GrantSolutions was honored to co-host the first “All Things Grants” event in collaboration with SCORE DC, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday, April 11. All Things Grants provided an opportunity for the small business and Grantee communities to learn first-hand from grants experts how to better navigate the Federal grant process. Nearly 300 people participated in a half-day meeting that included speakers, panel discussions, and workshops.
Events like this are important opportunities for sharing knowledge and experiences. We have found that such partnerships lead to better ideas, processes, and results.
Below is an event recap.
Overview of the Federal Grants Landscape
We started with the day with Grants 101 on Grants.gov, which provides one of the best overviews of Federal grants, as part of a one-stop-shop to find and apply for Federal grants. Grants.gov also provides important information to help prepare Grantee organizations to apply for Federal grants—including requirements for SAM.gov registration and other critical information to avoid delays in the application process.
Pre-Award Panel
Funding Opportunity Announcement Tips
The pre-award panel discussed the Funding Opportunity Announcement and how to successfully comply with each funding opportunity’s terms and conditions. The panelists shared tips to develop successful grant proposals, including:
- Read and fully understand all of the eligibility requirements.
- Provide a strong letter of support from collaborators to increase the strength of the application.
- Understand the fund matching requirements, and address them in the budget justification.
- Ensure the proposal emphasizes the key evaluation points identified by the program office.
“How is my proposal reviewed?”
This was a common question during the session. The specific proposal review process might vary depending on the award agency. However, most grant proposals go through a similar three-part review:
- Screening: Each application is examined to ensure it meets all of the award requirements, including submission by the deadline.
- Competitive Review: A team of three or more independent reviewers evaluates and ranks the applications based on the award criteria.
- Agency Review: The awarding agency completes a final review of past performance, budget justification, and the proposal itself.
It’s a good idea for applicants to request a proposal debrief, which can help inform and improve future proposals and applications.
Post-Award Panel
The post-award panel focused on grant performance and compliance with Government rules and regulations. Here are a few key points:
- Read the Notice of Award carefully, and pay special attention to the listed information, terms and conditions, mandatory performance, reporting, and audit requirements.
- Pay attention to compliance. Fulfilling all compliance and closeout activities for a grant is an excellent way to earn a strong past performance review for the next proposal.
SCORE Roundtable
All Things Grants ended with a SCORE mentoring roundtable for small businesses and nonprofits on topics including marketing, financing, technology, nonprofit best practices, and business operations. To learn more about topics shared at the roundtable, visit SCORE.org, and access information on mentoring programs, local workshops, and other free resources for small businesses.
GrantSolutions looks forward to engaging in events in the future to share more grants management tips and best practices that our community has developed over the last 10 years. Until then, you can download the presentations from All Things Grants.
