2016 COMPETITION CREATING AN APPLICATION IN EGRANTS SOCIAL INNOVATION FUND – PAY FOR SUCCESS 

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Social Innovation Fund Pay for Success Grant Competition 

Creating an Application in eGrants

Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................. 2 

Preparing to Submit your Project ............................................................................................................................................2 

Create an eGrants Account and Log On ................................................................................................................................. 3 

Create a New Project...............................................................................................................................................................4

Project Applicant Information ................................................................................................................................................ 4

Application Information .......................................................................................................................................................... 5 

Narratives ................................................................................................................................................................................ 5

Documents .............................................................................................................................................................................. 6

Budget ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Review .................................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Authorize and Submit ............................................................................................................................................................. 9

Assistance with your Application ........................................................................................................................................... 9 
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Introduction 

This document is intended to illustrate the eGrants guidance provided in the application instructions. Detailed 

guidance of what to include in the application is contained in the Notice of Funding Availability (Notice) and 

the application instructions (provided as an appendix within the Notice). Please click on “FY 2016 Social 

Innovation Fund Pay for Success Cooperative Agreements” on list of current CNCS funding opportunities here: 

http://www.nationalservice.gov/build-your-capacity/grants/funding-opportunities.

Please note: Screenshots in this presentation are intended as illustration only. The content of screenshots should 

not be interpreted as formal guidance from the Corporation. 

Preparing to Submit Your Project 

Submitting a project through eGrants isn’t always intuitive, so we have developed this short guide to help you 

prepare and navigate some of the complexities involved. Please spend a few minutes re- viewing the 

information here before you get started, and keep a copy (or open browser window) by your side as you 

complete your application. If you have questions along the way, see the end of this document for contact 

information for the Help Desk.

Submitting a project will require that you provide the following information and complete these steps:

1. Create an eGrants account

2. Create a new project

3. Enter project applicant information

4. Enter application info

5. Enter narratives

6. Send documents and record status in eGrants

7. Develop and enter the project budget (Sections 1 and 2), including subsidiary budgets

8. Review your application

9. Authorize and submit
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I. Create an eGrants Account and Log On 

1. Create an eGrants Account 

 Your first step will be to create an 

account on eGrants. Please skip to 

step 6 below if you already have an 

eGrants account.

 Go to: 

http://www.nationalservice.gov/buildyour-capacity/grants/egrants, then 

click eGrants Log-in.

 Click Don’t have an eGrants account? Create an account 

 On the next screen, click Create a Grantee account, then click This is my first time. I want to

create a new account with eGrants...

 Complete the account application. You will need your organization’s name, address (including 

Zip+4), and EIN to obtain an eGrants account. You will also need a DUNS number before you 

can submit your final application. You can obtain this at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. To 

enhance the security of your eGrants account, your password must include at least:

o 12 characters 

o 1 upper case character 

o 1 numerical character 

o 1 special character, ie !@#$%^&*() 

2. Log onto eGrants and Create an Application

 Visit https://egrants.cns.gov/espan/main/login.jsp

 Log on to eGrants and select New in the lower left 

corner of the screen.
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II. Create a New Project 

1. Verify your Legal Applicant 

Information (along the left hand 

side of the screen) is accurate. 

2. Select a NOFA. Select Other

from the drop down menu, then 

click Go.

3. Select the FY2016 Social 

Innovation Fund Pay for Success 

Cooperative Agreement and click 

on Next.

III. Project Applicant Information 

1. Verify that you selected the correct 

NOFA (FY 2016 Social Innovation 

Fund Pay for Success Cooperative 

Agreement) and then click create a new 

project.

Tip: Notice the toolbar on the left side of the 

screen. Clicking on any of the titles will take you 

directly to that section.

2. Fill in all fields in the Enter/Edit a Project box. The 

following tips will help ensure that your application is 

complete and accurate. 

 Project title: Use a project title that is suitable for 

print or online promotion of your initiative and 

would be helpful in explaining your program to 

external audiences.

 Project State: This is the state where your 

organization resides, even if you have partners or 

subgrantees in other states. The same is true for the 

other contact information.

 Email address: Use the email address of the 

primary contact person. 
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 Zip code: Enter the full Zip+4. Visit: https://www.usps.com/zip4/ if you do not know yours.

 Click Save & Close when finished.

3. Verify that the information on this screen is accurate, then choose your Project Director from the 

drop down menu. This list is populated from the eGrants account you set up prior to starting your 

SIF application. 

