The
Application Instructions is a zip file that contains the Notice of Funding
Availability (NOFA) instructions, which includes the General Section and
Program Sections of the NOFA.It also
includes forms, which are not part of the application page found at Grants.gov.These forms should be completed and
submitted as attachments to your application.
b.At this screen, enter
the CFDA Number, Funding Opportunity NumberorFunding
Opportunity Competition ID to access the application package and instructions.
If you enter more than one, you will not find the instructions. We recommend
using the CFDA Number.Click on Download
Package.
c.At this screen, click
on Download at the Instructions & Application box. The
instructions contain the SuperNOFA General Section and Program Notice of
Funding Availability (NOFA) along with any additional forms not found in the
PureEdge application needed to create a complete application submission.
d.Also at the above
screen, Paragraph 2 indicates that, “Before you can view and complete an
application package, you must have the PureEdge Viewer installed”.See Chapter 3, Applying for a Grant, A3. Install the PureEdge Viewer.
Note:Grants.gov updated the PureEdge Viewer from Version 6.0 to Version
6.02.If you have the older version on
your system, you will need to uninstall and install the new version.Until you do so, you may not be able to open
the applications.
Once you have identified a grant opportunity
that you wish to apply for on Grants.gov and you are ready to download the
application and instructions, you can also register to receive email
notifications regarding any changes to the grant opportunity.You will be emailed in the event the
Opportunity is changed and republished on Grants.gov before its closing date.
Changes
include modifications to the application or instructions, or the reposting of
the opportunity on Grants.gov.
To
register for updates, submit your email address when you download the specific
grant application and instructions on the Download Opportunity Instructions
and Application page.
a.After you have signed up for the email notification,
you can continue with the download of the Grant Application Instructions.At this screen, select Download
Application Instructions.
b.At the next dialogue box, click Yes to
continue and then click Save to save the instructions to your
computer.
c.At the next screen,
select a location on your computer to Save the Application Instructions.
You may want to create a folder for your grant applications.Be sure to write down the location where
you saved the instructions so you can find them later.
d.The next dialogue box
will indicate – DownloadComplete.Click on Close.This will return you to the Download Opportunity Instructions and
Application page where you can download the application package.
a.To download the
Application Package from the Download Opportunity Instructions and
Application page, select Download Application Package.
b.It is recommended that you immediately save the
application after it opens.Click on
the Save button.Give the
application a file name and save the application in the location where you
saved the Application Instructions.Click Save.
c.The application and instructions have been saved in
the same location.
Note:You can save, close, and return to the
application package and instructions at any time; however, you will need to
remember where you saved them.
To view application packages
you will need to download and install the PureEdge Viewer, which is free and
available at http://www.grants.gov/.Depending on the size of the application and instructions, it may
take several minutes to download. This small program will allow you to access,
complete, and submit applications electronically and securely. Download the
application package and save it to your hard drive.Then, double click the saved file to launch it and start filling
in the application package forms.
For the PureEdge Viewer to function
properly, your computer must meet the following system requirements:
Windows 98, ME, NT
4.0, 2000, XP
500 Mhz processor, 128 MB of RAM, 40 MB disk space
Web browser: Internet Explorer 5.01 or higher, Netscape Communicator 4.5 - 4.8,
Netscape 6.1, 6.2, or 7
§You
will be prompted to save a file to your computer; save it. It will download to
your computer. Then locate the saved file and open it to install the program by
following the directions on the installation screens.
Note: After completing the installation screens, you may be
asked to restart your computer to complete the installation. When you restart
your computer, you will be ready to proceed to the next "Get Started"
step.
§If
you have a problem installing PureEdge Viewer, it may be because you do not
have security permission to install a new program on your computer. Many
organizations have rules about installing new programs. If you have a problem
contact your system administrator.
If you do not have
a Windows operating system, you will need to use a Windows Emulation program.
Contact Grants.gov for more information.
Once you
download the Application Instructions and Application Package you can complete
them offline. Everything you need to complete an application is included in the
application package and instructions.
