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Grants Management and Oversight

The Grants Management and Oversight Division (GMO) is responsible for guidance and policies related to competitive grant programs. This includes issuing guidance for:

  • Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs);
  • Ensuring compliance with pertinent statutes and regulations; and
  • Ensuring consistency with HUD's strategic goals and policies.

This page serves as a learning pathway for effective management of federal grant funds throughout the full lifecycle. This collection of resources will:

  • Help you understand HUD's grant processes;
  • Expose you to laws, regulations, and policies; and
  • Support your efforts to create truly comprehensive, coordinated, and effective strategies to address your community needs.

What's New

HUD Grants Management and Oversight Division

In addition to being responsible for issuing guidance and policies related to competitive grant programs, GMO also undertakes multiple initiatives in support of the federal-wide Cross Agency Priority Goals found on www.performance.gov. GMO strengthens internal controls and enhances management integrity across HUD’s programs. GMO improves management efficiencies by streamlining grant processes and procedures within HUD and across all federal programs in conjunction with the other 26 federal grant-making agencies. GMO provides perspective on grants management policy and supports the annual cycle of distributing HUD competitive funds in accordance with Congressional authorization and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance.

GMO operates within the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) for Systems. OCFO is responsible for driving organizational, programmatic, and operational change across the department to maximize agency performance. OCFO facilitates the department-wide strategic planning process with the Secretary, the senior leadership team, and external stakeholders.

HUD’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan lays out this administration’s strategy for ensuring everyone has an affordable, healthy place to live. Over the course of the next four years HUD will pursue two overarching priorities focused on increasing equity and improving customer experience across all HUD programs. Five strategic goals undergird the Plan as follows:

  • Strategic Goal 1: Support Underserved Communities
  • Strategic Goal 2: Ensure Access to and Increase the Production of Affordable Housing
  • Strategic Goal 3: Promote Homeownership
  • Strategic Goal 4: Advance Sustainable Communities
  • Strategic Goal 5: Strengthen HUD's Internal Capacity

HUD Program Offices

To carry out a variety of HUD community and economic development programs, HUD awards more than $45 billion each year through national competitions directly to local and state governments, non-profit and faith-based organizations, veterans service organizations, public housing agencies, Indian tribes, and others.

HUD funding is managed and administered by six program offices. You are encouraged to understand each office’s mission and funding strategies as well as become familiar with available resources to support your success.

Community Planning
and Development
(CPD) Fair Housing and
Equal Opportunity
(FHEO) Office of Housing
Office of Lead Hazard
Control and
Healthy Homes
(OLHCHH) Policy Development
and Research (PD&R) Public and Indian
Housing (PIH)

Grant Modernization

 
GMO ensures compliance with new and existing statutes
 
GMO connects HUD with federal-wide changes and conversations
 
GMO supports collaborative engagement throughout HUD

GMO collaboratively works to transform and standardize the management of the HUD’s grant programs to ensure the success of the strategic objectives for transforming financial management, modernizing information technology, and modernizing grants management. Transformation will increase accountability, improve efficiency, and eliminate risk, resulting in optimization of over approximately $45 billion in appropriated funds.

This effort will build shared solutions that reduce burden and improve the user experience, hold recipients accountable for good performance practices that supports achievement of program goals and objectives, and streamline burdensome compliance requirements for those that demonstrate results.

Grants Management Lifecycle

Learn more about the HUD Grants Management Lifecycle. Download the infographic or review the information below.

