Getting Started in Grants.gov

important links

• Grants.gov Main Page
• Search Grants.gov
• Create an Account with Grants.gov
• Track my Application in Grants.gov
• Get Help with Grants.gov
• Applying for and Managing a Grant

What is this system?

The National Park Service posts all grant application information including detailed instructions, forms, and key information on the government-wide database of funding opportunities. This database is called grants.gov. Grants.gov hosts application information and is where you will submit an application.

Within grants.gov, once you are ready to apply and submit an application, you will use the workspace feature. The "workspace" is a collaborative, online environment where multiple users can be working on parts of an application simultaneously. If the program to which you are applying does not accept applications through grants.gov, this will be described in the application information.

Who uses this system?

Individuals and organizations that are searching for grant opportunities will use grants.gov to research funding programs. Individuals and organizations that have decided to apply for a grant will use grants.gov to submit an application, unless otherwise directed.

You must have an account in grants.gov in order to apply for a grant, but no account is necessary to browse for information.

Creating New User Accounts for Grants.gov

Grants.gov is designed to simplify the grant application and grant search experience by being a one-stop shop for all application-related information. To set up a new account in grants.gov, you'll need to register first with SAM.gov and then with grants.gov. Grants.gov outlines important sequencing and detailed registration requirements in a helpful article.

Assigning User Roles in the Workspace

The workspace feature is where you will complete some application forms directly within grants.gov and where you will upload forms completed outside of the system. The NOFO will clearly describe what is required and how to complete all required forms. When user accounts are created, they are assigned user roles. These roles will determine who can complete which steps in the application process, particularly within the workspace.

When is this system used?

If you or your organization is interested in applying for a grant, we strongly encourage you to start early. In addition to the time it will take to complete the application, there are other registration requirements which may need to be completed before you are able to submit an application.

You will use grants.gov to search for available funding opportunities (grants) and to apply for a grant. All relevant application information will be posted to grants.gov in a document called the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Important Planning Information

If your organization has never received a Federal grant before, you should allow yourself several weeks to prepare to submit an application. There are several systems with which an organization must be registered in order to apply for a grant. You should register with these systems in the order in which they are presented below.

Registration with these systems is, without exception, free.

All applicants should review the systems in this table prior to applying to ensure that they are registered with all of the entities.

System	Registration	Typical Processing Time
Internal Revenue Service - Employer ID Number (EIN)	Apply online	Up to 5 weeks
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)	Apply online	1 to 20 business days
System for Award Management - SAM.gov	Apply online	Between 2 weeks and 3 months
Grants.gov	Apply online	Same day

Prepare to Apply – Subscribe to Saved Searches on Grants.gov

If you would like to receive email notifications about grant opportunities associated with specific search criteria, such as funding instrument type, eligibility, and sub-agency (that is, the National Park Service), you may use the Subscribe to Saved Searches page on grants.gov. After creating a saved search, you may view the search results or modified the saved search in the Actions column.

Where is the application?

There is no single document that is "the application." There are multiple documents that, together, will form your application.

For programs that require applications to be submitted electronically through grants.gov, some documents are downloaded from grants.gov, completed locally on your computer, and then uploaded into grants.gov as part of what grants.gov calls your "workspace." The workspace is a collaborative environment where you will add the documents you previously downloaded and where you will also complete other forms completely online.

You will find all the information you need to apply for a grant on grants.gov.

1. Search for the grant opportunity using key words or by following a link.

2. Read all of the posting on grants.gov, including any attached documents

3. Go to the Related Documents tab and download and read instructions in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)/Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).

4. Download any necessary forms or worksheets under the Related Documents tab. You will uses these forms and worksheets to provide us required information.

5. When you are ready to apply, complete the files you have downloaded, click on the Apply button to begin the application process.

6. Unless specified in the NOFO/FOA, there is no required naming convention or order for uploaded files. Titles should be clear and descriptive.

7. Submit your application package.

Screenshot from grants.gov funding opportunity page showing how to find key documents that are part of the application.