Note:It is important that you read the Notice of
Funding Availability (NOFA) General Section and Program Section carefully and
completely for specific instructions on completing your NOFA grant application.
The General Section is applicable to all NOFAs among HUD’s SuperNOFA
competitions and contains common information on instructions, forms, and
information resources.In the General
Section you will find:
§Statutory requirements
and background information applicable for all NOFAs under the HUD SuperNOFA
process.
§Resources for technical
assistance information.
§Detailed instructions
for the electronic application submission process, including information on
required forms, use of a DUNS number, registration requirements, and
application submission requirements.
§Instructions for
submitting a request for a waiver from electronic application submission
requirements.
§Award Administration
information, which describes the award process.
§Paper copies of
standard HUD forms and instructions, which are provided as exhibits of HUD
forms to be submitted with the electronic application as attachments.
The Program Section of your NOFA applies to the specific NOFA application
of interest to you.In the Program
Section you will find:
§Information on
availability of award funds.
§Performance period and
terms of award.
§Eligibility
requirements of the specific NOFA.
§Application submission
requirements pertinent to the specific NOFA including a checklist of specific
forms required to be submitted in the application as attachments.
The following 17 items explain the main elements of
the PureEdge grant application package.Also, the arrows on the application(See Section B4 – Sample Grants.gov
Grant Application) correspond to these items.
1.Instructions - Instructions for completing the specific
application package are listed at the bottom of the screen.
2.Scroll Bar - Use the Scroll Bars on your computer to
move up and down the application package.
3.PureEdge Forms - Each Grants.gov application package contains a
section that lists all of the PureEdge forms that are a part of the application
submission.As noted above, the
instructions contain additional information needed to submit a complete
application.The NOFA will also
identify any additional forms and information that you may need to submit to
have a complete application.
4.Cancel - The first thing you should do when opening an
application package is verify that it is the grant opportunity for which you
wish to apply.If not, press the Cancel
button at the top of the page, go back to Grants.gov, and download the proper
application package.
5.Field-Level Help - Field-level help is available to you at any
time.Click the toggle switch at the
top of the page with the arrow and question mark to turn it on. Place your mouse
over the field that you need an explanation.To turn off field-level help, click on the toggle switch again.
6.Spell Check - Spell check is also available with each
PureEdge form.
7.Save - You can save your application at any time by
clicking the Save button at the top of the screen.
Note:If you choose to save your
grant application before you have fully completed it, you will receive an error
message.This message is used to warn
the applicant that the grant application package is not yet completed.Click “Yes” to the File Overwrite
message.You will be able to save your
grant application package and complete it at a later time.
Note:It is highly recommended
that you create a folder for your grant applications.Jot down the name of the folder or location where you saved your
application so you can find it at a later date.
8.Submit - The
Submit button becomes active after all mandatory elements and mandatory
fields of the PureEdge forms in the grant application package have been
completed.If you are attaching files
make sure that the documents attached are the final versions you want to submit
with your application.All completed
forms including the Attachment Form must be moved to the completed
portion of the application.Some
examples of data that will be validated are the format of email addresses, the
format of dates, and the required fields in the forms that have been moved over
to the Mandatory Completed Documents for Submission box.
9.Print - Pressing the Print button prints all forms
in the application package.
10.Pre-Filled Information - All information on the top portion of the
application package will already be filled in by the system.
11.Application Filing Name - Assign a unique name for each application package,
which will help both you and Grants.gov identify your application.This can be any name you choose.HUD recommends that you use a combination of
your organization name and the project name for easy tracking.
12.Documents/Forms- Documents in the
Grants.gov application package are labeled as two groups: Mandatory and
Optional.HUD has placed forms
required for all applicants for a program in the Mandatory Documents
category.However, the Optional
Documents may be mandatory submissions for some applicants dependent upon
the applicable rules in the program NOFA.For example, if you use or intend to use Federal funds for lobbying
activities, you must complete the SF-LLL (it is mandatory) even though it is in
the Optional Documents box.However, if you do not intend to lobby or you are a federally recognized
Indian tribe, you would not have to complete the document.Be sure to read the NOFA to find out which
documents are mandatory and which are optional under the program for which you are
applying.
