How to Submit a Federal Grant Proposal
The federal government established the Grants.gov website in 2002 to streamline the federal grant process and make federal funding opportunities more easily available to firms, agencies and individuals. You can submit grant applications for more than 1,000 federal programs, with budgets of more than $500 billion, through the Grants.gov site. Keep in mind, though, that Grants.gov does not offer any personal finance funding, such as student or small business loans. Federal grants are intended to benefit the public, not provide assistance to an individual or organization.
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Instructions
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Learn as much as you can about the grant and the granting agency. Federal grant funding is limited, and there are usually many agencies competing for the same money. Researching the granting agency, the grant itself and the eligibility requirements for the grant will help you put together a competitive proposal. You can find information on grants on Grants.gov by performing a "Find Grant Opportunities" search. The grant search results contain information about each grant and granting agency. You should also go to the granting agency's website and, if possible, contact previous grant recipients to get a clear idea of what the agency is looking for in a grant applicant.
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Get a DUNS number. You must have a nine-digit DUNS identification number from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) if you are an organization or business entity and plan to receive grant money from the federal government. Individual applicants do not need this number and can go straight to registering at Grants.gov. You must apply for the DUNS number through the D&B website or by calling D&B at 1-866-705-5711. When you apply, you must include information on yourself, your organization and what kind of activities or business your organization is involved in. This application is free, and you should receive your number within one to two business days.
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Register with Central Contractor Registration (CCR). Once you have your DUNS number, you must register with CCR. To register, you must go to the CCR website and create a user name and a password. It usually takes three to five days to process a CCR registration.
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Register with Grants.gov. You must create a user name and password on the Grants.gov website. If you are an organization, you must enter your DUNS number as part of this process. Individuals can register by using the Funding Opportunity Number for their desired grant.
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Download a grant application at Grants.gov and begin completing the necessary paperwork. The application package for each grant outlines what documents you need to fill out as well as grant application deadline dates. You must have Adobe Reader software to complete and submit the application. Once you have completed all of the required forms, click "Save and Submit," and your application will automatically upload to Grants.gov.
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