What you need to do

Time it takes

Notes

1. Find out your organization's DUNS number

Organizations seeking federal grants must have a DUNS number. The federal government's Office of Management & Budget has mandated the use of DUNS numbers, which are provided by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), as a way to track how federal money is awarded and dispersed.

This is not a new requirement. Organizations applying to the Arts Endowment have been required to have a DUNS number since October 1, 2003. Your executive director, business manager, board treasurer, or accountant is likely to know and be able to provide your organization's DUNS number if it already has one. Most universities and colleges, state entities, and large organizations already have DUNS numbers.

If your organization doesn't have a DUNS number, call Dun and Bradstreet's special toll-free number for federal grant applicants at 1-866-705-5711 to receive one free of charge.

More information about DUNS numbers is available on our web site.

If your organization doesn't have a DUNS number already, you will receive one at the conclusion of your phone call.

Record and protect your DUNS number and have it available for quick reference in the following steps.

Your organization's name and address, as it appears in your DUNS record, will be used in Step 2 below. We recommend that you check your DUNS record to make certain that this information is accurate
(fedgov.dnb.com/
webform/pages/
CCRSearch.jsp).

It is possible that your organization, particularly if it has more than one physical location, has more than one DUNS number. If so, be sure to record and use them accurately.

2. Register your organization with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR)

The CCR is a government-wide registry for organizations that seek grants from or otherwise do business with the federal government. The CCR will house your organizational information, allowing Grants.gov to verify your identity. Ask your chief financial officer, grant administrator, or authorizing official if your organization is already registered with CCR.

If your organization is not registered, you can register online at www.ccr.gov. CCR has developed a handbook at www.ccr.gov/handbook.asp#General to help you with the process. This handbook includes details on the information that you will need to gather before you can start the CCR registration process. Your DUNS number (Step 1 above) is one of these items.

When your organization registers with the CCR, you must designate:

1) A CCR Point of Contact (CCR POC). This individual is responsible for maintaining the accuracy and timeliness of the information in the CCR registry. Upon successful registration, the CCR POC will receive a TPIN (Trading Partner Identification Number) that will enable him or her to update your organization's CCR information as necessary. Your CCR registration must be updated or renewed at least once a year or it will expire; CCR will alert your CCR POC when it is time for renewal.

2) An Ebiz Point of Contact (Ebiz POC). This individual will have sole authority to designate the staff member(s) who can submit grant applications on your organization's behalf through Grants.gov. The same individual may serve as both the CCR POC and as the Ebiz POC.

During registration, you also will be asked to designate a special password called a Marketing Partner ID or "MPIN." This password will be used in Step 5 below.

Registration with CCR is the most cumbersome and time-consuming step.

We recommend that you allow up to 3 days to gather your organization's internal information and prepare the application for CCR.

CCR now uses data from the D&B DUNS number record for each CCR registrant's name and address. If, upon review, you find that anything needs changing, you will have to go back to D&B, which in turn will send the modified data to CCR where you will have to accept it - a step that can add 2 days to the CCR registration process.

CCR also verifies with the IRS the Tax Identification Number (also known as the TIN or EIN) that each organization provides during the registration process. Because of this, it may take CCR 2 or 3 days after receipt of your information, with D&B-validated name and address, to finalize your CCR registration.

After your CCR registration is completed, CCR will e-mail confirmation to your CCR POC.

The CCR site uses terminology that is more appropriate for profit-making organizations than for non-profits. Do not be confused by terms such as vendor, contractor, etc; just provide the requested information.

Make sure that you provide your DUNS number correctly.

Also make certain that the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and Taxpayer Name that you provide to the CCR match exactly the TIN and Taxpayer Name that your organization uses for federal tax matters.

Record and protect your TPIN and MPIN. Keep track of the staff designated as Points of Contact.

You can verify the status of your CCR registration by logging onto www.ccr.gov, clicking on "Search CCR," and providing your DUNS number.

3. Have your organization's AOR(s) register with the Credential Provider

Each staff member who will be submitting applications on your organization's behalf is called an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Each AOR must first register with Grants.gov's credential provider.

To register, each AOR must apply for a username and password from Operational Research Consultants (ORC) at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/register_credential_provider.jsp. AORs will need to know your organization's DUNS number in order to complete the process. We recommend that each AOR print out the ORC eAuthentication Account Confirmation and keep it for his/her records.

AOR usernames and passwords serve as "electronic signatures" when your organization submits applications through Grants.gov.

It is possible for the individual who serves as your organization's CCR POC and/or Ebiz POC to also serve as the AOR (or as one of the AORs).

An AOR must wait at least one complete business day after completion of Step 2 above (CCR registration) before starting on this step. Step 3 itself can be completed in one day.

AORs will be able to start using their usernames and passwords shortly after successful submission of their information.

An organization may have one or multiple AORs. Each must have the legal authority to obligate your organization.

While the AOR is the only one who can submit applications, others (e.g., project director, development director) can work on the proposal prior to submission.

AORs should record and protect their usernames and passwords, and have them available for quick reference.
If you are uncertain about your organization's AORs, contact Grants.gov with your DUNS number and they can check for you.

4. Have your organization's AOR(s) register with Grants.gov

Your organization's AOR(s) must register with Grants.gov at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/register_grants_gov.jsp using their usernames and passwords obtained in Step 3.

Wait at least 30 minutes after completing Step 3 before starting on this step. Step 4 will be complete when the AOR submits his or her information.

5. Final registration approval

When an AOR registers with Grants.gov (Step 4), the Ebiz POC for your organization will receive an e-mail notification. Your Ebiz POC must then log on to Grants.gov (using the DUNS number from Step 1 and the MPIN password from Step 2) and approve the AOR, thereby giving him or her permission to submit applications. When an Ebiz POC approves an AOR, Grants.gov will notify the AOR via e-mail.

AORs can also log in at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/aor_authorization.jsp with their username and password (obtained in Step 3) to see if they have been approved.

Once an AOR is approved, he or she is all set to submit an application on behalf of your organization.

Registration approval depends on the time it takes your Ebiz POC to log on and approve the AOR.

Only the Ebiz POC can approve an AOR. If you are both the AOR and the Ebiz POC, you (as Ebiz POC) must approve yourself (as AOR) in order to submit applications.
If your Ebiz POC has forgotten the MPIN password, he or she can call 1-888-227-2423.