Note: Once forms are completed and moved to the Completed Document for
Submission boxes, you can click on the Check Package for Errors button to see
if all the mandatory fields in the Mandatory and Optional Documents are
completed.The mandatory fields will be
highlighted in yellow.When completing
a document not applicable to you, enter NA in all mandatory text fields and 000
in all mandatory numeric fields.
13.Open Form
- To open any form, click it, and then click the Open Form button.Note: It is recommended that you complete
the SF-424 first.Once the SF-424 is
completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.When you are finished entering data in any
form, click the Close Form button.Your work will be temporarily saved.
Note: In order to save your complete application package, you must click
the Save button on the application cover page.
14.Move Form- To denote that a form
is complete, click on it, and then click the right-pointing arrow to move it
over to the right.
15.Move Mandatory Forms- Once
completed, all forms in the Mandatory Documents box must be moved to the
Mandatory Completed Documents for Submission box to submit your
application.Complete all forms in the Optional
Documents box that are required as part of your submission and place in the
Optional Completed Documents for Submission box.
16.Check Package for Errors - If the Submit button does not become active
after all mandatory elements (highlighted in
yellow) in the Mandatory Documents have been completed, click on the Check
Package for Errors button to identify the number of errors and where they
are located in the application.
17.Attachments - This is
where you can attach other documents that pertain to the application (i.e.,
Rating Factors, Narrative Statements, Scanned Documents, Documents Contained in
the Instructions Download).You can
attach 15 documents to the Attachments Form in the Mandatory
Documents box and you can attach any number of documents to the Other
Attachments Form in the Optional Documents box.If a large number of such attachments need
to be submitted, you may compress them into a zip file for submission. See also Chapter
8, Zip (Compressed) File Assistance.Once you have completed the documents, save and attach them to the Attachments
Form and move them to the Mandatory or Optional Completed
Documents for Submission box.Click
Save after you move each document.
1.Scroll down the
application page to the yellow highlighted area. The yellow highlighted areas
are Mandatory Fields that must be completed before you can submit your
application.Applicants must input
information into these fields.
2.Once you add data into
the Mandatory Fields the yellow highlight will disappear.In this example, “Lead-Based Paint Hazard
Control Test” was entered as the Application Filing Name. Notice that the
yellow highlight is no longer visible.Make sure that all Mandatory Fields are completed.
There are two types of forms in the grant application
package that you downloaded from Grants.gov – Mandatory and Optional Forms.The NOFA will indicate which forms are Mandatory
and Optional.In each of the forms,
you will find mandatory data fields with a yellow background.See
also Chapter 3, Section B3. Components of the Application, Item 12.
Note:Even
though your specific NOFA may not require you to fill out a form in its
entirety, you must still fill out the mandatory fields in each of these forms.
Among the
Mandatory forms in the grant application package, you should complete the
SF-424 form first.By doing this,
common data (such as applicant name and address and the DUNS number, etc.) will
be completed in other PureEdge electronic forms in the application
package.
Note: As an AOR, the authenticated electronic
signature you received as part of the Credential Provider process will serve as
the official signature on the SF-424 cover page, and will be authenticated when
you submit your application electronically.
§If you are required to
submit narrative statements as part of your application, you must submit them
as an electronic file in Microsoft Word (version 9 or earlier) Microsoft
Excel 2000, or in Portable Document Format (PDF) that is compatible with Adobe
Reader version 6.0 or earlier.
§Each response to a
Rating Factor that requires a narrative statement should be submitted as a
separate file labeled with the appropriate Rating Factor name.
§Additional files or
documents needed for the application package should be attached using the Attachments Form or Other Attachments Form
included in the application package.
