If you haven't already seen our previous post in the Grants 101 series on Where to Find Federal Grants for Your Agency, please check that out first.

Getting Your Agency Registered for Grants

Local organizations MUST complete the federal registration process (and have a DUNS number) before any grant application can be submitted. Registration can be a lengthy process, so it is best to begin before starting a grant application.

4-Step Grant Registration Process

STEP 1: Obtain DUNS Number Same day. If requested by phone (1-866-705-5711), DUNS is provided immediately. If your organization does not have one, you will need to go to the Dun & Bradstreet website at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform to obtain the number. The DUNS is a unique nine-character identification number provided by the commercial company Dun & Bradstreet (D&B).

STEP 2: Register with SAM (System for Award Management) Three to five business days or up to two weeks. If you already have a Tax Identification Number, your SAM registration will take 3-5 business days to process. Ensure that your organization is registered with the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov.

STEP 3: Grants.gov Username & Password Same day. Complete your AOR (Authorized Organization Representative) profile on Grants.gov and create your username and password. You will need to use your organization’s DUNS Number to complete this step. https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/OrcRegister

STEP 4: AOR Authorization Same day. The E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC) at your organization must login to Grants.gov to confirm you as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Please note that there can be more than one AOR for your organization. In some cases the E-Biz POC is also the AOR for an organization.

Check out the next post in our Grants 101 series for the List of Emergency Preparedness Grants For Your Agency.