Step 3: Submit Your Application Package

The following instructions explain how to submit your application to Grants.gov. Once you have completed all the required documents and attached any required or optional documentation, be sure to use the Save button to save your package. Please note that you can only submit a complete application and may not send it in parts.

How to Submit Your Application Package

The following steps explain how to submit your application package to Grants.gov.

Open the saved application from your computer.
Select the Check Package for Errors button on the cover page of the application package.
Resolve every error that is identified, if applicable, and click the Save button.
Select the Save & Submit button once all errors are resolved. The Save & Submit button will not activate until all the errors are resolved and the Save button has been selected.
Enter your Grants.gov username and password to confirm the submission of your application package.
Retain the application tracking number you receive from the application submission confirmation page.
Track the status of your application using the tracking number.

Check for Errors Button

The Check for Errors button searches your application for errors that prevent your application from being processed. If there are errors identified, clicking this button will direct you to the error in the current application.

Common Errors that Prevent Submission or Cause Rejection

All mandatory fields have not been completed
Email field(s) are not formatted properly, (e.g., name@example.com)
Date field(s) are not formatted properly (e.g., mm/dd/yyyy)
The congressional districts field on the SF-424 is not listed in numerical format
All forms that have data in them (i.e., both mandatory and optional forms) have not been moved to the respective Completed Documents for Submission box on the right side of the page
Save button was not clicked following completion of the application package, thus activating the Submit button

Submission Confirmation

After you submit your grant application package, a confirmation screen will appear on your computer screen. This screen confirms that you have submitted an application to Grants.gov. This page also contains a tracking number to identify the status of your submission in the Track My Application feature.

Once Grants.gov has received your submission, Grants.gov will send email messages to advise you of the progress of your application through the system. Over the next two business days, you should receive two emails:

Submission Receipt Email: Confirms successful receipt of your application by the Grants.gov system and indicates application status is "Received."
Submission Validation –OR– Rejection with Errors Email: Indicates that your application was either successfully validated or rejected by Grants.gov. Either the application has been successfully validated by the system prior to transmission to the grantor agency or the application has been rejected due to errors.

The Grants.gov system is designed to check for technical errors within the submitted application package. The validation process includes, but is not limited to, the following checks:

The file does not contain viruses
The opportunity is still open
The applicant log in and DUNS number match

If your application is rejected with errors, you may resolve these errors and attempt to submit again as long as the submission deadline has not already passed. Please note that Grants.gov does not review application content for award determination.

Once your application package has passed validation, it is available for the awarding agency to retrieve to perform further review and award determination. After the federal agency confirms receipt of your application, Grants.gov will send you a third email to indicate the Received by Agency status.

Having Problems?

If you're having problems completing the package, view the Grants.gov Frequently Asked Questions.