USFWS-Service Grants

This guidance applies to all U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant and cooperative agreement awards.

ASAP – U.S. Treasury’s Automated Standard Application for Payments

In Federal Fiscal Year 2012, the Service changed financial systems from the Federal Financial System (FFS) to the Financial and Business Management System (FBMS). As part of this transition, we moved grant and cooperative agreement award payment management to the U.S. Treasury’s Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP). ASAP is a Federal-wide system. State and local governments, non-profits, universities, as well as some individuals are already using the system to draw funds for awards received through other Federal agencies.

ASAP:

Eliminates the requirement for SF-270, Request for Advance or Reimbursement, or SF-271, Outlay Report and Request for Reimbursement for Construction Programs;
Eliminates the need for invoices and detailed receipts;
Makes funds available to recipients so they reduce the time between doing the work and getting paid for it; and
Is available to anyone who has access to a computer with Internet service

For you to receive your payments on time, you must:

Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS). You do not need a DUNS number if you are an individual who is not connected to any business you own or operate. You do not need to register through a third party for DUNS. Dun and Bradstreet issues the DUNS number to federal grant applicants free of charge online at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. Once assigned a DUNS number, entities are responsible for maintaining up-to-date information with Dun & Bradstreet. U.S.-based entities may also request a DUNS number by telephone by calling the Dun & Bradstreet Government Customer Response Center, Monday – Friday, 7 AM to 8 PM CST at the following numbers:
- U.S. and U.S Virgin Islands: 1-866-705-5711
- Alaska and Puerto Rico: 1-800-234-3867 (Select Option 2, then Option 1)
- For Hearing Impaired Customers Only call: 1-877-807-1679 (TTY Line)
Have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM). If you are receiving funds as an individual not operating as a business, you are not required to register in SAM. SAM registration is also free of charge. You can register in SAM or obtain additional SAM information online at https://www.sam.gov. There are businesses that will help entities register in SAM for a fee. They are not part of the federal registration process and entities don’t have to use them. However, we can't prevent them from engaging in a business transaction.

For Entities expecting to receive a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Grant or Cooperative Agreement:

If you/your organization will be the recipient of a grant or cooperative agreement and you/your organization has not enrolled in ASAP with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, you must contact the Service Program Office responsible for funding your application for instructions on ASAP enrollment. The Service Program Office must submit the ASAP Enrollment form on your behalf.

If you are an individual or for-profit entity who is unable to use ASAP to receive funds, contact the FWS Program Office to which you have applied for funding to request they initiate a waiver request on your behalf.

For Recipients of an award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with an outstanding balance of funds on September 30, 2011:

If you have not enrolled in ASAP for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, you must contact the Service Program Office responsible for your award for instructions on ASAP Enrollment. If you are an individual or for-profit who is unable to use ASAP, please contact your Service Project Officer to initiate a waiver request.

Common ASAP System Issues and Solutions for Recipients with Open Service Grants and Cooperative Agreements:

1. You completed your enrollment recently but cannot see your funds in ASAP.

It takes the U.S. Treasury up to 10 business days to validate your bank information. Only after this validation period can we enter your ASAP ID in our financial system and link it to ASAP. After this link is established, we then send your funds to your ASAP account. Add 15 working days to the date that you completed enrollment to check your funds in ASAP.

2. You have not completed your ASAP Enrollment form.

You must contact the Service Program Office responsible for funding your application/award to obtain the ASAP Enrollment form. After completing the enrollment form you will return the form to the Service Program Office.

3. You have submitted your ASAP Enrollment form to the Service Program Office but have not received an email from U.S. Treasury.

Send an email to ASAPEnrollment@fws.gov. In the subject line type "Checking Status." Provide your DUNS number, organization name (if applicable), and contact information (name, phone number, and State).

4. You need help with enrolling in ASAP or want to check the status of your enrollment.

5. You are enrolled in ASAP with another Department of the Interior bureau but not U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Even though you already have an ASAP account with another federal bureau, you will still need to enroll with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. You will need to obtain the ASAP Enrollment form from Service Program Office responsible for funding your application/award , complete the form and return it to the Service Program Office. Once we initiate your enrollment you will follow the instructions on how to link your banking information to the Service, see Existing Recipients bank link.

6. You need training on how to draw funds in ASAP.

The ASAP Initiating Payment PowerPoint document will show you how.

7. You do not know what Account ID to use.

You can find your Account ID in the award letter you received from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

For awards you received before October 1, 2011, here is the crosswalk between your old U.S. Fish and Wildlife award number in FFS and your new Account ID in FBMS. For system security, we are not publishing names on this document. You need your old U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service award number from the grant or cooperative agreement award so you can cross reference that number to your new ASAP Account ID. Contact your Service Project Officer for more information.

8. You have an active ASAP enrollment but cannot access funds.

Check your banking information in ASAP. You may need to link your banking data. If so, here are the instructions to link the banking information.

9. You are getting ERROR 839: No accounts found matching criteria.
This error message appears because your award has multiple lines of accounting in our financial system. Enter your award followed by the wildcard % in the Account ID field.

10. You have over 90 days of inactivity in ASAP and your account is now locked.

If you do not log into ASAP every 90 days to change your password, ASAP will lock you out of the system. To regain access, please call the U.S. Treasury's Kansas City Financial Center at (855) 868-0151. Choose Option 2 Payments, then Option 3 ASAP. A representative from the U.S. Treasury will assess your unique situation and provide you with instructions on how to reactivate your ASAP account.

11. You drew funds incorrectly and need to return them.

You may:

a. Enter an ACH return in ASAP.gov (ACH Instructions for Returning Funds in ASAP) within 32 days of original payment if ACH Debits are allowed against the recipient’s bank account; or

b. Have your financial institution return the payment to ASAP via ACH within 2 banking days from the settlement date of the original payment; or

c. Have your financial institution use Fedwire to return the full amount or a partial amount. NOTE: Any funds returned to an ASAP account cannot exceed the Cumulative Authorized Amount for that account.

d. Return funds to the Service by paper check. This process should be used as a last resort if other options are not possible. Contact your Service project officer for more information regarding this option.

Note: See Treasury’s Making Adjustment and Returning Funds to ASAP instructions. The FWS does not allow Book Entry Adjustments.

If the Common ASAP System Issues and Solutions above did not address your concerns, please send an email to ASAPEnrollment@fws.gov with the following information:

Recipient Name:
Person to Contact:
Phone Number:
ASAP Recipient ID:
FBMS Award Numbers (ask your Service Project Officer for this information or refer to the crosswalk in item #5 above):
Description of Error Message: Please be very specific. Provide a screen shot if possible.

We will get back to you as soon as possible.