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Getting Ready to Do Business With FNS

Last Published: 12/01/2017

Please be aware that the grants.gov system provides several confirmation notices; applicants should ensure receipt of confirmation that the application was accepted.

Electronic Submission: The complete application must be uploaded on www.grants.gov USDA will not consider any additions or revisions to an application once it is received. USDA will not accept mailed, faxed, or hand-delivered applications.

In order to submit an application via grants.gov, applicants must have obtained a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and registered in both the new Systems for Award Management (SAM) and on grants.gov. The applicant is strongly advised to allow ample time to initiate the grants.gov application submission process. All applicants must have current Central Contractor Registry (CCR) status at the time of application submission and throughout the duration of a federal award in accordance with 2 CFR Part 25. Please visit the following websites to obtain additional information on how to obtain a DUNS number (www.dnb.com) and register in SAM (https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/).

What is SAM?: The System for Award Management (SAM) is combining federal procurement systems and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) into one new system. This consolidation is being done in phases. The first phase of SAM incorporated the functionality from several systems, including CCR.

For additional information regarding SAM see the following link:

Below is additional information that should assist the applicant through this process:

DUNS Number: In order to obtain or confirm a DUNS number, contact Dun and Bradstreet via the internet at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform or by calling 1-888-814-1435, Monday thru Friday, 8am-9pm EST. There is no fee associated with obtaining a DUNS number. It may take several days to obtain a DUNS number.

SAM Registration: For applicant organizations that were previously registered in the CCR, relevant applicant information is already in SAM; set up a SAM account as necessary to update any information. To register in SAM, the applicant’s DUNS number, Tax ID Number (TIN), and taxpayer name (as it appears on the applicant’s last tax return) are all required. Registration should take 3-5 days.

Applicants that do not receive confirmation that SAM registration is complete should contact SAM at https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/home.do.

Grants.gov Registration: In order to apply for a grant, applicants must have completed the above registrations and registered on grants.gov. The grants.govregistration process can be accessed at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html. Generally, the registration process takes between 3-5 business days.

If you are a new grants.gov user, please ensure that your organization’s Point of Contact (POC) has designated you as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). If you are not designated as an AOR, you will be unable to submit your application into grants.gov.

Applicants should allow ample time to complete the necessary steps on grants.gov.

In review, in order to make an electronic submission, applicants must: