GLOSSARY
Government Grant Glossary
Grant language is full of acronyms and jargon. Here are the terms that matter most, defined in plain English so you can read any funding notice with confidence.
- Allowable Costs
- Expenses that a grant program permits you to charge against the award, as defined by the funding agency and federal cost principles (2 CFR 200). Anything not allowable must be paid from other funds.
- Application Deadline
- The date and time by which a complete grant application must be submitted. Federal deadlines are typically enforced to the minute in the submission system — late applications are almost never accepted.
- Award
- The funding a grantee receives after a successful application. An award comes with a notice of award (NOA) specifying the amount, period of performance, and terms and conditions.
- Budget Narrative
- A written justification that explains each line item in your proposed budget — why the cost is necessary, how it was calculated, and how it supports the project objectives.
- CFDA / Assistance Listing Number
- A unique identifier for a federal assistance program, formerly called the CFDA number and now the Assistance Listing number in SAM.gov. It identifies the exact program a grant falls under.
- Cognizant Agency
- The federal agency responsible for negotiating and approving an organization’s indirect cost rate on behalf of all federal agencies that fund it.
- Cost Sharing / Matching
- The portion of project costs not paid by the grant. Some programs require recipients to contribute a defined percentage of funds (cash) or in-kind resources to demonstrate commitment.
- DUNS Number
- A legacy nine-digit identifier once required for federal awards. It has been fully replaced by the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) issued through SAM.gov.
- Eligibility
- The criteria that determine who may apply for a grant — such as organization type (nonprofit, government, small business), location, size, or mission. Applying when ineligible wastes effort and can disqualify you.
- Federal Register
- The official daily journal of the U.S. government where agencies publish funding notices, rules, and grant announcements. It is a primary, authoritative source of new opportunities.
- Formula Grant
- A non-competitive award distributed to eligible recipients based on a predetermined formula — often population, poverty level, or other statutory factors — rather than a competitive review.
- Grantee
- The organization or individual that receives and is legally responsible for a grant award, including meeting its objectives and complying with all terms.
- Grants.gov
- The central U.S. federal portal where applicants find and apply for grants from all 26 federal grant-making agencies. It is the authoritative source for federal discretionary opportunities.
- Indirect Costs
- Overhead expenses not tied to a single project — such as rent, utilities, and administrative salaries — recovered through a negotiated indirect cost rate or the 10% de minimis rate.
- In-Kind Contribution
- Non-cash resources contributed to a project, such as donated goods, volunteer time, or facilities, which can count toward a cost-sharing or matching requirement.
- Letter of Intent (LOI)
- A short preliminary document some funders require before a full application, signaling your intent to apply and summarizing the proposed project so the funder can gauge fit.
- Matching Funds
- Money the grantee must provide to supplement grant funds, expressed as a ratio or percentage of the total project cost. See also Cost Sharing.
- NAICS Code
- The North American Industry Classification System code that identifies your organization’s primary industry. It is used in SAM.gov registration and to match you to relevant opportunities.
- NOFO (Notice of Funding Opportunity)
- The official announcement of a grant opportunity, detailing eligibility, funding amounts, deadlines, evaluation criteria, and application instructions. Also called a NOFA or solicitation.
- Notice of Award (NOA)
- The legal document that officially awards a grant, stating the amount, period of performance, and the terms and conditions the recipient agrees to.
- Pass-Through Entity
- An entity, often a state agency, that receives a federal award and distributes part of it to subrecipients. The pass-through entity monitors subrecipient compliance.
- Period of Performance
- The timeframe during which grant funds may be spent and project activities must be carried out, defined by a start and end date in the award.
- Program Income
- Revenue a grantee earns as a direct result of grant-funded activities, such as fees for services. Funders specify how program income must be used or reported.
- Project Grant
- A competitive, discretionary award for a specific project or purpose, evaluated on merit against other applications — in contrast to a formula grant.
- SAM.gov
- The System for Award Management, the official U.S. government site where organizations register (free) to be eligible for federal contracts and grants and obtain a UEI.
- SF-424
- The standard federal application form for grants, capturing applicant information, project details, and funding requested. It is the cover form for most federal applications.
- Subrecipient
- An organization that receives a portion of a grant from a pass-through entity to carry out part of the program, with its own compliance responsibilities.
- Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
- The 12-character alphanumeric ID assigned in SAM.gov that identifies your organization for all federal awards. It replaced the DUNS number in 2022.
- Unallowable Costs
- Expenses that cannot be charged to a federal award under cost principles — such as alcohol, lobbying, or certain entertainment — even if they benefit the project.
- Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200)
- The set of federal regulations governing the administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for federal awards across all agencies.