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Non-Disaster Grants Management System - Frequently Asked Questions

Registration and Login

Organization

Application

Grants Management

Find answers to questions grantees frequently ask about the Non-Disaster Grants (ND Grants) Management System.

Registration and Login

What is the Access ID for FEMA direct recipients?

The Access ID is a four-digit number that allows the user to complete the ND Grants System registration process. To obtain the Access ID, please contact the ND Grants Service Desk at NDGrants@fema.dhs.gov.

If I registered last year, will I need to enter the Access ID again?

No. Registered system users with access to ND Grants do not need to enter the Access ID every time.

How can I recover a forgotten user ID?

Go to https://portal.fema.gov and select Forgot ID. For user ID issues that cannot be resolved, please contact FEMA’s Enterprise Service Desk (ESD) at 1-877-611-4700.

If I'm already registered in the Payment and Reporting System (PARS), do I have to re-register for ND Grants?

Yes. PARS user accounts will not be migrated to ND Grants. 

Can there be more than one person assigned to a user ID in ND Grants?

No. Each ND Grants system user must have an individual user ID and password.

Organization

What is an organization?

An organization is created within ND Grants to provide an appropriate accountable entity to which grants are made, grant recipient point of contacts are established, and vendor information is designated. Grants can only be awarded to organizations created and approved within the ND Grants system.

Do I need to belong to an organization in order to perform work on an award or application?

Yes, only users associated with an organization can work on grants and applications submitted by that organization.

How do I designate user roles within my organization?

The designation of user roles is left to the discretion of the Organization Administrator. Here are some things to keep in mind when designating the following roles:

Signatory Authority

  • Is authorized to enter into a grant agreement with the federal government on behalf of the organization.
  • Does not have to be a system user.
  • For example, the Signatory Authority could be considered the governor of a state, depending on how your organization is structured. Although the governor is considered the authority that can accept a grant, he or she may not necessarily be an ND Grants system user. 

Authorized Official

  • Must be an ND Grants system user.
  • Can accept award packages and complete and submit amendments.
  • The Authorized Official acts on behalf of the Signatory Authority.
  • There can be multiple users with Authorized Official role within an organization, but only one Authorized Official per grant application.

Who has the rights to update the organization's information?

The Organization Administrator is responsible for updating the organization's information. The person who originally created the organization will be automatically designated as the Organization Administrator. He or she has the ability to reassign roles and edit the organization's profile. Multiple ND Grants system users can be the Organization Administrator.

Does the Primary Contact, Secondary Contact, or Signatory Authority need to be an ND Grants system user?

No.

Can there be multiple Authorized Officials and Signatory Authorities?

There can be multiple Authorized Officials as well as multiple contacts within one Organization. However, for an application, there can only be one Authorized Official and one Signatory Authority.

I'm from the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory. What number should I use for my Congressional District?

Use Congressional District MI-099.

How do I change an organization's address?

Please refer to the Updating Organization Details Quick Reference Guide for more information on changing an organization’s address.

Does ND Grants have subgrantee functionality?

ND Grants does not have subgrantee functionality.

Application

When it is time to apply for a non-disaster grant, do I go to Grants.gov only or should I do both, Grants.gov and ND grants?

Due to a mandate (Public Law 106-107) from the Office of Management and Budget, all Discretionary grant opportunities must begin within Grants.gov. When you submit your Standard Form 424 (SF-424) in Grants.gov, the FEMA Program Office will conduct an initial review of the application and release it back to you for further action in ND Grants. All information from your SF-424 will be automatically downloaded into ND Grants. When you complete your application in ND Grants, which includes the final budget, any associated attachments, and signed assurances and certifications, it will be submitted to the Program Office to complete the application review process.

Can I include decimals in my budget amounts when submitting the SF-424?

Yes. You can indicate monetary amounts to the nearest cent.

How long will it take for my SF-424 information in Grants.gov to transmit into ND Grants?