 There may be multiple users within your organization or there may be one, as seen here. 

 You may also enter your project website URL (if applicable), and click Next.

IV. Application Information 

1. Proceed to enter information 

in Application Info section. 

This section contains general 

information on your 

application, such as 

geographical areas affected by 

the project, start and end date, 

whether or not your 

application is subject to review by the State Executive Order 12372 process, and whether the 

applicant is delinquent on any federal debt.

TIP: Remember, you can return to any section of your application by clicking on the section title in the left 

navigation bar. 

V. Narrative Information 

1. Enter Narratives in appropriate sections. The Narratives section includes six narrative fields. Click 

view/edit narrative to enter your 

information. 

Once you have entered information in each of the 

narratives, a green check box will appear in front 

of the section title. You must include text in each 

of the narrative fields in order for your application 

to validate. 

 Important: You should always compose 

text for your application in a word 

processing application and paste it into 

eGrants 

Notes on Narrative Fields:

 The maximum length of the application 

can be found in the Notice.
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 Reviewers will be instructed to stop reading once they’ve reached the page limit, even if eGrants 

allows you to submit a longer application.

 Do not use bold face, bullets, underlines or other types of formatting, charts, diagrams, and tables. 

They will not copy accurately into eGrants, so please use plain text only.

VI. Documents 

1. Match verification documents submitted 

directly to SIF should be entered in this 

section. Please see the Notice for 

information on match verification.

2. Match verification letters must be sent to 

PFSApplication@CNS.gov; they cannot 

be attached through eGrants. Once you 

have sent them through email, click on 

the Match Verification drop down menu 

and select Sent from the menu. 

Note: no additional documentation is required, and other documentation will not be considered during 

application review.

 VII. Budget 

1. See the application instructions for detailed 

guidance on how to accurately complete the 

budget.

2. Begin to enter Budget in Section 1 (Program 

Costs) 

Note: If you are applying to provide services to Service 

Recipients (as opposed to funds to Subrecipients), you 

may include the language “(toward Service Recipient 

80%)” beside the description of each line item factoring 

toward the 80% requirement of spending on Service 

Recipients.

 Personnel fringe benefits: Click add a new budget item. Enter the type of fringe benefits (e.g., 

FICA, workers’ compensation) and the position they cover. Enter the calculation used to compute 

the benefit. Enter in the total amount and divide between the CNCS share and the grantee share. 

Click Save & Close. If you have multiple items, click on add a new budget item as many times as 

needed.
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 Project personnel expenses: Click add a new budget item. Type in the title or name of the position. 

Enter the number of positions with the same title/name. Enter the full-time equivalent salary for this 

position and the percentage of time that will be used for SIF activities. The total amount is calculated 

automatically. Enter the CNCS share and grantee share. Both must add up to the total amount. Click 

Save & Close. If you have multiple positions, click on add a new budget item as needed.

 Travel: Click add a new budget item. Enter the purpose of the travel. Enter the calculation used to 

compute the travel. Enter the total value for travel and divide between the CNCS share and the 

grantee share. Click Save & Close. If you have multiple items, click add a new budget item as many 

times as needed.

 Equipment: Click add a new budget item. Enter the item and/or purpose of the equipment. The 

application instructions explain the distinction between equipment and supplies. Enter the quantity 

and unit cost. The total amount is auto populated. Divide between the CNCS share and the grantee 

share. Click Save & Close. If you have multiple items, click add a new budget item as many times 

as needed. 

 Supplies: Click add a new budget item. Enter the supply items. The application instructions explain 

the distinction between equipment and supplies. Enter the calculation used to determine the cost of 

these supplies. Enter the total amount for these supplies and divide between the CNCS share and 

the grantee share. Click Save & Close. If you have multiple items, click add a new budget item as 

many times as needed.

 Contractual and consultant services: Click add a new budget item. Enter the type of contractual or 

consultant service. Enter the calculation used to determine the cost of these services. Enter the total 

amount and divide between the CNCS share and the grantee share. Click Save & Close. If you have 

other contractual and consultant services items, click add a new budget item as many times as 

needed.

 Other costs:

o Subgrants - Click edit in the Subgrants line. Type in the total amount you plan to 

subgrant and divide between the CNCS share and the grantee share. Click Save & Close. 

o Criminal history checks and other costs - Click add a new budget item to add Criminal 

history background checks as directed in the NOFA. Follow this same process to add 

evaluation costs, training costs, and any additional costs. Enter the purpose and total 

amount for each type of cost, then divide between the CNCS share and the grantee share. 