Applicants required to
submit documentation from organizations providing matching or leveraging funds,
documentation of 501(c)(3) status or incorporation papers, documents that
support the need for the program, Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs), or
documentation that supports your organization’s claim regarding work that has
been done to remove regulatory barriers to affordable housing have the
following two options:
Third-party documentation
can be scanned and saved as separate electronic files.Electronic files must be labeled so the
reader will know what the file contains.Matching or leveraging letters can be scanned into a single folder, or
the applicant can create a separate file for each scanned letter and label it
accordingly.All scanned files should
be placed together in a zipped folder and then attached to the application
package for electronic submission.See also Chapter 8, Zip (Compressed) File Assistance.Applicants should be aware that scanning
documents increases the size of files.Therefore to avoid upload issues due to the size of the files being
transmitted to Grants.gov via your internet service provider, HUD recommends
that if a document can be transmitted as an attached Microsoft Word, Microsoft
Excel or PDF file, or sent by facsimile, those methods should be used rather
than submission of scanned documents.
Note:Documents will only be accepted if saved as PDF, Microsoft Word
2000, and Excel 2000 files.
Applicants may submit
required documentation to HUD via facsimile (fax).The Fax method may only be used to submit attachments that are
part of your electronic application.HUD will not accept entire applications via fax.
Note: Applications submitted entirely via fax will be
disqualified.
Note: Applicants must use the
form HUD 96011, Facsimile Transmittal, as the cover page of the fax.HUD reads this cover page with an optical
character reader and if a different cover page is used for the fax
transmission, HUD cannot associate your fax to the submitted electronic
application and it will not be available for review and evaluation purposes.
The form HUD 96011, Facsimile Transmittal, is
an electronic form and is found in the Mandatory Documents box of the
PureEdge Grant Application Package.Applicants using the fax method should remember the following points:
Completing Standard Form 424 first will result
in all applicant information data fields being populated in the Facsimile
Transmission Form HUD 96011.
Print out the Facsimile Transmission Form for
submission of attachments by fax.For each attachment faxed to HUD, you should attach a Facsimile
Transmission Form HUD 96011.
Each application package downloaded from
Grants.gov contains a unique embedded ID number.Therefore, applicants using the Facsimile Transmission Form
HUD 96011 should make sure that the same form is used for every faxed
attachment supporting a particular application.See Chapter 3, Section B10.
Sample Facsimile Transmittal.
§If you are submitting
multiple applications, be sure to associate the correct Facsimile
Transmission Form HUD 96011 to the correct application.
§Faxed attachments can be faxed to (800) HUD-1010.
§Be sure to complete all required data fields on the
Facsimile Transmittal Form HUD 96011.
The first attachments form is the Attachments Form,
which is a Mandatory form in all of HUD’s grant applications.Use this form to attach files needed for the
grant application.
Note:HUD will only accept attached files that are
in Microsoft Word (version 9 or earlier, Microsoft Excel 2000 or PDF
files.Software other than the above will not be accepted.
To add a form click on Add Attachment.
This will take you to your computer’s
directory.Locate the file that you
want to attach and highlight it, click on OPEN.
The second attachments form
is the Other Attachments Form, which is located in the Optional
Documents section of the application.
You can attach any number of
attachments to the Other Attachments Form.
§If a large number of
such attachments need to be submitted, you may compress them into a zip file
for submission. See also Chapter 8, Zip (Compressed) File
Assistance. To add attachments to this form, click on the Add Optional
Other Attachment box.
§This will take you to
the Form Attachments dialogue box, click on Attach.
§At the next screen,
which is your computer’s directory, locate the file that you want to attach,
highlight it, and click on OPEN.
§At this screen, notice the file that was selected
now appears as an attachment.
§Click Done when all attachments have been added.
This step takes you back to the Other
Attachment Form where you can repeat the steps to add additional
forms, delete forms that have already been attached, or view/open
forms that have been attached.
§To see the forms that you have attached in this
section, click on the Add Optional Other Attachment box.This will take you to the Form
Attachments dialogue box where you can see the forms that have been
attached.
