NCAH	PORTAL	CVB	QUICK	REFERENCE	GUIDE

Submitting Facility Documents to Inspection and Compliance (IC) 

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PublicaƟon Date: 8/1/2018 Page 1

Where were changes made in the 8/1/2018 version?

1. Page 2: Additional information was added to the descriptions of 'Primary Site' and 'Additional Sites'

2. Page 3: Additional information was added to the description of 'Related Submissions'

3. Page 4: New section was added called 'Document Formatting'

4. Page 5: New screen shot was added showing the 'Add Facility Document' button in attachments section

5. Page 6: New information on 'Version #' field was added
CREATING A FACILITY DOCUMENT SUBMISSION

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This guide is intended for use by firms using the NCAH Portal for submitting facility documents to Inspection and 

Compliance (IC). It is expected that procedures described 9 CFR 108 and VS Memo 800.78 will still be followed. 

Facility documents are electronically submitted to IC using the APHIS 2048 submission section in the NCAH Portal. 

This detailed guide for submitting facility documents is intended for use in conjunction with the instructions in the 

General Guide for CVB Inspection & Compliance E-Submission Correspondence (2048) (User Guide 9). 

Primary Site - Click on the down arrow in the field to see a list of sites for your establishment. Select the address 

of the main location where facilities are located. There should only be one primary site selected. Primary site is 

defined by CVB-IC as an "Inspection Area"; areas on an establishment license that are normally inspected during a 

single in-depth inspection. [Manufacturing, Quarantine, Testing, or Foreign Manufacturing sites].

Additional Sites - Click on the down arrow in the field to see a list of additional sites for your establishment. 

Select the address of the building (if different from the primary address), click on the plus sign button. You may 

enter additional address by selecting from the drop down menu and clicking on the plus sign button again. To 

remove a site, click on the minus sign button next to that site. Additional Sites are other sites at a given site that 

are also on an establishment license, but considered Ancillary. There should be one plot plan (site plan) per 

submission.

NOTE: If the site is not listed in this drop down, leave the field blank and add a comment in the Brief 

Description field that this is a New Site.

Product Code(s) - This is a required field. Enter "NA0000" and click on the plus sign button. A window will pop up

asking if there is a serial number tied to the product code, click on the "NO Serial #" button.

VBI # - Leave blank
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Submitting Facility Documents to Inspection and Compliance (IC) 

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Submission Type - Click on the down arrow in the field to see a list of options. Select "Facility Document".

NOTE: You will enter a more detailed explanation of the type (i.e. Plot Plan, Plot Plan Legend, Blueprint, etc.) when you

add the attachment later in the process.

Submission Subtypes - Leave blank

Tags - This field may be left blank. Click on the down arrow in the field to see a list of options.

Use the tag "Firm Priority" with discretion. Using this tag will delay other submissions for the firm.

Use this only if the submission is a high priority for the firm for processing. 

Brief Description - This is a required field with a maximum character limit of 200. If you are submitting for a New Site/Building 

indicate that here and enter the address. If you are submitting addenda that cover multiple buildings, list those buildings in

this field.

Direct Submission To - This is a required field. Click on the down arrow in the field to see a list of options. This lists any

Biologics Specialist within the CVB-IC unit. This will not route the submission directly to the recipient; it's used as a tool to help

determine who the submission can be manually routed to. Select one name from the list.

Also Notify (cc) - This optional field provides the firms the ability to “carbon copy” any individual(s) within the CVB. Select a

name from the list and then click the plus sign button to add that person. Your selection will show to the right of the field.

Repeat to add additional CVB Employees. Use the red minus sign button to remove people.

Related Submissions - This optional field can be used to enter the Mail Log numbers of any related submissions. Enter the

number only and click on the blue plus sign button. Your selection will show to the right of the field. Repeat to add additional.

Use the red minus sign button to remove entries. Add related submissions for any mail log that was returned unprocessed on

the previous submission, or returned with requested revisions.

 Review your submission and then click in the checkbox by the verification

statement.

 Click the "Save" button.

At this point the 

submission is not yet 

complete. You must add 

attachments prior to 

submitting to the CVB.
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Document Formatting:

• Only new or complete revisions are accepted. The CVB will not process individual page changes.

• Plot Plan and Blueprint Legends and Addendums should not be scans; these need to have the capability of word

comparison to previous versions.

• There should be at least a 1 inch margin at the bottom of all the documents for CVB Stamps.

• A Facility Document Submission (FDS) Form is not required for electronic submission.

• To ensure efficiency and quality review, the CVB suggests the following:

o A mail log submission should be for one site only. A site is defined as an area depicted on a plot plan.

o Submit 5 or less facility document attachments per mail log submission

 This could be for one building

 Must include the summary of changes

• Legends and Addenda only need summary of changes for the first electronic submission.

• Drawings need a summary of changes on every submission.

o One summary of changes per submission; ensuring the different document types are clearly identified within

the document.

Adding 

Attachments 

starts on the 

next page
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 Click on the "Add Facility Document" button to open the attachment section.

ADDING ATTACHMENTS

 Click on the "Add Attachments" button.
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File - Click on the "Browse" button to choose the file you want to upload (the "Remove" button will appear after 

you've uploaded a file). Facility documents need to be uploaded as .pdf files. Note: Each file should only be for 

one item – for example each building’s blueprint must be downloaded as a separate file. Each blueprint legend

for a specific building can be submitted as a separate file; be consistent for entire establishment. Addenda that 

cover more than one building may be submitted as a single file as Addenda.

Type - This is a required field. Click on the down arrow to see a list of options. Select the one the best describes 

the file you are attaching. For facility documents choose Plot Plan, Plot Plan Legend, Blueprint, Blueprint 

Legend, Fraction List, Decontamination Procedures, Biocontainment & Biosafety Practices, Exemptions to 9 CFR

109, Movement of Materials between Licensed Premises, Storage of Master Seed off Licensed Premises,

Alternative Location of Storage of Records, Summary of Changes (Plot Plan, Blueprints, Addendum 

Blueprint (Specialized Blueprint) only.)

Comments - This optional field is limited to 150 characters. Comments pertaining specifically to the individual 

document may be entered here.

Version # - Each submission from the firm should be numeric, the first electronic submission starts at "1". When 

the CVB processes the submission, a suffix of "-CVB" or "-REV" is added to the file name. The second submission 

by the firm would be "2".

When submitting again after an unprocessed facility document is returned, the latest version would be the 

next sequential number of a filed/signed facility document. For example Version 2 is returned unprocessed 

by the CVB, the firm's electronic submission should be resubmitted as Version 2 again.

• When the CVB processes the submission, a suffix is added to the file name.

o “-CVB” is added for filed/signed documents and an invisible CVB digital signature is added

o “-REV” is added to filed/signed documents that need revisions at the next annual review

o There is no stamp or digital signature added to documents that are unprocessed. These

documents will not be filed or returned; however an Outgoing Correspondence document will

be returned to the firm specifying the deficiencies. 

ADDING ATTACHMENTS (continued)
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 You may use the "Add Document" button to add additional files to this submission.

 When you are ready to move forward, click in the checkbox by the verification statement.

 Click on the "Save to Submission" button.

 The facility document submission has now been created and is ready to be submitted to the CVB. Refer to

User Guide 9 - General Guide for CVB Inspection & Compliance E-Submission Correspondence (2048) for

instructions on how to submit to the CVB. Remember that the ability to submit to CVB is based on a user's

role so not all users will see this option.

NOTE: Preliminary facility documents should be submitted as General Correspondence (See 9 CFR 108.6) 

ADDING ATTACHMENTS (continued)