  • Pre-Award Phase
  • Award Phase
  • Post-Award Phase

Download Infographic

Pre-Award Phase

Funding Opportunity - Internal Process

  • Complete program budgeting and planning actions
  • Establish NOFO forecast
  • Draft and submit NOFO into clearance
  • Respond to internal and OMB comments
  • Complete clearance process
  • Publish approved NOFO

Before You Apply

  • Utilize HUD.gov to learn about program mission and available resources
  • Identify useful HUD grant programs, regulations, and policies
  • Explore Grants.gov for funding opportunities
  • Register an account for your organization on Grants.gov
  • Certify SAM Registration
  • Bookmark 2 CFR Part 200

Apply for Funding

  • Read each section of the grant carefully
  • Follow instructions precisely
  • Develop a budget and a double entry accounting system, if determined necessary
  • Use the rating and ranking criteria as a resource when drafting your responses
  • Propose realistic and attainable goals
  • Align your proposal to latest research and evidence
  • Submit an organized application package via Grants.gov prior to the deadline

Application Review Process

  • Once the application submission window has closed, the applications undergo initial screening (threshold or intake review)
  • Ineligible applications are set aside, and applicants are notified
  • Applications meeting the minimum eligibility requirements move forward to panel review
  • Review in accordance with the NOFO rating factors
  • Score in accordance with the NOFO rating factors
  • Select applications and secure internal approvals

Award Phase

Before Awarding HUD Must

  • Assign and commit funds in accordance with the funding matrix
  • Complete Congressional Notification
  • Finalize Grant Agreement/Cooperative Agreement – Notice of Award (NOA)
  • Issue NOA to recipients

Action Steps to Move You Forward

  • Read NOA thoroughly and negotiate NOA terms
  • Accept/reject NOA
  • Submit executed NOA to HUD
  • Establish user access to financial system
  • Begin work in accordance with approved proposal
  • Submit fund drawdown requests
  • Continue to work to achieve agreed outcomes
  • Determine amendment or waiver needs
  • Be a prudent steward of federal funds

Award Administration - HUD Only

  • Obligate and contract funds
  • Submit data to USASpending.gov
  • Review, approve, and issue payments
  • Provide technical assistance
  • Review and respond to correspondences
  • Review and approve/disapprove waiver requests
  • Review and process amendments

Post-Award Phase

Monitoring

  • Conduct monitoring risk assessment
  • Submit progress and financial reports
  • Comply with Standards for Success (if applicable)
  • Review and approve post-award reports and data
  • Conduct site visits and/or remote desk audits
  • Establish corrective actions
  • Resolve and close finding(s)
  • Monitor single audit status and resolutions

Closeout

  • Determine administrative actions and all required work has been completed (HUD)
  • Submit required reports within 90 calendar days after the end of performance end date
  • Reconcile grant budget and drawdowns
  • De-obligate unexpended funds (HUD)
  • Secure repayment of funds
  • Close out awards no more than one year after receipt and acceptance of the required final reports
  • Retain records and make accessible for HUD in accordance with NOA (3 years min)

Get Started

You are encouraged to conduct a preliminary planning exercise using SAM.gov. To start:

  1. Browse assistance listings to form a “big picture” of your funding options. Each assistance listing is associated with a unique five-digit number formerly known as the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number.

  2. Once you identify a federal assistance listing that is of interest, you are able to link directly to grant opportunities on Grants.gov or follow up with that specific agency using the contact information provided.

What are the types of funding?

  • Discretionary funding is a competitive process that allows HUD to exercise judgement in selecting recipients and determining award amounts through a competitive, renewal, or unsolicited proposal grant process.

    HUD’s competitive programs are organized to mirror how a community thinks, rather than how HUD is organized. Each NOFO outlines the timelines, rules, application requirements, criteria used to evaluate applications, and all other information pertinent to the competitive process.

  • Mandatory funding is a grant (or cooperative agreement) awarded under a program where the authorizing statute requires HUD to make an award to each eligible recipient under the conditions and in the amount specified in the statute. Award amounts are usually determined by formula allocation. Block grants are the most common types of mandatory funding.

Where can I find more information?

In a given year, HUD issues as many as 40 NOFOs, each with its own publication and submission dates, application requirements, factors for award, and selection process. To be considered for funding you must respond to the current NOFO.

To learn more about currently available funds, you should…

All NOFOs are posted on both sites.

For detailed program information and available resources, you are encouraged to...

