Large, multi-year awards scored against a published rubric, with compliance that lasts the whole period of performance.
Federal agencies
- Typical award
- From about $100,000 to several million dollars per year, depending on the program
- Review style
- Objective review panels scoring against weighted criteria published in the NOFO
- Application length
- Often a 20 to 60 page narrative plus forms, budget and 10 or more attachments
- Lead time
- NOFOs often allow 30 to 90 days between posting and the deadline
- Compliance
- 2 CFR 200 cost principles, Single Audit once federal spending reaches $1,000,000 in a fiscal year, SF-425 and performance reports
- Registration
- Active SAM.gov registration and UEI, plus Grants.gov and any agency system such as eRA Commons, JustGrants or HRSA EHBs
Federal discretionary grants are posted as Notices of Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov, reviewed by objective panels that score each application against the criteria in the NOFO, and governed after award by 2 CFR 200 and the agency's terms and conditions. They pay the most and demand the most: registration in SAM.gov, strict formatting, detailed budgets and regular performance and financial reporting.
What wins
- Answering every review criterion and sub-criterion in the order the NOFO lists them, using its headings.
- A statement of need built on local data with sources, not national figures alone.
- Measurable objectives that line up with the logic model, the evaluation plan and the budget.
- A budget justification where every line ties to an activity and follows 2 CFR 200 cost principles.
- Evidence of capacity to manage federal funds: past awards, clean audits, named staff with relevant experience.
Common pitfalls
- Missing a required attachment or exceeding a page limit, which can remove an application before merit review.
- Letting SAM.gov registration lapse, or a legal name that does not match SAM.gov on the SF-424.
- Submitting on deadline day and running into Grants.gov validation errors with no time to fix them.
- Budgets that include unallowable costs or an indirect rate the organization cannot document.
Where ELIXIR CONSUMERS fits
- The NOFO parser turns review criteria, point values, page limits and required attachments into a checklist the draft is scored against.
- Narrative sections cite your vault documents, so every figure a reviewer reads traces to a 990, audit or program report.
- Budget narratives apply your NICRA or the 15% de minimis rate on MTDC and flag cost categories that commonly draw questions.
- Post-award calendars track performance reports, SF-425 due dates and continuation deadlines from the Notice of Award.
Example programs and funders
- HRSA Health Center Program (Section 330) Service Area Competition
- NIH Research Project Grants (R01)
- EPA Brownfields Assessment, Cleanup and Multipurpose Grants
- DOJ COPS Hiring Program
- HUD Continuum of Care Program
Questions, answered
Do I need to be registered anywhere before applying for a federal grant?
Yes. You need an active SAM.gov registration with a UEI and a Grants.gov account with an AOR role. Some agencies also require their own system, such as eRA Commons for NIH or JustGrants for DOJ. Start registration weeks before a deadline.
What is the Single Audit threshold now?
Under the 2024 revision of 2 CFR 200, effective for fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2024, a Single Audit is required when an entity spends $1,000,000 or more in federal awards in a fiscal year.
What indirect rate can we charge without a negotiated rate?
Organizations without a NICRA may use the de minimis rate, which the 2024 revision raised to 15% of modified total direct costs.
$ elixir trial --days 14
Stop letting high-value grant deadlines pass you by.
Upload a past 990 and a target NOFO. Watch ELIXIR CONSUMERS draft a cited Section 1 narrative in 90 seconds.