Notes on Grant Award Process presentation

Monica Lacka, U.S. EPA

Slide 2

This grant workshop was developed to present:

  1. an overview of Federal assistance regulations and policies which are applicable to grants administered by the Environmental Protection Agency;
  2. provide guidance regarding how to write a successful grant proposal, and
  3. provide helpful hints regarding grant management to prospective grant applicants.

Slide 8

  • The purpose of assurances in SF-424-B is to outline the Federal laws and statutes imposed on all Federally assisted projects. The inclusion of these pages in the applicant package indicates the applicant’s willingness to adhere to these requirements.
  • The assurances must be signed in order for the Application for Federal Assistance to the complete.
  • The Preaward Compliance Review Form is a form which gathers information concerning the population the project will impact.
  • The Non-Profit Certification requires the applicant to identify the type of non-profit applicant they have been designated as (i.e., 501(c)(3), (c)(4), etc.)

Slide 13

The time frame to complete your grant program/project is based on your recommendation for the length of time it will take to complete the proposal activities. The period of time allowed for performance of your project is generally negotiated and approved by the EPA Project Officer.

The Grant Agreement will specify the budget and project periods approved by the Agency.

Slide 15

This module will provide information concerning close-out and audit of your assistance agreement.

Slide 16

  • The close-out process is a systematic method of ensuring that all technical work and administrative requirements have been finalized.
  • Close-out is performed when a project ends due to completion or termination.
  • The Recipient is responsible for completing and submitting to the EPA a final performance report and financial status report 90 days after the expiration of their budget or project period.
  • Formal close-out occurs only when all parties are satisfied with the final product, all eligible costs have been accepted, all repayments have been received, all grant conditions have been met, and all issues resulting from audits have been resolved.

Slide 18

The Inspector General Act authorized the Inspector General of the EPA to have access to all records, reports, audits, reviews, documents, papers, recommendations, or other material available to the Agency.

Audits of EPA grant recipients are conducted by the EPA Office of Inspector General or its contractors. Audits may be performed before, during or after the completion of a project.

Audits, although most times viewed stressfully, do not have to be unpleasant experiences. To help make the audit process proceed as smoothly as possible, grant recipients should keep in mind the following:

•Documentation - Be sure and have available all documentation concerning your EPA grant. The following lists of documents may be helpful to identify the project management records needed by the auditors:

•Application, agreements, amendments, contracts and subcontracts;

•Accounting records, including disbursement of funds, travel, records of in-kind contributions, etc.

•Copies of performance reports and any other reports or products developed under the agreement;

•Copies of Financial Status Reports; and Copies of any requests for reimbursements.