  • Visit HUD.gov to research HUD programs and initiatives.
  • Explore the HUD Exchange for technical assistance resources designed to support your efforts.

Where can I find required forms?

Each NOFO has a unique application instruction package. There is not a generic application instruction package that can be downloaded and used for all grant application submissions. You must use the application instruction package associated with the NOFO to which you are applying and submit any other required information.

Do you have any helpful tips?

 

Read thoroughly.
Set aside time to read the NOFO and familiarize yourself with the requirements and instructions. Certain submission requirements in the NOFO are not curable.

 

Pay attention to the details. Pay particular attention to the review criteria and write your application keeping these review criteria in mind.

 

Align your proposal with evidence. Be familiar with available research and incorporate as necessary into your proposal.

 

Submit on time. Submit the NOFO by the deadline date and time through Grants.gov. Late applications will not be considered.

Federal Guidance

Which federal laws, regulations, and policies should I be familiar with?

All programs have governing authorities, regulations and policies, and several key federal authorities that govern the federal grantmaking landscape. You are encouraged to learn more about the following overarching authorities that may impact your program of interest:

The intent is to empower every American with the ability to hold the government accountable for each spending decision to reduce wasteful spending in the government. The FFATA legislation requires information on federal awards (federal financial assistance and expenditures) to be made available to the public via a single, searchable website, which is USASpending.gov.

The FFATA Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) is the reporting tool federal prime awardees (i.e. prime contractors and prime grants recipients) use to capture and report subaward and executive compensation data regarding their first tier subawards to meet the FFATA reporting requirements. Prime contract awardees will report against sub-contracts awarded and prime grant awardees will report against sub-grants awarded. The subaward information entered in FSRS will then be displayed on USASpending.gov associated with the prime award furthering Federal spending transparency.

View Policy

The DATA Act improves the quality and transparency of the federal government's award data. Lawmakers direct the Department of the Treasury and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to create government-wide standards for reporting spending data associated with federal awards. The law also requires that this data be channeled to a central, public database so that it can be easily accessed and tracked throughout an award's full lifespan – from a vote in Congress to its final disbursement.

View Policy

The purpose of the GREAT Act is to:

  • Modernize reporting by recipients of federal grants and cooperative agreements by creating and imposing data standards for the information that those recipients are required by law to report to the federal government.
  • Implement the recommendation by the Director of the OMB contained in the report submitted under section 5(b)(6) of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note) relating to the development of a "comprehensive taxonomy of standard definitions for core data elements required for managing federal financial assistance awards."
  • Reduce burden and compliance costs of recipients of federal grants and cooperative agreements by enabling technology solutions, existing or yet to be developed, for use in both the public and private sectors to better manage the data that recipients already provide to the federal government.
  • Strengthen oversight and management of federal grants and cooperative agreements by agencies by consolidating the collection and display of and access to open data that has been standardized and, where appropriate, increasing transparency to the public.

View Policy

The goal of the GONE Act is to close out expired grants. The GONE Act requires the OMB to instruct each agency, in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to submit a report to Congress and HHS by December 31 of the first calendar year beginning after this Act's enactment. Compliance with this Act requires program offices to close out grant funding timely and in according with the governing requirements. Grantees are encouraged to be familiar with federal close out requirements.

View Policy

The FIBF is a model that enables the federal government to better coordinate and document common business needs across agencies and focus on outcomes, data, processes and performance. It is the essential first step toward standards that will drive economies of scale and leverage the government’s buying power. The FIBF is being developed and defined by cross-agency working groups. Expect more information shortly.

View Framework

The two CFR revisions reflect the foundational shift outlined to set the stage for enhanced result‐oriented accountability for grants. This guidance is the beginning of a pivot towards actions geared to focus on improved stewardship and ensuring that the American people are receiving value for money spent on grant programs.

View Policy

Grants Management & Oversight Training Objectives

There are numerous of ways grantees and pass-through entities could learn more about grant writing, grants appropriating laws and regulations, monitoring grants, and grant audit preparation. Useful information can be found on Grants.gov and grant related courses are offered through companies such as but not limited to Management Concepts and the Graduate School USA.

