GRANT TERMINOLOGY – The grants community is diverse, and so is the terminology we use to talk about roles and aspects of the grants lifecycle. Here is a glossary of grant terms based on the Grant Policies and Grants.gov functionality.

Agency Specific Data Sets

Data that an agency collects in addition to data on any of the SF-424 series forms.

Applicant

Any user registered with an applicant account type. See also Individual Applicant and Organization Applicant

Application

The specific set of forms, documents, and attachments that comprise an applicant’s submission to a federal grant opportunity.

Application Package Template

One or more forms and documents which can be reused for multiple opportunity-specific application packages.

Authorized Organization Representative (AOR)

See Standard AOR and Expanded AOR.

Award

Financial assistance that provides support or stimulation to accomplish a public purpose. Awards include grants and other agreements in the form of money or property in lieu of money, by the federal government to an eligible recipient. The term does not include: technical assistance, which provides services instead of money; other assistance in the form of loans, loan guarantees, interest subsidies, or insurance; direct payments of any kind to individuals; and contracts which are required to be entered into and administered under federal procurement laws and regulations.

Budget

The financial plan for the project or program that the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity approves during the Federal award process or in subsequent amendments to the Federal award. It may include the Federal and non-Federal share or only the Federal share, as determined by the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity.

Cage Code

A five-character code which identifies companies doing, or planning to do business with the federal government and is assigned through SAM.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number

The number assigned to a Federal program in the CFDA.

CFDA program title

The title of the program under which the Federal award was funded in the CFDA.

Close Date

The deadline designated by the grant-making agency designated for submission of a particular grant application. Also see Grace Period

Closeout

The process by which the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity determines that all applicable administrative actions and all required work of the Federal award have been completed and takes actions as described in § 200.343 Closeout of the OMB Uniform Grants Guidance.

Competition ID

A grantor selected ID that allows further distinction of the funding opportunity number which allows applications with the same funding opportunity number to be assigned unique identifiers.

Congressional District

One of a fixed number of districts into which a state is divided, each district electing one member to the national House of Representatives. Review the How to Find Your Congressional District for the SF-424 Form blog post for more information.

Continuation Grant

An extension or renewal of existing program funding for one or more additional budget period(s) that would otherwise expire. Continuation grants are typically available to existing recipients of discretionary, multi-year projects; however, new applicants may be considered.

Receipt of a continuation grant is usually based on availability of funds, project performance, and compliance with progress and financial reporting requirements. Applications for continuation may compete with other continuation requests submitted to the awarding agency.

Read More : Mavericksystemscorp.com

Contract

A legal instrument by which a non-Federal entity purchases property or services needed to carry out the project or program under a Federal award. The term as used in the OMB Uniform Grants Guidance does not include a legal instrument, even if the non-Federal entity considers it a contract, when the substance of the transaction meets the definition of a Federal award or subaward (see § 200.92 Subaward of the OMB Uniform Grant Guidance).

Contractor

An entity that receives a contract as defined in § 200.22 Contract of the OMB Uniform Grant Guidance.

Cooperative Agreement

A legal instrument of financial assistance between a Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity and a non-Federal entity that, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6302–6305:

1. Is used to enter into a relationship the principal purpose of which is to transfer anything of value from the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity to the non-Federal entity to carry out a public purpose authorized by a law of the United States (see 31 U.S.C. 6101(3)); and not to acquire property or services for the Federal government or pass-through entity’s direct benefit or use;
2. Is distinguished from a grant in that it provides for substantial involvement between the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity and the non-Federal entity in carrying out the activity contemplated by the Federal award.
3. The term does not include: (1) A cooperative research and development agreement as defined in 15 U.S.C. 3710a; or (2) An agreement that provides only: (i) Direct United States Government cash assistance to an individual; (ii) A subsidy; (iii) A loan; (iv) A loan guarantee; or (v) Insurance.

Cost Sharing or Matching

The portion of project costs not paid by Federal funds (unless otherwise authorized by Federal statute). See also §200.306 Cost sharing or matching of the OMB Uniform Grant Guidance.

Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number

The decommissioned nine-digit number established and assigned by Dun and Bradstreet, Inc. (D&B) to uniquely identify entities. This number is no longer used by the Federal Government. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has directed federal agencies/systems to transition to the UEI (SAM) no later than April 4, 2022.

Date of Completion

The date on which all work under an award is completed or the date on the award document, or any supplement or amendment thereto, on which awarding agency sponsorship ends.

Discretionary Grant

A grant (or cooperative agreement) for which the federal awarding agency generally may select the recipient from among all eligible recipients, may decide to make or not make an award based on the programmatic, technical, or scientific content of an application, and can decide the amount of funding to be awarded. Review the What Is a Discretionary Grant? blog post for more information.

Download

Transferring data (usually a file) from another computer to the computer you are using.

E-Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC)

A user registered as an organization applicant who is responsible for the administration and management of grant activities for his or her organization. The EBiz POC is likely to be an organization’s chief financial officer or authorizing official. The EBiz POC authorizes representatives of their organization to apply on behalf of the organization (see Standard AOR and Expanded AOR). There can only be one EBiz POC per DUNS Number.

Earmark

Earmarks are grants that are appropriated by Congress prior to a peer review. The term “earmark” is a reference to the Congressional Record where the awards are written into legislation specifically with the grant applicant’s name, activity, and dollar amounts.

Expanded Authorized Organization Representative (AOR)

An AOR is a member of your organization authorized by the EBiz POC to submit applications in Grants.gov on behalf of the organization. An applicant user with the Expanded AOR role is authorized to submit any applications on behalf of the organization and has privileges that allow the user to modify organization-level settings in Grants.gov.