FY 2020 COPS Office Financial Toolkit 

for Agency Points of Contact 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contents 

1. Introduction...................................................................................................................................

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1 

2. Your Award Information 1 

3. Administrative Items 1 

Gaining Access to COPS Office Systems 1 

COPS Office Agency Portal 2 

Grant Payment Request System (GPRS) 3 

Instructions for Removing Old Users 4 

COPS Office Agency Portal 4 

Grant Payment Request System (GPRS) 4 

4. Filing Reports 5 

Filing the Quarterly SF-425 Financial Report 5 

Filing the Progress Report 5 

5. Financial Reimbursement Process 5 

6. Award Administration Documents 5 

Award Information 5 

Award Modifications, Extensions, and Withdrawals 6 

7. Award Monitoring and Management 6 

Methods of COPS Office Monitoring 6 

8. Closeout of Awards 6 

COPS Office Financial Toolkit for Agency Points of Contact i 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Introduction 

Welcome to the COPS Office grant program! This guide will provide you with vital instructions and 

information to get you oriented to your COPS Office award. In addition to describing the quarterly 

reporting process, it will explain how to draw down your funds and provide other facts and information 

regarding monitoring and managing your COPS Office award. For more detailed information on 

managing your award, see your program specific award owner’s manual linked in section 6. 

2. Your Award Information 

To get started, you will need the information specific to your COPS Office award that states how much 

funding you have received and how the money should be expended. You will need to gather the 

following documentation: 

• Award document, which identifies the award type, grant or cooperative agreement number, award 

amount, and award period 

• Financial clearance memorandum, which includes the approved budget breakdown 

• SF-425 Financial Report, which includes the status of expenditures 

• Payment History Report from the Grant Payment Request System, which lists the funds that have 

been drawn down 

• The Award Owner’s Manual for your specific award 

• The terms and conditions section of the award package 

This information can be obtained through the COPS Office’s Agency Portal; to request assistance, please 

contact the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770 or via email at AskCOPSRC@usdoj.gov or log 

onto the Agency Portal. 

3. Administrative Items 

Gaining Access to COPS Office Systems 

To use your award, you will need access to two key systems. The first is the COPS Office’s Agency Portal, 

which will allow you to update agency contact information and perform other award management 

functions including modifications, extensions, and award withdrawals. The portal is where you will go 

each quarter to submit your federal financial report (SF-425) and programmatic progress report. The 

second system you will use is the Grant Payment Request System (GPRS), which is how you will draw 

down your funding. 

COPS Office Financial Toolkit for Agency Points of Contact 1 
 

COPS Office Agency Portal 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The User Moderator or Law Enforcement Executive (LE) must add you to the Agency Portal user pool. If 

you are having trouble with this, contact the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770. 

To register a new user: 

1. After the user logs into the Agency Portal, the system will display the Agency Portal Home page. 

From the Agency Portal Menu on the left, the user selects Agency Users. 

2. To add a new user, the user selects the Add button. If the user is not the Law Enforcement Executive 

(LE) or Government Executive (GE), then the user must first establish the LE/GE’s account, roles, and 

permissions. 

3. Once the user selects the Add button, the system will display the Add/Edit User page. 

4. First, the user will complete the required information in the top section (i.e., the new user’s email, 

title, name, etc.). 

Second, under the Agency Portal section, the system will also require the user to assign you, the 

new user (i.e., assignee), the appropriate role(s) by checking the desired box. 

a. Agency Moderator – This role allows the assignee to create, edit, and manage the agency 

information such as LE/GE information, agency address and phone and fax number. 

b. User Moderator – If the LE/GE assigns this role to another user, that user can manage agency 

user information such as adding or deleting users and changing user permissions and contact 

information. However, the assigned User Moderator cannot edit his or her own information; he 

or she will need to ask the LE/GE to do so. 

c. Law Enforcement Executive (LE) / Agency Executive – This role should be reserved for the LE as 

this role provides signature access for grant documentation. 

d. Government Executive (GE) / Financial Official – This role should be reserved for the GE as this 

role provides signature access for grant documentation. 

Only one user should be assigned the LE role, and only one user should be assigned the GE role. 

Third, beneath the Agency Portal section, the user must check the permissions boxes associated 

with the various system applications (e.g., progress reports, SF-425, and COPS Application Program) 

to which the assignee should have access. Last, once the user has established the roles and 

permissions for each new assignee, the user selects the Update button. 

5. After the user informs you (the assignee) that your account has been created, you must then visit 

the Agency Portal Login page, click the Reset Password link, and follow that page’s instructions. 

For more information regarding the Agency Portal and all that it offers, please reference the Agency 

Portal User Guide. 

COPS Office Financial Toolkit for Agency Points of Contact 2 
 

Grant Payment Request System (GPRS) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To register as a new COPS Office award and GPRS user: 

1. Go to the GPRS login page. 

2. Select “New GPRS User Registration for COPS.” 

3. Fill in the required information. Note: Recipients with both OJP/OVW and COPS Office active awards 

are required to create separate accounts with a unique GPRS username for each. The accounts can 

then be consolidated into one username (your choice, but you must sign in with that account to 

consolidate usernames). 

4. Click “Award Selection.” 

5. Enter your COPS Office vendor number (a 9-digit number, which can be found on your award 

documents), and click “Add Vendor.” 

6. A listing of all awards associated with this vendor number will display on the bottom half of the 

screen. 

7. Use the check boxes to the left to identify the awards for which you would like to have drawdown 

access. 

8. Click “Submit Registration.” 

You will receive a confirmation email with a temporary password after your request has been reviewed 

and approved. Do not register a second time while your request is being reviewed. Once you receive the 

email, you should log in to the GPRS system immediately by entering the username you selected and the 

temporary password you received via email. The system will instruct you to change your password to 

something permanent. Please read the password restrictions when creating your permanent password. 