Use the Move Forms to Submission List and
Move Forms to Documents List buttons to move the Mandatory
Documents to the Mandatory Completed Documentsfor
Submission and the Optional Documents to the Optional
Completed Documents for Submission sections.
In this screenshot the three forms in the Mandatory
Documents section have been moved to the Mandatory Completed
Documents for Submission section.See also Chapter 3, B12,
Items 14 and 15.
You can submit a waiver
request if you will be unable to submit your application electronically.On December 29, 2005, HUD published a final
rule that established in 24 CFR 5.1005 the regulatory framework for HUD’s
electronic submission requirement. If the waiver is granted, the applicable
program office’s response will include instructions on how and where to submit
the paper application.HUD strongly
recommends that an applicant who is unable to submit an application
electronically, submit its waiver request to the applicable HUD office no later
than 15 days before the application deadline date.
To obtain more information
on waivers go to the General Section of the NOFA at:
Once you have completed your
application package, HUD recommends that you take the following steps before
submitting your application:
Review the application package and all the attachments to make sure
it contains all the documents that you want to submit to HUD as your
complete application; if it does, save it to your computer.If you have previously saved
versions of the application to your computer, remove those files so that
you do not mistakenly upload the wrong application submission. To check for other application packages,
conduct a search for files with the .xfd extension.
Check your AOR status on Grants.gov.Contact your E-Business POC if you have
not received authorization to submit the application, request
authorization. See Chapter 2, F. How to Check Your AOR Status.
When you are ready to submit the completed application, close all
other applications on your computer and turn on your Internet
Explorer.HUD recommends using
Internet Explorer as your browser for transmitting the application as it
has been successfully used by a wide variety of applicants.
Note: If you are using a dial-up modem, it may take several
minutes for the application to be uploaded and submitted. Please be patient.
This process does take longer using a dial-up modem. A high-speed Internet
connection or DSL connection will process the application at a much faster
rate.
Once all problems with your application are corrected
and you save the application, the Submit button will become active.You will then need to click the Submit
button
§At the next screen enter your Grants.gov
Username and Password.
§At this screen, which
is the Application Submission Verification and Signature screen you will be
asked to review the information on the screen and given an opportunity to sign
and submit your application or exit the application. If everything is correct
click on Sign and Submit Application.If not, click on Exit Application, which returns you to the
previous page where you can make changes.
§If you select
Sign and Submit Application, you will receive a Confirmation from
Grants.gov, which advises that your application is being processed.
§This Confirmation
includes the Grants.gov Tracking number assigned to the
application.
Note:It is
recommended that you save and print this screen for your records.
Screen
shot continued:
§Within 24-48 hours
after submitting your electronic application you should receive a Validation Message from
Grants.gov.The Validation Message
will tell you if the application has been received and validated or if it has
been rejected, and why.
§The Validation
Message also provides application tracking information.It is recommended that you Save
and/or Print this response for your records.
If you wish to
make changes to your application before the application due date but after you
have submitted it through Grants.gov, you can make changes to your existing
application stored on your computer and resubmit that application
through Grants.gov.
Note:
§HUD will use the
last application submitted as your official submission to review and
evaluate.
§Any earlier
submissions will be disregarded.
§Any previous
attachments faxed to HUD will still be accepted as part of your application as
long as you resubmit the same application.
§If you download a new application, you will need to fax
the documents again because the Facsimile Transmittal Number changes with
each application.
Note: If the Program Section of the NOFA calls for
funding on a first come-first serve basis, the last application submittal will
be the basis for determining the date and time of the application submission.
Once you have submitted an application, you can check
the status of your application submission. You can identify your application by
CFDA Number, Funding Opportunity Number, Competition ID, or Grants.gov Tracking
Number.
To check the status:
Go to http://www.grants.gov/ and click on the Applicants
link at the top of the Grants.gov home page.
Click on Login Here.
Login to the system using your Username and Password.
Click on the Application Status link at the left of your
screen.
Even though
you successfully submitted an application last year there are steps that you
need to take to make sure that you are ready to submit an application this
year.Provided below are the things
that you will need to do and should know before you get started.