Click Save & Close.

o Be sure this section includes the costs associated with:

o Subgrants

o Training

o Evaluation

o Criminal history background checks

 Subtotals: This section will automatically populate based on what you entered in each of the budget 

sections. Click Next.

 Enter source of matching funds. 
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o Click Enter source of matching funds, then enter a description and amount of the match you 

have secured. Choose the match classification (either Cash or In-Kind) from the drop down 

menu.

o Choose Match Source from the drop down menu, enter the source of your match, then click 

Save & Close.

o If you have other matching fund sources, click Enter source of matching funds as many 

times as needed. Complete, and then click Save & Close.

o The total value of the match entered here should equal the total match entered in the budget.

3. Begin to enter Budget in Section 2 (Indirect Costs) 

 Click Edit. Choose the Cost Type from the drop down menu. Choose Cost Basis from the drop 

down menu. Enter the Calculation, Rate, and Rate Claimed. Enter the total amount and divide 

between the CNCS share and the Grantee share. Click Save & Close. 

Note: For more information on indirect costs rates, see the Notice of Federal Funding 

Availability.

4. Enter Subsidiary Budgets. 

 Click either Add subsidiary budget or Copy 

subsidiary budget to create Budget Years 2 

and 3 of the Application. 

Tip: By clicking Copy subsidiary budget, the Year 1 

budget automatically populates in the subsidiary 

budget. If you want to begin the subsidiary budgets 

from scratch, click Add subsidiary budget.

5. Validate your budget

 Once your budget is complete, click on 

Validate this budget.

 If the CNCS request is more than the grantee (or applicant) share (proposed matching funds), you 

will get an error message from eGrants stating: “Grantee share must be greater than or equal to 

CNCS share.” If you receive this error, click close and make necessary changes until the grantee 

share is greater than or equal to the CNCS share. Once you have made the necessary corrections, 

click Validate this budget.

 When your budget has been validated, you will see the message: “No budget errors were found! 

This budget has been validated without errors.”

VIII. Review 

1. Now you can review your application. The reports to view/print your full application include the 

following: 

 Application for Federal Assistance, 

 Budget, and 
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 Budget Narrative (based on the information you entered in the budget screens). 

2. Click view/print report. The other links are inoperable for the purposes of the SIF application. When you 

view the Application for Federal Assistance report, ensure that it doesn’t exceed the maximum page 

limit.

IX. Authorize and Submit 

Once you have made all the edits to your application, the authorized representative can authorize and submit. 

See the application instructions for a description of this role. The authorized representative must sign into his 

or her eGrants account in order to complete the following steps:

1. Click I Agree

2. You will see Authorized By: (name) and Authorized on (date) when correctly authorized. The radio 

button will still be open, but as long as the Authorized by: information is there, the application has 

been authorized.

3. Next move to Assurances and click on view/print certification. Read the Assurances, including the 

specific Assurances for the Social Innovation Fund found near the end.

4. Next, move to Certifications and click view/print certification. Read the Certifications. Once you 

have thoroughly read the Certifications (and agree to them!), click I Agree. You will see Authorized 

Certifying Official: (name) and Certified on (date) when the Assurances are correctly certified. Now 

click Verify this Grant Application.

5. If there are any errors in your application, you will receive an error message. Go back to each section, 

correct any issues, and click Verify this Grant Application again.

6. If you have corrected all the errors, you will receive a message stating: “No application errors were 

found! The application was verified with no errors.”

7. The last step is to click Submit grant 

application to CNCS. Once 

submitted, you will receive this 

message:

Assistance with your application 

For technical questions and problems with the eGrants system, call the National Service Hotline at (800) 942-

2677. 

Hours of Operations: 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, during the months of January, May, 

June, July, August, and September. For the months of February, March, April, October, November and 

December, normal hours of operations are: Monday through Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST. Friday: 

Closed. The hotline is closed on all federal holidays.
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Potential applicants can also use this link: https://questions.nationalservice.gov/app/ask for questions. 

Be prepared to provide the application ID, organization’s name, and the name of the Notice to which the 

organization is applying.

The Application and Submission Information section of the Notice explains what to do if you experience 

technical difficulties in eGrants.