Tips on Successful Registration for Electronic Submission

Frequently Asked Questions About Electronic Submission

1. Do we have to submit CFP proposals electronically this year?

Yes, unless you can document that you are unable to submit your proposal electronically. The CFP grant announcement states that USDA is "requesting" electronic submission. However, it also indicates that USDA expects applicants to submit electronically unless they are unable to do so, in which case the applicant may submit a hard-copy proposal, along with "documentation of the electronic efforts."

A few reasons to consider submitting electronically this year:
• They have allocated more resources to help people through the process this first year.
• Beginning in 2005, it is anticipated that all CFP grant proposals will need to be submitted electronically.
• Completing the registration process once will enable you to submit electronic proposals for other federal grants in the future.
• Think about how much you'll save in photocopying and FedEx costs!

2. What is grants.gov?

This website "allows organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies." It's run by a private consortium of contractors, including IBM and large defense corporations. It just started in October 2003, so they are still working the bugs out.

3. How long will it take to complete the registration process?

When I did it, it took me a month. If everything goes smoothly, it should 9-10 days or more. START EARLY. DON'T LEAVE IT TO THE LAST MINUTE. It can be time consuming and there may be glitches in the process.

4.How do we register?

Follow the instructions on getting started on grants.gov website at http://www.grants.gov. Below are some supplemental, step-by-step instructions to help you along. Be sure to track the codes, user i.d.'s, and passwords you use along the way, as some of them will be needed more than once.

5. If we run into problems, what do we do?

First, try grants.gov Customer Support (the link is at the far right of the colored menu bar near the top of the home page).. They do reply quickly and efficiently. If they can't help you, then try contacting Bob MacDonald, Information Technology Policy Leader with USDA CSREES, at rmacdonald@csrees.usda.gov. If you contact Bob MacDonald, please cc the correspondence to CFSC, so we can track problems (to kai@foodsecurity.org).

6. How do we find the CFP Request for Applications (RFA) on grants.gov?

Go to http://www.grants.gov
Click on "Find Grant Opportunities"
Click on "Search Grant Synopses"

There are several search options available. The best one to use for CFP at this point is "Search by CFDA Number."

Enter the number "10.225" and click on "Start Search" at the bottom of the page. (At this writing, a text search for "Community Food Projects" doesn't work very well, but this may be addressed later.)

You will get a brief listing of the grant.
Click on "Grant," and you'll get a longer description page.

At the bottom of that page, click on the text under "Link to Full Announcement" You will get another description page. Click on the green box on the upper left to download the RFA (MS Word or PDF format). That will also get you the instructions and applications forms.

(The separate "Hard copy applications forms" below are only for those who CANNOT apply electronically.)

Step-by-Step Tips on Successful Registration for Electronic Submission

Step 1: Get a DUNS Number
A Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number is a unique, nine-digit sequence recognized as the universal standard for identifying and keeping track of over 80 million businesses worldwide. They are provided as a free service from the financial service firm Dun and Bradstreet. This is the most painless part of the process, taking about 10 minutes.

Step 2: Register with Central Contractor Registry (CCR)

Go to their website at http://www.ccr.gov and click on Start new Registration on the upper right corner.

You'll get another page in which you have to enter in your DUNS Number. Note the warning at the bottom of the page:

This is a Department of Defense Information System. Use of this system constitutes consent to monitoring at all times.
I've been told that this doesn't have to do with John Ashcroft or the Patriot Act, but with protecting the system against hackers.

I encourage you to use the worksheet provided by CCR. It's helpful.

You'll need to find your North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. NAICS is new, uniform, industry-wide classification system has been designed as the index for statistical reporting of all economic activities of the U.S. You can find your code at http://www.naics.com.

Here are some sample NAICS codes that you might want to use:
Tribal councils 921150
Community meals 624120
Social service agencies 624190
Envt advocacy 813312
Community colleges 611210
Agriculture organizations 813910
Food banks 624210
Community action orgs 813319
Anti-poverty groups 813319
Social change groups813319
Conservation advocacy 813312
Environmental health 923120
You will also need a Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code. SIC codes are categorized by OSHA, a branch of the federal government. You can find the one closest to your group's purpose at http://www.osha.gov/oshstats/sicser.html

Many CFP applicants will fit under code 8399, described on the above website as follows:
8399 Social Services, Not Elsewhere Classified

Establishments primarily engaged in providing social services, not elsewhere classified, including establishments primarily engaged in community improvement and social change. Organizations primarily engaged in soliciting contributions on their own account and administering appropriations and allocating funds among other agencies engaged in social welfare services are also included, but foundations and philanthropic trusts are classified in Finance, Industry 6732. Civic, social, and fraternal organizations are classified in Industry 8641; political organizations are classified in Industry 8651; and establishments which raise funds on a contract basis are classified in Industry 7389.
  • Advocacy groups
  • Antipoverty boards
  • Community action agencies
  • Community chests
  • Community development groups
  • Councils for social agencies, exceptional children, and poverty
  • Fundraising organizations, except on a contract or fee basis
  • Health and welfare councils
  • Health systems agencies
  • Regional planning organizations, for social services
  • Social change associations
  • Social service information exchanges: e.g., alcoholism, drug addiction
  • United fund councils
Although an MPIN number is optional at this stage, you will need it later on. Be sure to register for one.

The next day, go back to CCR website and get your TPIN number ( a confidential number required for changes to your CCR registration). To access this number you'll need the temporary registration number (mine was six digits) that was given to you when you registered with CCR.

It will take CCR at least six business days to process your request before you can go on to the next step.

Step 3: Register with Credential Provider

The purpose of the credential provider is to authenticate that you are who you say you are. You'll have to wait a minimum of five business days after registering with CCR to do this step.

You'll need your DUNS number again. (It may ask you for a DUNS+4 number, which is usually your nine-digit DUNS number with four zeros added at the end.)

You also will need to have entered an MPIN through CCR as part of Step 2.

Step 4: Register with grants.gov

To take this step, you may have to wait a day after registering with the credential provider. You will need the user ID that you were provided by the credential provider and the password that you chose during this process.

Here you will register your AOR: authorized organizational representative. This is the person who can submit grant proposals for your organization.

Step 5: Designate the E- business Point of Contact

After your AOR receives confirmation of your registration with grants.gov, he/she will need to go to the E-biz part of the grants.gov website (on the top menu) and designate the E-business point of contact. When I did this, I had problems with my browser (Explorer 5.1 for Mac), but I found that it worked fine with Netscape 4.73.

Ignore any headings in this area that tell you you're in a zone for grantors. Apparently, it's a bug they still have to work out-or may have by the time you get to it.

Step 6: Viewing Grant Opportunities

Apparently you will need a PC to use Pure Edge Viewer, a software program that allows you to download and read Requests for Proposals for grants. They say that with Mac OS X and Virtual PC you'll be able to run Pure Edge in Windows emulation mode. Otherwise, you're probably out of luck and will need to find a PC (another casualty of Microsoft monopoly behavior!)

I hope these tips will help you navigate the process successfully. Contact Kai Siedenburg at kai@foodsecurity.org if you have additions or changes to suggest.