Note:The CCR Point of Contact, E-Business Point
of Contact, and AOR can be the same person or different people.
Applicants are required to renew/update the
information in CCR on an annual basis. If you do not renew your registration, it
will expire and result in your Grants.gov application being rejected.
To renew your registration, the CCR Point of Contact
identified in the CCR Trading Partner Profile (TPP) should go to http://www.ccr.gov/,
and click on Update or Renew
Registrations Using TPIN. Enter your DUNS number and TPIN, and click the Submitbutton.
If there are no changes to the registration, click
the Validate/Savebutton for the information to
register in the system. If there are changes, enter the changes, and then click
the Validate/Savebutton.
Your registration renewal/update may take approximately 48 hours to update. You
can also call the CCR at 888-227-2423 for assistance.Note: You must click on the Validate/Saveor the Renew Profilebutton
in Registration Tools.
If you are registered in CCR, but do not know your
TPIN, the CCR Point of Contact should go to http://www.ccr.gov/.
Click on Update or Renew Registrations
Using TPIN. At the next screen click on Don’t Know Your TPIN? Select Click here for a TPIN Letter request.
On the next screen enter your DUNS number and click on Send
TPIN Letter. A confidential TPIN letter will be mailed to the
CCR Point of Contact
If your organization has
the same AOR their status should be active, however this should be
verified.If a new person will be
assigned, the new AOR will need to register with the Credential Provider and Grants.gov.
You need to make sure that your Grants.gov
registration is active and you have the rights to submit a grant application on
behalf of your organization. To check your status the AOR should:
1.Go to http://www.grants.gov/
and click the Applicantslink
at the top of any Grants.gov screen.
2.At the next screen,
click on Login Here.
3.Enter your Username and
Password and click on Login. On the left side of the screen select Manage Applicant Profile.
4.At the next screen,
your status will be displayed in the screen. If the AOR status is Approved, you have authorization to
submit a grant application.If your
status is AOR Request Sent, the E-Business POC has not approved your request
and you will need to request authorization.See screen prints
in Chapter 3, F. How to Check Your AOR Status.
The AOR should contact Operation Research Consultants
(ORC), the Grants.gov Credential Provider at 800-816-5548 or 703-246-8536 between 7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. eastern
standard time or via email at eauthhelp@orc.com. You may be required to
re-register.
Note: If you are required to
re-register with the Credential Provider, you will need to re-register your
Username and Password with Grants.gov.
In the event that you forget
your Password when submitting your application, the AOR can obtain a new
password from the Credential Provider.Complete the following steps:
Click the Register with Credential Provider
link on the left side of the screen.
Enter the DUNS number you used to register with
the CCR and Credential Provider.
Click the Register button.
On the left of the screen, click the User
Administration link.
Click on Forgotten Password.
Enter the Username that you received from
the Credential Provider.
Click the Submit button.
You will receive the question that you entered
as your password reminder.
Enter the answer to the question in the Answer
field.
Click the Submit button.You will be prompted to enter a new
password. Once you enter a new password, the Grants.gov system will
automatically be updated with the new password.
Or you can contact Operation
Research Consultants (ORC), the Grants.gov Credential Provider at 800-816-5548
or 703-246-8536 between 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. eastern standard time or via
email at eauthhelp@orc.com.
If you have
questions or need additional information, call the Grants.gov Contact Center at
800-518-GRANTS (4726) or email support@Grants.gov. The Contact Center hours of
operation are Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. eastern standard time. If
you are a hearing or speech-impaired person, you may reach any of the telephone
numbers in this brochure by calling the toll-free Federal Information Relay
Service at 800-877-8339.
Once you have identified a grant opportunity
that you wish to apply for on Grants.gov and you are ready to download the
application and instructions, you can also register to receive email
notifications regarding any changes to the grant opportunity.
The form HUD 96011, Facsimile Transmittal, is
an electronic form and is found in the Mandatory Documents box of the
PureEdge Grant Application Package.
