OMB Updates Guidance for Federal Grantees A final notice announcing more uniform government-wide grant rules was published on Monday, May 10 in the Federal Register. As part of its effort to streamline the federal grants process, the Office of Management and Budget has published updated versions of 3 grant circulars that define key cost terms more consistently for all types of grantees including hospitals, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and state, local, and tribal governments. Additionally, OMB announced that it will relocate and group all its grant rules into a new Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Title 2 will centralize all policy guidance and rules for grants and cooperative agreements. The changes are effective June 9, 2004. Please see OMB Watcher's article OMB Updates Guidance for Federal Grantees for more information. The Uniform Guidelines Project Submits Uniform Guidelines for Grant Budgeting and Financial Reporting to e-Grants Initiative The Uniform Guidelines Project, a coalition of organizations, published and promulgated Uniform Guidelines for Grant Budgeting and Financial Reporting. The uniform guidelines have been given to the director of the Grants Streamlining Project and will eventually be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for public comment and approval. The guidelines propose uniform financial data elements for grant applications and reports. The Uniform Guidelines Project has drafted a proposal, and recieved nonprofit organizations' feedback. New Developments on the NAICS and SIC Codes After hearing complaints from nonprofits attempting to fill out the Central Contractor Registry application as part of the apply component of Grants.gov, OMB Watch conducted a survey of nonprofit organizations to determine the how they faired in finding their North American Industrial Classification Code (NAIC) and the Standard Industrial Classification Code (SIC). While the response was small, the results were helpful. Almost all nonprofits that we heard from expressed the need for more guidance on the entire Central Contractor Registry (CCR) form. As far as simply finding their codes, most were frustrated with the amount of time and work it took to search through the database and find multiple codes for all the different services they provide. Some organizations did not feel like the codes adequately represented its services or they could not find a fitting code at all. Once OMB Watch informed the staff at the Grants Streamlining Project within the federal government about the problem nonprofit organizations were having with the CCR and the NAICS and SIC codes specifically, they immediately took action and quickly delivered positive results. THE RESULTS: The Standard Industrial Classification Code is no longer a required field in the CCR application. CCR's web site is concidering adding a tab at the top of the home page that is specifically geared toward helping grantees understand the entire CCR process. OMB Wants Our Feedback for Establishing National Guidelines for the DUNS Number Requirement The federal government is now requiring applicants for federal funding to have a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A new toll-free number to call and have a DUNS number assigned to organizations was announced last week- 1-866-705-5711. Remember: You do NOT have to purchase credit services from Dun and Bradstreet to get a DUNS number. If they try to sell you these services, please let us know. State governments and large nonprofits have asked OMB for guidance on when they need more than one DUNS number. OMB is currently considering what standards should apply. We will be communicating your ideas on this issue to OMB in the next few weeks. Read more Ready or Not, Here Comes the DUNS Number Requirement Beginning on October 1 all federal grant applicants must have a Dun and Bradstreet "DUNS" number (Data Universal Numbering System) to apply for or renew federal grants, or submit plans under mandatory grant programs. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced the new requirement in a June 27 notice of final policy issuance. OMB said, "The identifier will be used for tracking purposes, and to validate address and point of contact information." A universal identifier also eliminates the need for separate identification numbers in different federal agencies. Read more Applying for a Federal Grant? DUNS Frequently Asked Questions Sheet As of October 1 all federal grant applicants must have a "DUNS" number, which the federal government will use as a universal identifier. It will no longer be necessary to have separate identifying numbers with each federal agency. For more information on the DUNS number, see the Questions and Answers Fact Sheet. Federal Agenies Launch Grants.gov Web Site OMB Watch has been monitoring implementation of the Federal government's grants streamlining project, which is required by the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999. The Federal government has developed a website for all agencies to post grant opportunities, and for electronic submission of grant applications. You can view these at Grants.gov. Read more