. For more information about the registration process, go here.

6. Submit a valid application consistent with this solicitation by following the directions in Grants.gov. Within 24–48 hours after submitting the electronic application, the applicant should receive two notifications from Grants.gov. The first will confirm the receipt of the application and the second will state whether the application has been successfully validated, or rejected due to errors, with an explanation. It is possible to first receive a message indicating that the application is received and then receive a rejection notice a few minutes or hours later. Submitting well ahead of the deadline provides time to correct the problem(s) that caused the rejection. Important: NIC urges applicants to submit applications at least 72 hours prior to the application due date to allow time to receive validation messages or rejection notifications from Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely fashion any problems that may have caused a rejection notification.

Click here for further details on DUNS, SAM, and Grants.gov registration steps and timeframes.

Note: Duplicate applications. If an applicant submits multiple versions of the same application, NIC will review only the most recent system-validated version submitted. See Note on File Names and File Types under How To Apply.

Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues

Applicants that experience unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond their control that prevent them from submitting their application by the deadline must contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline or the SAM Help Desk to report the technical issue and receive a tracking number. The applicant must e-mail the Response Center at BOP-NIC/General@bop.gov within 24 hours after the application deadline and request approval to submit their application. The e-mail must describe the technical difficulties, and include a timeline of the applicant’s submission efforts, the complete grant application, the applicant’s DUNS number, and any Grants.gov Help Desk or SAM tracking number(s). Note: NIC does not automatically approve requests. After the program office reviews the submission and contacts the Grants.gov or SAM Help Desks to validate the reported technical issues, NIC will inform the applicant whether the request to submit a late application has been approved or denied. If NIC determines that the applicant failed to follow all required procedures, which resulted in an untimely application submission, NIC will deny the applicant’s request to submit their application.

The following conditions are generally insufficient to justify late submissions:

Notifications regarding known technical problems with Grants.gov, if any, are posted on NIC’s web page.