Once a grant recipient submits their grant application in Grants.gov, it will take approximately 30 minutes for the submitted application to transfer into ND Grants. In rare cases, it can sometimes take upwards of one business day for the submitted application to be transferred.

Once I submit my application, how long does the review process usually take?

The length of the review process depends entirely on the Program Office and can range between a few hours to a few days. 

How will I know when my application is ready to update in ND Grants?

After you submit your SF-424 through Grants.gov, the FEMA Program Office will perform an initial review to ensure that you are eligible to apply for the grant. If deemed eligible, your application will be released back for full completion in ND Grants. You will be notified in two ways:

  1. Via email letting you know that your application has been released to you to complete. The email will also include the resubmission deadline
  2. After logging into ND Grants. You will see the application under Pending Submission status under the application dropdown

I submitted an Application via Grants.gov. Why am I being asked to create my organization?

If the organization you entered in the SF-424 application does not exist in ND Grants, you will need to create an organization in ND Grants before you can update your application.

The budget amount listed in my SF-424 is only an estimate – can I adjust this number in my ND Grants application?

When your Program Manager releases your application back to you to update in ND Grants, you will be able to adjust your budget amount. However, make sure you explain the reason for the change in the budget in the comment box of your application.

Where do I find the Investment Justification template to complete and attach to my application?

If your program requires an Investment Justification template, you can search by program in Grants.gov and click on Full Announcement to view and print the template. Your Program Manager should also be able to provide you with the proper template if it is not available in Grants.gov.

Why can’t I see the Submit button on my application?

You cannot see the Submit button because you have added contacts to the application incorrectly. You must update the contacts section in order to submit. In the contacts section of the application:

  1. Delete your name from the list by clicking the trash icon;
  2. Search for your name in the drop-down list and select the option that includes your ND Grants user ID;
  3. Click the plus sign next to the option to add it to the contacts list; and
  4. Once listed, select the Authorized Official role.

Adding the Authorized Official role will allow you to see the Submit button and sign off on the assurances and certifications.

Why does nothing happen when I click the Submit button?

If nothing happens after hitting the Submit button, please scroll through the application and make sure there are no red error messages indicating there is a missing requirement or change needed.

Once any error messages are addressed, you should be able to submit the application successfully. If you continue to encounter the error, please try using a different browser.

Will I receive an email notification if my application is denied?

If your application is not chosen for award, you will receive an Application Denied email. The Primary and Secondary Contacts will also receive email notification through their provided email addresses.

Grants Management

How will I know if my application has been chosen for award?

The Primary and Secondary Contact will receive email notification that your application has been chosen for award. Once you have received this email, the Authorized Official must log into ND Grants to Accept or Decline the award. Please print a copy of your award for your records.

How do I see a PDF version of my award package?

ND Grants allows you to generate a PDF version of the award package, which you can save or print. To access the award package:

  1. From the Grants Dashboard, click the link with your grant number in the Awards section of the page;
  2. From the View Award page, click Award Package in the menu bar on the left side of the page; and
  3. Click the Preview Award Package button.

This will generate a PDF version of the award package. It may take several minutes to load.

Is it possible to see all applications submitted by an organization?

Yes. ND Grants system users who are added to an organization will be able see award applications submitted by that organization.

Will I be submitting performance progress reports? If so, how frequently?

Yes, you will submit performance progress reports in ND Grants. The frequency will be noted in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Will I get email reminders from ND Grants regarding tardy performance progress reports?

No. If a performance progress report is not submitted within the required time period, you may receive notification from your Program Manager, but the system will not send a notification. For guidance on when your performance progress reports are due, please refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Is it possible to request multiple types of amendments at one time (i.e. period of performance change with a cost change)?

It is possible, but not advisable, to request multiple types of amendments at one time. If you intend to submit an amendment request to change the Authorized Official, make sure that the change to the Authorized Official is the only change you request.

What are the restrictions on submitting an amendment?

New amendments cannot be created if your organization already has an amendment in progress under FEMA review. Additionally, only the Authorized Official for a grant can submit an amendment.