From there, you should have access to draw down from the accounts that you have selected. If you do 

not receive your temporary password within two business days, please check your junk mail box. You 

also have the option to use the “Forgot Password” link on the webpage. It will email you a new 

temporary password that you will need to change to a permanent password. 

Keep in mind, these passwords are temporary, so you must log in and change them as soon as 

possible. If this does not work, please contact the GMS Helpdesk (888-549-9901, option 3) for a 

password reset for GPRS with the username you selected upon registration. 

COPS Office Financial Toolkit for Agency Points of Contact 3 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To add an award to an existing COPS Office username GPRS account: 

If you are currently registered for an active COPS Office award username in GPRS and would like to add a 

recently funded COPS Office award number to your existing COPS Office award username, contact the 

COPS Office GPRS registration team via email at COPSGPRSRegistration@usdoj.gov and provide the 

following information: 

• COPS Office award username (for COPS Office awards) 

• First/last name 

• Vendor number (as listed on your award document) 

• Award number(s) to be added 

For additional details, please consult the following: 

• GPRS FAQs 

• GPRS Mandatory Username Consolidation Job Aid 

Instructions for Removing Old Users 

COPS Office Agency Portal 

To remove users: 

1. Call the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770. 

2. Provide the names of the users you want to remove from accessing the COPS Office Agency Portal. 

You must give a reason and provide proof of the change. 

To remove the LE or GE: 

1. Call the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770. 

2. Provide a Change of Information (COI) form to the Response Center point of contact, along with the 

contact information for the new LE/GE. 

3. The COPS Office Response Center will send a new registration letter via email. 

4. The new LE/GE will register on the COPS Office Agency Portal. 

Grant Payment Request System (GPRS) 

To remove users: 

1. Send an e-mail to COPSGPRSRegistration@usdoj.gov and state that you have GPRS users who can be 

removed. Please ensure you remove users who are no longer affiliated with the COPS Office award. 

2. Identify yourself as a current user of the GPRS system. 

3. Provide the account usernames and the names of the individuals, along with the reasons for 

removals. 

COPS Office Financial Toolkit for Agency Points of Contact 4 
 

 

 

 

4. Filing Reports 

Reporting is an essential part of managing your award. The resources listed below will assist you in filing 

your financial and programmatic reports. 

Filing the Quarterly SF-425 Financial Report 

• SF-425 Helpful Hints: This PDF discusses how to file your report. 

• SF-425 Fact Sheet 

• SF-425 FAQs: This PDF answers common questions regarding submission. 

• SF-425 Interactive Tutorial: This web page will help you fill out your report prior to submission. 

Filing the Progress Report 

• Compliance and Reporting: This web page addresses the process of filing your award’s progress 

report. 

5. Financial Reimbursement Process 

It is important to note that filing your financial and programmatic quarterly reports is completely 

separate from drawing down your funding for reimbursement of allowed expenses. Following is 

information and resources regarding accessing your funds in the GPRS system. 

• GPRS User Guide: This user guide contains information including how to create payment requests 

and how to view a transaction history. 

• ACH Enrollment Form 

Please validate your current banking information by contacting your staff accountant through the COPS 

Office Response Center at 800-421-6770. 

6. Award Administration Documents 

Award Information 

All award administration documents, such as the award owner’s manual—which provides the 

requirements and procedures for your award—as well as fact sheets, award selection methodologies, 

and other useful information, can be found at the COPS Office website under the particular section for 

your program in your fiscal year (the four-digit date at the beginning of your grant number). For further 

assistance, please contact the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770. 

COPS Office Financial Toolkit for Agency Points of Contact 5 
 

 

 

 

 

Award Modifications, Extensions, and Withdrawals 

If you would like to request a modification or extension of your award or would like to withdrawal from 

your award, please look at section 2.2 of the Agency Portal User Guide: Agency Portal User Guide. 

7. Award Monitoring and Management

Methods of COPS Office Monitoring 

• COPS Office Award Monitoring and Audits: This pdf discusses how the COPS Office monitors your

award and will help you to learn more about what compliance reviews and audits mean for your

agency.

8. Closeout of Awards

An essential part of any federal award program is a proper programmatic and financial "closeout" of 

each award at the end of the award period. The COPS Office has created a closeout process to expedite 

the closure of our awards and contacts recipients when their awards are due to close. During the

closeout process, the COPS Office will determine whether your agency has met and fulfilled all of the

programmatic and financial requirements and conditions of your award. 

Recipients can prepare for the closeout of their award(s) by saving all pertinent paperwork associated 

with the closing awards. In addition, recipients must submit a final Federal Financial Report (SF-425) for 

their award, which is due after the end of the award period. Your SF-425 should reflect the total amount 

of federal expenditures, the total amount of agency matching contributions (if applicable), and the 

amount of unobligated funds, if any. Any unobligated or unspent funds will be deobligated during the 

closeout process. 

Please note that all documentation associated with a COPS Office award must be saved for at least 

three years followin g the closure of the award. 

If you have any additional questions regarding the COPS Office closeout process, please contact your 

grant program specialist or program manager at 800-421-6770. 

COPS Office Financial Toolkit for Agency Points of Contact 6 
 

 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

145 N Street NE 

Washington, DC 20530 

To obtain details about COPS Office programs, call 

the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770. 

Visit the COPS Office online at www.cops.usdoj.gov. 

e021519685 

First published 2015 Second 

edition 2015 

Third edition 2016 

Fourth edition February 2019 

Fifth edition October 2019

Sixth edition July 2020