CHAPTER 4 - TROUBLESHOOTING APPLICATION SUBMISSION ERRORS

A. Most Frequent Grants.gov Error Messages

Error Message	Error Explanation	Error Tip
UNAUTHORIZED_ SUBMITTER ERROR	You have not registered successfully with Grants.gov or the E-Business Point of Contact for your organization has not assigned you the rights to submit grant applications on behalf of your organization through Grants.gov.	Verify that you have registered with Grants.gov or that you have received an email notification stating that you have been designated as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and are able to submit grants on behalf of your organization. To verify if you have been successfully registered with Grants.gov, go to https://apply.grants.gov/ApplicantLoginGetID. For instructions on how to register with Grants.gov and for information on being designated as an AOR, go to https://apply.grants.gov/GrantsgovRegister.
INVALID_APP_ORG _ONLY_OPP ERROR	The grant opportunity for which you have applied is designated for Authorized Organization Representatives (AOR) only. However, your application for a grant/grants was not submitted on behalf of a company, organization, institution, or government.	An AOR submits a grant on behalf of a company, organization, institution, or government. AORs have the authority to sign grant applications and the required certifications and/or assurances that are necessary to fulfill the requirements of the application process.
INVALID_DUNS ERROR	The DUNS number entered in your application is invalid or does not match the DUNS number that is registered with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR).	Verify that the DUNS number entered is correct and registered with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). For instructions on how to register with the CCR, go to http://www.grants.gov/CCR Register.
OPP_CLOSED ERROR	The Closing Date of the grant opportunity for which you have applied has already passed and the grantor agency is no longer accepting applications.	Confirm the close date of your application. If you require additional information contact the grantor agency directly.
INVALID_APP_INDIVIDUAL_ONLY_OPP_ERROR	The grant opportunity for which you have applied is designated for individuals submitting on their own behalf. However, your application for a grant/grants was submitted on behalf of a company, organization, institution, or government.	An individual submits a grant on their behalf, and not on behalf of a company, organization, institution, or government. Individuals sign the grant application and its associated certifications and assurances that are necessary to fulfill the requirements of the application process.
OPP_EXIST_ERROR	The grant opportunity for which you have applied is no longer accepting applications or may have been deleted.	Unfortunately, the grant opportunity is no longer accepting applications. You may want to contact the agency directly to see if similar opportunities will be available in the future. You can also sign up for email notifications of future comparable grant opportunities.

B. Five Common Reasons An Application Is Rejected

1. The DUNS number is not the same as the DUNS number recorded at CCR.

2. A virus was detected in a file attachment.

3. The application was submitted after the deadline for receiving applications.

4. The submitter is not approved to submit grants applications on behalf of the organization.

5. The organization was not registered at CCR and submitted an invalid DUNS.

C. Tips To Help Error - Proof Your Application

Error Message	Action To Take
User ID and Password do not match.	1) Check that you entered your User ID and Password (the credential) exactly as obtained with the Credential provider. The site is case sensitive. 2) Check that you have registered your User ID and Password with Grants.gov 3) Verify your User ID and Password by going to http://e-auth.orc.com/ and clicking on Verify Credential.
You are not authorized to submit on behalf of your organization.	You are registered with grants.gov but have not been made an AOR by your E-Business POC. Contact the E-Business POC and request authorization. If you have the MPIN and DUNS number, you can log in using the EBiz link at the top of any grants.gov page, and perform this operation yourself.
MEC error.	This is a general Microsoft error that is preventing communication between your computer and Grants.gov. This error is NOT a grants.gov generated error; it is on the users’ end. Grants.gov cannot troubleshoot this type of error code. There could be any number of reasons for this error, but the most common is that the size of the submission is causing a communication interruption. You should try to reduce the size of your application package by removing optional attachments or submitting required attachments manually (requires Agency approval).
‘Wheel’ keeps spinning and it looks like nothing is happening.	The application package may be very large; be patient. Depending on the speed of your connection, and the size of your application package, it could take some time to upload. If it has been more than an hour, you should stop the transmission and try to: 1) Move to a higher speed connection 2) Reduce the size of your submission by removing optional attachments (requires agency approval) 3) Contact the grantor agency for assistance or alternative submission procedures.
Page not found/Error 404.	Grants.gov is experiencing high server usage or the system might be temporarily unavailable. Wait a few minutes and try to resubmit.
We cannot accept your application at this time; please resubmit later.	This is a very rare error condition encountered when the hard disk on one of the servers receiving applications is full. Please call support at Grants.gov immediately upon receiving this message.
Website found waiting for reply.	Message is related to the user's desktop machine/browser. Most literature point to spyware/adware infestation that practically hijack the user's browser and cause tremendous slow down or no access at all. This is NOT related to any of the Grants.gov servers. There is also some evidence of this message that can be traced to the user's desktop running two firewall software systems. Other industry literatures talk about some corporate firewall that can cause this message to appear. There is also evidence that this message is related to users who are using a router connected to residential DSL/Cable services. In this case, it is a bandwidth issue.
Submission has been archived for later submission.	Open Pure Edge viewer, click on the ‘gear’ symbol which is user preferences, and ensure the setting is to “work online”.
Cannot launch viewer.	This message occurs when trying to open up a saved application file. It indicates that the previous save resulted in a corrupt file, i.e. unusable. Applicant should try to revert to a previously saved version of the file or start over.
A virus was detected during the submission of your grant application package.	Verify if any of your file attachments have a virus. When you have confirmed that you do not have a virus, resubmit your application.
The DUNS number entered on the SF424 in Block 5 is invalid or does not match the DUNS number that is registered with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR).	Verify that the DUNS number entered is correct and registered with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). For instructions on how to register with the CCR, click http://www.grants.gov/CCRRegister.
You have not registered successfully with Grants.gov or the E-Business Point of Contact or your organization has not assigned you the rights to submit grant applications on behalf of your organization through Grants.gov.	Verify that you have registered with Grants.gov or that you have received an email notification stating that you have been designated as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and are able to submit grants on behalf of your organization. To verify if you have been successfully registered with Grants.gov, test your login at: https://apply.grants.gov/ApplicantLoginGetID. For instructions on how to register with Grants.gov and for information about being designated as an AOR, click https://apply.grants.gov/GrantsgovRegister.
The grant opportunity for which you have applied is no longer accepting applications or may have been deleted.	Confirm the close date of your application. If you require additional information, contact the grantor agency directly.
The application you have submitted does not contain the correct forms for this opportunity.	Most likely, the grantor agency has changed the forms or other requirements for this application. Download the application package again, complete the forms, and then resubmit your application.
You received the following error after submitting an application: “ Form was illegal XFD format – Processing Exception”.	Contact the Grants.gov helpdesk at support@grants.gov. Inform the helpdesk that you have received the following error after submitting an application: " Form was illegal XFD format - Processing Exception".