How to Read a Federal Grant Announcement

The Document That Contains Everything

Every federal grant starts with a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) — sometimes called a NOFO, a program announcement, or a solicitation. Whatever it's called, this document is the complete rulebook for the opportunity. It tells you who can apply, how much money is available, exactly what reviewers will score you on, and what will happen to your application if you don't follow the instructions.

Most applicants skim it. The ones who win read it three times.

Section by Section

Section A: Program Description

This is the "why" — what the program is trying to accomplish and what kind of work it funds. Read this carefully and ask yourself honestly: does my organization actually do this? Is this what we're proposing to do? If the answer is "sort of" or "with some stretching," keep moving. Reviewers can tell when an application is forcing a fit, and agencies don't fund organizations that are bending their mission to match a funding source.

Section B: Award Information

This tells you the total funding available, the expected number of awards, and the anticipated award size range. Do the math: if $1 million is available and they expect to make 10 awards, the average is $100,000. If you're proposing $400,000, you should understand why your project justifies four times the average award and be prepared to make that case explicitly.

This section also tells you the award period — typically one to five years — and whether renewals are possible.

Section C: Eligibility

Stop here before you go any further. If your organization type is not listed as eligible, you cannot apply. Period. Ineligible applications are rejected without review. Common eligibility types: nonprofits, state/local governments, universities, tribal governments, small businesses, faith-based organizations, for-profit entities.

Also check whether there are sub-eligibility requirements: years in operation, organizational budget size, geographic restrictions, prior federal award history.

Section D: Application and Submission

This section covers where to submit, what forms to include, page limits, font requirements, file format requirements, and the deadline. Every single one of these is a hard rule. Submit the wrong form type and your application may be rejected. Exceed the page limit and reviewers may be instructed to stop reading at the limit. Use 11-point font when the announcement requires 12-point and you've already failed the instructions check.

This section also describes required registrations: Grants.gov, SAM.gov, and sometimes agency-specific systems. Don't discover these the day before the deadline.

Section E: Review and Selection

This is the most important section for writing your application. It describes the review criteria — the specific factors reviewers will evaluate — and the point values assigned to each. Write your project narrative as a direct response to these criteria, in the order they're listed, with clear headers that match the criterion names. Make it easy for reviewers to give you points.

This section also describes any "responsiveness" or threshold criteria — minimum requirements your application must meet before it's even scored. These are pass/fail. Missing one means no review, no score, no award.

Section F: Award Administration

This covers what happens after you win: reporting requirements, monitoring visits, closeout procedures, and the federal regulations that govern the award. For most grants, this means compliance with 2 CFR Part 200. If you're not familiar with the Uniform Guidance, get familiar with it before you accept federal money.

Section G: Agency Contacts

The program officer listed here is your resource. If you have a genuine question that the announcement doesn't answer, call or email. Most program officers are accessible and appreciate well-prepared applicants who ask thoughtful questions. Don't ask questions that are answered in the announcement — that signals you haven't read it.

The Questions to Ask Yourself

After reading the full announcement, answer these five questions before you decide whether to apply:

1. Are we actually eligible?
2. Does this program fund what we actually do — not what we could stretch to do?
3. Can we meet the deadline with a competitive application?
4. Do we have the organizational infrastructure to manage this award if we win?
5. Is the award size worth the investment of writing this application?

If you can't answer yes to all five, your time is probably better spent on a different opportunity.