For example, Management Concepts provides access to training and certificate programs related to grants management. The Grants Management Certificate Program has three curricula curated for federal employees, pass-through entities, and grantees. These courses include but are not limited to:

  • Introduction to Grants and Cooperative Agreements for Federal Personnel
  • Monitoring Grants and Cooperative Agreements for Federal Personnel
  • Uniform Administrative Requirements for Federal Grants
  • Cost Principles for Federal Grants

Key Resources

The General Services Administration (GSA) manages federal acquisition and awards processes in 10 online websites which have been merged into one. SAM.gov is the official U.S. government website for people who make, receive, and manage federal awards.

The official page for HUD's grants and funding information. HUD awards discretionary funding through over 20 grant programs that support HUD initiatives.

Additional Information Related to HUD's Funding Opportunities:

Unique Entity Identifier - April 4, 2022, HUD financial systems transitioned away from using the DUNS Number and instead will use the new Unique Entity ID (UEI) as a means of entity identification for federal awards.

A slide deck and recorded session from a previous General Services Administration (GSA) Stakeholder Forum on obtaining a new Unique Identity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov are available:

Note: If your entities are actively registered in SAM.gov, GSA has already assigned a new Unique Entity ID. The new Unique Entity ID is viewable in the SAM.gov entity registration record. Go to fsd.gov and select the green Help on UEI Transition button to learn more.

Build America Buy America Act - This Act ensures that Federal infrastructure programs require the use of materials produced in the United States, increases the requirement for American-made content, and strengthens the waiver process associated with Buy American provisions.

The official page for HUD’s Grants Management and Oversight Division. There you will find access to HUD's guidance and policies related to competitive grant programs.

GrantSolutions is a grants and program management federal shared service provider that supports federal agencies throughout the entire grants lifecycle - from forecast and funds planning to closeout. GrantSolutions is committed to increasing grant making effectiveness and accountability by providing comprehensive and cost-effective grant technology solutions and consultative services though a collaborative partnership across the federal government.

HUD Standards for Success (SfS) is HUD’s standardized reporting framework for its discretionary-funded programs. The framework’s main tenets are:

  • Standardization of data elements, measures, definitions, metrics, and reporting periods across HUD programs;
  • Alignment of programmatic data elements and measures with higher-level agency priority goals and objectives; and
  • The utilization of record-level reports for greater analysis and responsiveness of programs.

HUD's Client Information Policy Systems (HUDCLIPS) is an online resource for forms, handbooks, policies, and other related information.

The Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Council is dedicated to coordinating financial assistance to effectively deliver, oversee, and report on grants and cooperative agreements, as well as sharing with executive departments and agencies best practices and innovative ideas for transforming the delivery of grant assistance.

The CFO Council offers a variety of Grants Training to support more efficient and effective federal grants management.

In November 2020, the CFO Council released the Crosswalk for 2 CFR Revisions to compare the revisions to Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR) published in 85 FR 49506 on August 13, 2020 with the guidance that was previously published in the Code of Federal Regulations.

The official page for HUD guidance on developing a Code of Conduct. Federal regulations (2 CFR part 200) and HUD's Notices of Funding Availability (NOFA) for discretionary funds require non-federal entities receiving Federal assistance awards, excluding States, to develop and maintain written standards/codes of conduct covering conflicts of interest and governing the actions of its employees engaged in the selection, award and administration of contracts. No employee, officer, or agent may participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract supported by a federal award if he or she has a real or apparent conflict of interest (2 CFR 200.318(c)(1)). HUD grantees are required to submit their code of conduct to HUD.

The Grants Management and Oversight Division (GMO) in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Systems) (OCFO) prepares an Award Federal Register Notice quarterly in compliance with the HUD Reform Act. The Federal Register is the official journal of the federal government of the United States that contains government agency rules, proposed rules, and public notices.

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